Concomitant loss of NDH complex-related genes withinchloroplast and nuclear genomes in some orchids

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Hsiao, H.
  • Chiu, C.
  • Chen, J.
  • Yang, L.
  • Wang, W.
  • Huang, Y.
  • Jin, X.
  • Kui, L.
  • Pamphilis, C.
  • Chang, W.
  • Lin, C.
  • Wong, G.
  • Hu, J.
  • Shih, M.
  • Yang, C.
  • Leebens‐Mack, J.

• The chloroplast NAD(P)H dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex consists of about 30 subunits from both thenuclear and chloroplast genomes and is ubiquitous across most land plants. In some orchids, such as Pha-laenopsis equestris, Dendrobium officinale and Dendrobium catenatum, most of the 11 chloroplast genome-encoded ndh genes (cp-ndh) have been lost. Here we investigated whether functional cp-ndh genes havebeen completely lost in these orchids or whether they have been transferred and retained in the nucleargenome. Further, we assessed whether both cp-ndh genes and nucleus-encoded NDH-related genes can belost, resulting in the absence of the NDH complex. Comparative analyses of the genome of Apostasia odor-ata, an orchid species with a complete complement of cp-ndh genes which represents the sister lineage toall other orchids, and three published orchid genome sequences for P. equestris, D. officinale and D. catena-tum, which are all missing cp-ndh genes, indicated that copies of cp-ndh genes are not present in any ofthese four nuclear genomes. This observation suggests that the NDH complex is not necessary for someplants. Comparative genomic/transcriptomic analyses of currently available plastid genome sequences andnuclear transcriptome data showed that 47 out of 660 photoautotrophic plants and all the heterotrophicplants are missing plastid-encoded cp-ndh genes and exhibit no evidence for maintenance of a functionalNDH complex. Our data indicate that the NDH complex can be lost in photoautotrophic plant species. Fur-ther, the loss of the NDH complex may increase the probability of transition from a photoautotrophic to aheterotrophic life history.

• Date created

  2017-03-04

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Gene loss
  • NDH complex
  • Apostasia odorata
  • Orchid
  • Photoautotrophic plant

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3Z60CG1X

• License

  Attribution 4.0 International