The tulip tree reveals mitochondrial genome of ancestral flowering plant

Public release date: 14-Apr-2013
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Contact: Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-020-319-22370
BioMed Central

The extraordinary level of conservation of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) mitochondrial genome has redefined our interpretation of evolution of the angiosperms (flowering plants), finds research in biomed Central's open access journal BMC Biology. This beautiful 'molecular fossil' has a remarkably slow mutation rate meaning that its mitochondrial genome has remained largely unchanged since the dinosaurs were roaming the earth.

Evolutionary studies make used of mitochondrial (powerhouse) genomes to identify maternal lineages, for example the human mitochondrial Eve. Among plants, the lack of genomic data from lineages which split away from the main evolutionary branch early on has prevented researchers from reconstructing patterns of genome evolution.

L. tulipifera is native to North America. It belongs to a more unusual group of dicotyledons (plants with two seed leaves) known as magnoliids, which are thought to have diverged early in the evolution of flowing plants.

By sequencing the mitochondrial genome of L. tulipifera, researchers from Indiana University and University of Arkansas discovered that its mitochondrial genome has one of the slowest silent mutation rates (ones which do not affect gene function) of any known genome. Compared to humans the rate is 2000 times slower the amount of genomic change in a single human generation would take 50,000 years for the tulip tree. The rate is even slower for magnolia trees, taking 130,000 years for the same amount of mitochondrial genomic change.

Ancestral gene clusters and tRNA genes have been preserved and L. tulipifera still contains many genes lost during the subsequent 200 million years of evolution of flowering plants. In fact one tRNA gene is no longer present in any other sequenced angiosperm.

Prof Jeffrey Palmer who led this study explained, "By using the tulip tree as a guide we are able to estimate that the ancestral angiosperm mitochondrial genome contained 41 protein genes, 14 tRNA genes, seven tRNA genes sequestered from chloroplasts, and more than 700 sites of protein editing. Based on this, it appears that the genome has been more-or-less frozen in time for millions and millions of years."

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Media Contact

Dr Hilary Glover
Scientific Press Officer, BioMed Central
Mob: +44-0-778-698-1967

Notes

1. The "fossilized" mitochondrial genome of Liriodendron tulipifera: Ancestral gene content and order, ancestral editing sites, and extraordinarily low mutation rate

Aaron O Richardson, Danny W Rice, Gregory J Young, Andrew J Alverson and Jeffrey D Palmer

BMC Biology 2013, 11:29 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-29

Commentary

Mitochondrial genomes as living 'fossils'

Ian Small

BMC Biology 2013, 11:30 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-30

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request on the day of publication.

Please credit images to Gary Cot, Radford University

2. BMC Biology is the flagship biology journal of the BMC series, publishing peer-reviewed research and methodology articles of special importance and broad interest in any area of biology, as well as reviews, opinion pieces, comment and Q&As on topics of special or topical interest. @BMCBiology

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 14-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Hilary Glover
hilary.glover@biomedcentral.com
44-020-319-22370
BioMed Central

The extraordinary level of conservation of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) mitochondrial genome has redefined our interpretation of evolution of the angiosperms (flowering plants), finds research in biomed Central's open access journal BMC Biology. This beautiful 'molecular fossil' has a remarkably slow mutation rate meaning that its mitochondrial genome has remained largely unchanged since the dinosaurs were roaming the earth.

Evolutionary studies make used of mitochondrial (powerhouse) genomes to identify maternal lineages, for example the human mitochondrial Eve. Among plants, the lack of genomic data from lineages which split away from the main evolutionary branch early on has prevented researchers from reconstructing patterns of genome evolution.

L. tulipifera is native to North America. It belongs to a more unusual group of dicotyledons (plants with two seed leaves) known as magnoliids, which are thought to have diverged early in the evolution of flowing plants.

By sequencing the mitochondrial genome of L. tulipifera, researchers from Indiana University and University of Arkansas discovered that its mitochondrial genome has one of the slowest silent mutation rates (ones which do not affect gene function) of any known genome. Compared to humans the rate is 2000 times slower the amount of genomic change in a single human generation would take 50,000 years for the tulip tree. The rate is even slower for magnolia trees, taking 130,000 years for the same amount of mitochondrial genomic change.

Ancestral gene clusters and tRNA genes have been preserved and L. tulipifera still contains many genes lost during the subsequent 200 million years of evolution of flowering plants. In fact one tRNA gene is no longer present in any other sequenced angiosperm.

Prof Jeffrey Palmer who led this study explained, "By using the tulip tree as a guide we are able to estimate that the ancestral angiosperm mitochondrial genome contained 41 protein genes, 14 tRNA genes, seven tRNA genes sequestered from chloroplasts, and more than 700 sites of protein editing. Based on this, it appears that the genome has been more-or-less frozen in time for millions and millions of years."

###

Media Contact

Dr Hilary Glover
Scientific Press Officer, BioMed Central
Mob: +44-0-778-698-1967

Notes

1. The "fossilized" mitochondrial genome of Liriodendron tulipifera: Ancestral gene content and order, ancestral editing sites, and extraordinarily low mutation rate

Aaron O Richardson, Danny W Rice, Gregory J Young, Andrew J Alverson and Jeffrey D Palmer

BMC Biology 2013, 11:29 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-29

Commentary

Mitochondrial genomes as living 'fossils'

Ian Small

BMC Biology 2013, 11:30 doi:10.1186/1741-7007-11-30

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request on the day of publication.

Please credit images to Gary Cot, Radford University

2. BMC Biology is the flagship biology journal of the BMC series, publishing peer-reviewed research and methodology articles of special importance and broad interest in any area of biology, as well as reviews, opinion pieces, comment and Q&As on topics of special or topical interest. @BMCBiology

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an STM (Science, Technology and Medicine) publisher which has pioneered the open access publishing model. All peer-reviewed research articles published by BioMed Central are made immediately and freely accessible online, and are licensed to allow redistribution and reuse. BioMed Central is part of Springer Science+Business Media, a leading global publisher in the STM sector. @BioMedCentral

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/bc-ttt041213.php

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