Large-Scale Gene Relocations following an Ancient Genome Triplication Associated with the Diversification of Core Eudicots

PLoS One. 2016 May 19;11(5):e0155637. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155637. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Different modes of gene duplication including whole-genome duplication (WGD), and tandem, proximal and dispersed duplications are widespread in angiosperm genomes. Small-scale, stochastic gene relocations and transposed gene duplications are widely accepted to be the primary mechanisms for the creation of dispersed duplicates. However, here we show that most surviving ancient dispersed duplicates in core eudicots originated from large-scale gene relocations within a narrow window of time following a genome triplication (γ) event that occurred in the stem lineage of core eudicots. We name these surviving ancient dispersed duplicates as relocated γ duplicates. In Arabidopsis thaliana, relocated γ, WGD and single-gene duplicates have distinct features with regard to gene functions, essentiality, and protein interactions. Relative to γ duplicates, relocated γ duplicates have higher non-synonymous substitution rates, but comparable levels of expression and regulation divergence. Thus, relocated γ duplicates should be distinguished from WGD and single-gene duplicates for evolutionary investigations. Our results suggest large-scale gene relocations following the γ event were associated with the diversification of core eudicots.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Biological Evolution
  • Computational Biology
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Gene Duplication*
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Genes, Duplicate*
  • Genes, Plant
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genome, Plant*
  • Magnoliopsida / genetics*
  • Medicago truncatula / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Interaction Mapping

Grants and funding

AHP appreciates funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF: DBI 0849896, MCB 0821096, MCB 1021718). This study was supported in part by resources and technical expertise from Georgia Advanced Computing Resource Center, a partnership between the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.