The reductive and recurrent evolution of the chloroplast genome

Abstract

The endosymbiosis of the bacterial progenitors of the mitochondrion and the chloroplast are landmark events in the evolution of life on Earth. While both organelles have retained substantial proteomic and biochemical complexity, this complexity is not reflected in the content of their genomes. Instead, the organellar genomes encode fewer than 5% of the genes found in living relatives of their ancestors. While many of the 95% of missing organellar genes have been discarded, others have been transferred to the host nuclear genome. In this talk I will discuss the forces that drove the exodus of genes from the organellar genomes, and reveal the remarkable patterns of recurrent evolution that have happened to the genes that have stayed behind.

Publications

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2321050121(link is external)

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.23.595573v1(link is external)

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.05.21.595093v1