Centromere and telomere sequence alterations reflect the rapid genome evolution within the carnivorous plant genus Genlisea.
Linear chromosomes of eukaryotic organisms invariably possess centromeres and telomeres to ensure proper chromosome segregation during nuclear divisions and to protect the chromosome ends from deterioration and fusion, respectively. While centromeric sequences may differ between species, with arrays of tandemly repeated sequences and retrotransposons being the most abundant sequence types in plant centromeres, telomeric sequences are usually highly conserved among plants and other organisms. The genome size of the carnivorous genus Genlisea (Lentibulariaceae) is highly variable. Here we study evolutionary sequence plasticity of these chromosomal domains at an intrageneric level. We show that Genlisea nigrocaulis (1C = 86 Mbp; 2n = 40) and G. hispidula (1C = 1550 Mbp; 2n = 40) differ as to their DNA composition at centromeres and telomeres. G. nigrocaulis and its close relative G. pygmaea revealed mainly 161 bp tandem repeats, while G. hispidula and its close relative G. subglabra displayed a combination of four retroelements at centromeric positions. G. nigrocaulis and G. pygmaea chromosome ends are characterized by the Arabidopsis-type telomeric repeats (TTTAGGG); G. hispidula and G. subglabra instead revealed two intermingled sequence variants (TTCAGG and TTTCAGG). These differences in centromeric and, surprisingly, also in telomeric DNA sequences, uncovered between groups with on average a > 9-fold genome size difference, emphasize the fast genome evolution within this genus. Such intrageneric evolutionary alteration of telomeric repeats with cytosine in the guanine-rich strand, not yet known for plants, might impact the epigenetic telomere chromatin modification.
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
Trung D
TD
Tran
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
Hieu X
HX
Cao
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
Gabriele
G
Jovtchev
Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31/1160, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Pavel
P
Neumann
Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31/1160, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Petr
P
Novák
Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
Miloslava
M
Fojtová
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
Giang T H
GT
Vu
Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31/1160, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Jiří
J
Macas
Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.|Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic.
Jiří
J
Fajkus
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.|Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) and Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
Ingo
I
Schubert
Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), OT Gatersleben, Corrensstrasse 3, D-06466, Stadt Seeland, Germany.
Joerg
J
Fuchs
D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002503:Centromere / Q000235:genetics*; D032461:Chromosomes, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019684:Magnoliopsida / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013045:Species Specificity; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors
G. hispidula; Genlisea nigrocaulis; Lentibulariaceae; centromeric retrotransposons; centromeric tandem repeat; genome evolution; plant telomeric repeat variants; telomerase