| Abstract Detail
Systematics Section / ASPT Lim, Seok-Hong [1], Barkman, Todd J. [2]. An investigation of the prevalence of horizontal gene transfer in parasitic flowering plants. Previously thought to be a rare phenomenon, observations of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between unrelated plant lineages are accumulating. Although the mechanism of HGT is still unknown, the intimate association between endoparasites and their hosts may have facilitated many such horizontal transfers. To detect the prevalence of HGT across three independent lineages of endoparasites that parasitize completely different hosts, a total of eleven genes from different protein complexes from the mitochondrial genome were sequenced. Preliminary phylogenetic results suggest that at least three genes have undergone HGT in one or more of the three endoparasites. This study has implications for the use of mitochondrial genes in phylogenetic analyses as well as better understanding of the pattern(s) and process(es) of HGT among flowering plants. Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Western Michigan University, Department of Biological Sciences, 1903 West Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49008, USA 2 - Western Michigan University, Department of Biological Sciences, 3437 Wood Hall, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49008, USA
Keywords: HGT Parasitic plants mitochondrial genes.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper Session: 25-15 Location: 410/Hilton Date: Tuesday, August 16th, 2005 Time: 12:00 PM Abstract ID:445 |