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Pseudogenes contribute to the extreme diversity of nuclear ribosomal DNA in the hard coral Acropora.

Pseudogenes contribute to the extreme diversity of nuclear ribosomal DNA in the hard coral Acropora.

Authors :
Márquez LM
Miller DJ
MacKenzie JB
Van Oppen MJ
Source :
Molecular biology and evolution [Mol Biol Evol] 2003 Jul; Vol. 20 (7), pp. 1077-86. Date of Electronic Publication: 2003 May 30.
Publication Year :
2003

Abstract

One characteristic of Indo-Pacific Acropora spp. is extremely high diversity in rDNA sequences at both the species and individual levels. In order to test the hypothesis that pseudogenes may contribute to this diversity, three kinds of analyses were conducted. First, for A. millepora (the species containing the most diverse suite of rDNA types), RT-PCR was used to determine which 5.8S rDNA types are expressed. Second, as previous studies have indicated that interspecific hybridization has occurred in the genus Acropora and silencing of rDNA loci via nucleolar dominance has been shown in some cases to involve methylation, patterns of variation were examined at methylation-susceptible sites. Third, patterns of substitution at conserved sites (including those that are likely to contribute to secondary structure in rRNA) in the 5.8S rDNA were examined. These analyses consistently indicated that one rDNA sequence type present in a broad range of Indo-Pacific Acropora species is likely to consist predominantly of pseudogenes. Patterns of variation also suggest that species may differ with respect to which rDNA sequence types have been silenced and which are active. These pseudogenes are likely to have arisen as a consequence of the introduction of highly divergent rDNA types into single genomes by interspecific hybridization events, and we attribute the extreme rDNA diversity characteristic of many Acropora species to both the independent evolution of these silenced rDNA types and to the suppressive effects of high sequence diversity on homogenization processes acting on functional loci.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0737-4038
Volume :
20
Issue :
7
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Molecular biology and evolution
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
12777522
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msg122