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Large Inverted Repeats Identified by Intra-specific Comparison of Mitochondrial Genomes Provide Insights into the Evolution of Agrocybe aegerita

Summary

This research examined the DNA structure of mitochondria (cellular powerhouses) in an edible mushroom species. The study revealed complex DNA arrangements that can switch orientations and identified mechanisms for genetic variation. This has implications for understanding how fungi evolve and adapt. Impacts on everyday life: – Helps improve cultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms – Advances our understanding of how organisms store and maintain their genetic information – Provides insights that could be applied to developing better fungal-based products and medicines – Contributes to knowledge about cellular energy production and inheritance – Demonstrates how modern DNA sequencing can reveal previously unknown biological complexity

Background

Mitochondrial DNA contains essential information regarding evolution. The mitochondrial genomes of fungi vary greatly in length and content due to mobile elements like introns, linear plasmids, and short repeat sequences. A. aegerita is an important edible and medicinal mushroom that has been studied as a model for mitochondrial genetics for decades.

Objective

This study aimed to analyze and compare the complete mitochondrial genomes of eight isolates of A. aegerita to understand their genomic structure, evolution, and diversity. The research focused on characterizing large inverted repeats, gene arrangements, and mobile genetic elements to provide insights into fungal mitochondrial genome evolution.

Results

The mtDNAs ranged from 116,329 bp to 134,035 bp and contained two large identical inverted repeats. Two distinct genotypes were found in isolate Ag0067, differing only in the orientation of the small single-copy region. Most core genes evolved at a relatively low rate, while five tRNA genes showed higher diversity. A 10 Kb fragment inversion occurred during differentiation of two main clades. The number and distribution of introns varied greatly among isolates. Fast invasion of short insertions contributed to intron diversity.

Conclusion

The mitochondrial genomes of A. aegerita have a quadripartite structure with two large inverted repeats separated by single copy regions. Intramolecular recombination between repeats leads to two coexisting genotypes. Genome diversity is driven by intron variation and short insertion invasions. The findings provide new insights into fungal mitochondrial genome evolution and organization.
  • Published in:Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal,
  • Study Type:Comparative Genomics Study,
  • Source: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.08.022
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