Evolutionary and biogeographical implications of degraded LAGLIDADG endonuclease functionality and group I intron occurrence in stony corals (Scleractinia) and mushroom corals (Corallimorpharia)
AbstractPhylogenetic trees based on group I intron sequences and on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of mycobiont ribosomal genes were calculated and compared. Eight cetrarioid and four non-cetrarioid species of the Parmeliaceae were compared. The phylogeny based on group I intron sequences is partly congruent with the ITS sequence phylogeny. Group I intron sequences are presumably less informative for infragenic studies. The introns have a length of 214–233 nucleotides, and differ at up to 33% of the bases between species. All introns analysed are located between the positions 1516 and 1517 of the fungal 18S ribosomal RNA gene. Cetrarioid lichens form a non-homogeneous group within the Parmeliaceae according to both group I intron and ITS sequences.
ABSTRACT
Cbu.L1917, a group I intron present in the 23S rRNA gene of Coxiella burnetii, possesses a unique 3′-terminal adenine in place of a conserved guanine. Here, we show that, unlike all other group I introns, Cbu.L1917 utilizes a different cofactor for each splicing step and has a decreased self-splicing rate in vitro.
Evolutionary and biogeographical implications of degraded LAGLIDADG endonuclease functionality and group I intron occurrence in stony corals (Scleractinia) and mushroom corals (Corallimorpharia)
