Sequential horizontal gene transfers from different hosts in a widespread Eurasian parasitic plant, Cynomorium coccineum

Premise of the study: Parasites with large geographic ranges, and different hosts in parts of their range, might acquire horizontally-transferred genes (HGTs), which might sometimes leave a footprint of gradual host and range expansion. Cynomorium coccineum, the only member of the Saxifragales family Cynomoriaceae, is a root holoparasite that occurs in water-stressed habitats from western China to the Canary Islands. It parasitizes at least ten angiosperm families from different orders, some of them only in parts of its range. This parasite therefore offers an opportunity to trace HGTs as long as parasite/host pairs can be obtained and sequenced.
Methods: By sequencing mitochondrial, plastid, and nuclear loci from parasite/host pairs from throughout the parasite’s range and with prior information from completely assembled mitochondrial and plastid genomes, we detected ten HGTs of five mitochondrial genes.
Key Results: The ten HGTs appear to have occurred sequentially as C. coccineum e...