The complete chloroplast genome of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis (Rhodophyta) gives new insight into the evolution of family Gracilariaceae.
The complete chloroplast genome of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis was recovered from a Next Generation Sequencing data set. Without quadripartite structure, this chloroplast genome (183,013 bp, 27.40% GC content) contains 202 protein-coding genes, 34 tRNA genes, 3 rRNA genes, and 1 tmRNA gene. Synteny analysis showed plasmid incorporation regions in chloroplast genomes of three species of family Gracilariaceae and in Grateloupia taiwanensis of family Halymeniaceae. Combined with reported red algal plasmid sequences in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, we postulated that red algal plasmids may have played an important role in ancient horizontal gene transfer among nuclear, chloroplast, and mitochondrial genomes. Substitution rate analysis showed that purifying selective forces maintaining stability of protein-coding genes of nine red algal chloroplast genomes over long periods must be strong and that the forces acting on gene groups and single genes of nine red algal chloroplast genomes were similar and consistent. The divergence of Gp. lemaneiformis occurred ~447.98 million years ago (Mya), close to the divergence time of genus Pyropia and Porphyra (443.62 Mya).
Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MOE), College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
Qingwei
Q
Du
Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MOE), College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
Guiqi
G
Bi
Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MOE), College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
Yunxiang
Y
Mao
Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MOE), College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266003, China.
Zhenghong
Z
Sui
D005075:Biological Evolution; D054628:Genome, Chloroplast; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D010802:Phylogeny; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
Gracilariaceae; Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis; chloroplast genome; divergence time; genome and gene evolution; regions of plasmid remnants