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Rapid sequence evolution is associated with genetic incompatibilities in the plastid Clp complex
Salah E Abdel-Ghany1, Lisa M LaManna2, Haleakala T Harroun3
1Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA. salah.abdel-ghany@colostate.edu.
Plant Molecular Biology
|January 18, 2022
Summary
Genetic incompatibilities in plants arise from rapid evolution of plastid caseinolytic protease (Clp) genes. Replacing the native clpP1 gene showed that accelerated evolution in donor species prevents functional replacement in tobacco.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Evolutionary genetics
- Protein homeostasis
Background:
- The plastid caseinolytic protease (Clp) complex is vital for protein homeostasis in plants.
- While generally conserved, some angiosperms show accelerated evolution in Clp subunits.
- The reasons for and consequences of this rapid sequence divergence are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional consequences of rapid sequence evolution in the plastid clpP1 gene.
- To determine if accelerated evolution in clpP1 leads to genetic incompatibilities.
- To test hypotheses regarding the causes of rapid Clp sequence evolution.
Main Methods:
- Utilized plastome transformation in *Nicotiana tabacum* (tobacco).
- Replaced the native *clpP1* gene with homologs from *Silene* species exhibiting varied evolutionary rates.
- Employed antibiotic-mediated selection to assess gene replacement and heteroplasmy.
Main Results:
- Transgenic *clpP1* replacement from a slowly evolving donor (*Silene latifolia*) achieved homoplasmy.
- Transgenic *clpP1* from rapidly evolving *Silene* species remained heteroplasmic.
- Rapidly evolved *clpP1* failed to functionally replace the essential tobacco *clpP1* gene.
Conclusions:
- The rate of sequence evolution in plastid *clpP1* directly impacts genetic compatibility.
- Accelerated evolution in plastid Clp subunits can create epistatic incompatibilities.
- These incompatibilities necessitate coevolutionary adjustments between plastid and nuclear subunits.
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