Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in plant mitochondria is frequent, yet acquired genes are rarely functional due to expression barriers. The holoparasitic plant Lophophytum mirabile (Balanophoraceae) is an exceptional case, having functionally replaced numerous native mitochondrial genes with host-derived xenologues. This system provides a unique opportunity to investigate the mechanisms of functional HGT assimilation. Here, we assembled mitochondrial genomes of the sister species L. pyramidale and their mimosoid hosts and analysed expression data from both holoparasites. We show that this extensive functional integration occurred without the co-transfer of nuclear regulatory factors; Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery. Our results demonstrate that the primary mechanism enabling Lophophytum to overcome the transcription barrier is structural: most functional xenologues are chimaeric and retain native 5' regions that probably place foreign coding sequences under the control of a recognizable native promoter. This structural solution is complemented by post-transcriptional flexibility, as the RNA editing machinery efficiently processes novel host-specific sites. However, functional replacement appears biased towards genes with inherently low editing requirements and no introns, highlighting a strong selective filter. Taken together, our results show that functional integration is driven by a combination of structural integration and the flexibility of the native regulatory system.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Functional integration of host derived mitochondrial genes occurred without nuclear regulatory factor transfer.
- Taxon
- Lophophytum
_(29490263743).jpg?width=60)
Lophophytume0 - Outcome
- functional integratione0
- Qualifier
- without the co-transfer of nuclear regulatory factorse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
_(29490263743).jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“this extensive functional integration occurred without the co-transfer of nuclear regulatory factors; Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery.”
Claim · model-written summary
Most functional xenologues are chimaeric and retain native 5 prime regions.
- Taxon
- LophophytumLophophytume1
- Outcome
- functional xenologues are chimaeric and retain native 5' regionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“most functional xenologues are chimaeric and retain native 5' regions”
e1“Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery.”
Claim · model-written summary
Native 5 prime regions probably put foreign coding sequences under a recognized native promoter.
- Taxon
- LophophytumLophophytume1
- Outcome
- foreign coding sequences under the control of a recognizable native promotere0
- Qualifier
- retain native 5' regionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“retain native 5' regions that probably place foreign coding sequences under the control of a recognizable native promoter.”
e1“Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery.”
Claim · model-written summary
RNA editing machinery processes novel host specific sites efficiently.
- Taxon
- LophophytumLophophytume1
- Outcome
- novel host-specific sitese0
- Qualifier
- RNA editing machinery efficiently processese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the RNA editing machinery efficiently processes novel host-specific sites.”
e1“Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery.”
Claim · model-written summary
Functional replacement favors genes with low editing requirements and no introns.
- Taxon
- LophophytumLophophytume1
- Gene
- genes with inherently low editing requirements and no intronse0
- Outcome
- functional replacemente0
- Direction
- biased towardse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“functional replacement appears biased towards genes with inherently low editing requirements and no introns”
e1“Lophophytum relies entirely on its pre-existing native machinery.”