Data for: Host shift promotes divergent evolution between closely related holoparasitic species

Distinct hosts have been hypothesized to possess the potential for
affecting species differentiation and genome evolution of parasitic
organisms. However, what host shift history is experienced by the closely
related parasites and whether disparate evolution of their genomes occur
remain largely unknown. Here, we screened horizontal gene transfer (HGT)
events in a pair of sister species of holoparasitic Boschniakia
(Orobanchaceae) having obligate hosts from distinct families to recall the
former host-parasite associations and performed a comparative analysis to
investigate the difference of their organelle genomes. Except these from
present hosts (Ericaceae and Betulaceae), a number of HGTs from Rosaceae
were identified to support the occurrence of unexpected ancient host
shifts. Different hosts transfer functional genes which changed nuclear
genomes of the sister species. Similarly, different donors transfer
sequences to their mitogenomes which size varies due to foreign and
repetitive elements rather than other factors found in other parasites.
The plastomes are both severely reduced, but the extent of differences in
reduction syndrome is near to the genus level. Our findings provide new
insights into the genome evolution of parasites adapting different hosts
and extend the mechanism of host shift promoting species differentiation
to parasitic plant lineages.