Abstract
Multichromosomal mitochondrial genomes (mtDNAs) in eukaryotes exhibit remarkable structural diversity, yet intraspecific variability and the origin of the individual chromosomes remain poorly understood. We focus on a holoparasitic angiosperm with a mtDNA consisting of 65 chromosomes largely composed of foreign DNA acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from its mimosoid hosts. The frequency, timing and population dynamics of these HGT events have not been examined. Here we sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants, to assess mtDNA intraspecific variability and capture recent events that may bring insights into the HGT process. We also gathered mitochondrial data from 43 mimosoids to identify older and recent HGT events and assess precisely the proportion of foreign DNA. Through comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses, we uncovered great intraspecific variability in chromosome content and defined the mitochondrial pangenome of L. mirabile with 105 distinct chromosomes. The estimated foreign content reaches 93.5% of the mtDNA, including 73 fully-foreign chromosomes that support the circle-mediated HGT model as a key mechanism for their acquisition. We inferred recurrent DNA transfers from the host plants leading to new mitochondrial chromosomes that replicate autonomously. Our results emphasize the importance of adopting a pangenomic approach to fully capture the genetic diversity and evolution of multichromosomal mitochondrial genomes. This study shows that HGT can strongly influence the mtDNA content and generate enormous intraspecific variability even in geographically close individuals.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Lophophytum mirabile shows great intraspecific variability in mitochondrial chromosome content.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabile
_(29490263743).jpg?width=60)
Lophophytum mirabilee0 - Outcome
- intraspecific variability in chromosome contente1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_(29490263743).jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e1“we uncovered great intraspecific variability in chromosome content”
Claim · model-written summary
The mitochondrial pangenome of Lophophytum mirabile comprises 105 distinct chromosomes.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Outcome
- mitochondrial pangenomee2
- Value
- 105 distinct chromosomese2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e2“defined the mitochondrial pangenome of L. mirabile with 105 distinct chromosomes”
Claim · model-written summary
Foreign DNA makes up an estimated 93.5% of the mitochondrial genome of Lophophytum mirabile.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Outcome
- foreign contente3
- Value
- 93.5%e3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e3“The estimated foreign content reaches 93.5% of the mtDNA”
Claim · model-written summary
Lophophytum mirabile carries 73 fully-foreign mitochondrial chromosomes.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Outcome
- fully-foreign chromosomese4
- Value
- 73e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e4“including 73 fully-foreign chromosomes”
Claim · model-written summary
The circle-mediated HGT model is a key mechanism for the acquisition of foreign mitochondrial chromosomes in Lophophytum mirabile.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Outcome
- their acquisitione5
- Qualifier
- circle-mediated HGT model as a key mechanisme5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e5“support the circle-mediated HGT model as a key mechanism for their acquisition”
Claim · model-written summary
Recurrent DNA transfers from host plants are inferred to generate new mitochondrial chromosomes that replicate autonomously in Lophophytum mirabile.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Interactor
- host plantse6host
- Outcome
- new mitochondrial chromosomes that replicate autonomouslye6
- Qualifier
- recurrent DNA transferse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e6“We inferred recurrent DNA transfers from the host plants leading to new mitochondrial chromosomes that replicate autonomously”
Claim · model-written summary
Horizontal gene transfer strongly influences the mtDNA content and intraspecific variability of Lophophytum mirabile.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum mirabileLophophytum mirabilee0
- Outcome
- mtDNA contente7
- Qualifier
- HGTe7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sampled different individuals of the holoparasite Lophophytum mirabile, along with their host plants”
e7“This study shows that HGT can strongly influence the mtDNA content and generate enormous intraspecific variability”