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Host shift promotes divergent evolution between closely related holoparasitic species
Jiayin Zhang1, Zihao Huang1, Weirui Fu1
1Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
|June 15, 2023
Summary
Parasitic plants Boschniakia experienced ancient host shifts, evidenced by horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Different hosts drove distinct nuclear and organelle genome evolution in these closely related species.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Host-parasite interactions significantly influence parasite evolution.
- The impact of host shifts on the genome evolution of closely related parasitic species remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the host shift history and comparative organelle genome evolution of two sister species of holoparasitic Boschniakia.
- To identify horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events and their role in shaping parasite genomes.
Main Methods:
- Screening for HGT events in sister Boschniakia species with distinct hosts.
- Comparative analysis of nuclear and organelle genomes (mitogenomes and plastomes).
Main Results:
- Identified HGTs from Rosaceae, indicating ancient host shifts beyond current hosts (Ericaceae and Betulaceae).
- Different hosts transferred functional genes, altering nuclear genomes.
- Mitogenomes varied in size due to foreign and repetitive elements.
- Plastomes showed severe reduction, with differences comparable to intergeneric divergence.
Conclusions:
- Ancient host shifts, driven by different hosts, promote species differentiation in parasitic plants.
- Host shifts are a significant mechanism for parasite genome evolution, impacting nuclear and organelle DNA.
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