Mitochondrial Genome Evolution and Cyto-nuclear Interactions in Divergent Mutational Environments

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

In virtually all eukaryotic organisms, basic cellular processes depend on the function of mitochondrial genomes and their coordinated interaction with the nucleus. Understanding how and why mitochondria maintained their own genomes is a fundamental biological question. The rate of mutation has been hypothesized to be a driving force in the evolution of these genomes. The advent of high throughput DNA sequencing technology along with the recent discovery of extreme mitochondrial mutation rate variation among closely related species of flowering plants in the genus Silene presents an unparalleled opportunity to test the consequences of mutational processes in genome evolution. This project will produce complete mitochondrial and chloroplast genome sequences from multiple Silene species that vary more than 100-fold in mitochondrial mutation rate. These sequences will be used to test predictions regarding the evolutionary effects of mutation rate on genome size, structure and function. Furthermore, this research will identify and sequence nuclear genes that functionally interact with the mitochondrial genome to determine how mitochondrial mutation rate affects the nuclear genome. The genomic information developed in this project will be a deliverable resource for the larger community of biologists working with the genus Silene, significantly enhancing its value as a model system for biological research. More broadly, increasing our understanding of mutational processes in the mitochondrial genome and nuclear/mitochondrial interactions will inform applied research into mitochondrial dysfunction. The research also generates numerous opportunities for training and career development in the emerging fields of genomics and bioinformatics and includes specific plans for K-12 outreach, undergraduate curriculum development and mechanisms for incorporating under-represented groups.