Abstract Detail

Recent Topics Posters

Chumley, Timothy W. [1], Fourcade, H. Matt [2], Boore, Jeffrey L. [2], Mower, Jeffrey P. [4], Palmer, Jeffrey [4], Calie, Patrick J. [3], Jansen, Robert K. [1].

The chloroplast genome of Pelargonium (Geraniaceae) : It’s a whopper! The largest terrestrial plant chloroplast genome sequenced to date.

The chloroplast genome of Pelargonium x hortorum, the common garden geranium, has been sequenced. The genome size of 217.9 kb is the largest yet sequenced for a terrestrial plant, and is 40% larger than a typical chloroplast genome. An extreme expansion of the inverted repeat to 75.7 kb and the resulting gene duplication account for this dramatic size increase. The single copy regions are thus greatly reduced in size, with the large single copy region being 59.7 kb in length, and the small single copy region reduced to only 6.7 kb. Gene content is similar to that of tobacco, with few losses noted. The gene order is highly rearranged relative to typical genomes, and is coincident with a large number of repeat elements which predominantly occur at rearrangement breakpoints.

1 - University of Texas at Austin, Section of Integrative Biology, 1 Universiy Station, #A6700, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA
2 - DOE Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, CA, 94598, USA
3 - Eastern Kentucky University, Department of Biological Sciences, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, KY, 40475, USA
4 - Indiana University, Department of Biology, Jordan Hall 142, 1001 East Third Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

Keywords:
chloroplast DNA
chloroplast genome
Geraniaceae
plastid genome evolution
plastid DNA
Pelargonium
cpDNA.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 32-144
Location: Special Event Center (Cliff Lodge)
Date: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004
Time: 12:30 PM
Abstract ID:1126