Journal
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Volume 35, Issue 7, Pages 1616-1625Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy043
Keywords
photosynthesis; efficiency; selection; evolution
Funding
- Royal Society
- European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [637765]
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [BB/P003117/1]
- BBSRC [BB/P003117/1] Funding Source: UKRI
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Genome and transcript sequences are composed of long strings of nucleotide monomers (A, C, G, and T/U) that require different quantities of nitrogen atoms for biosynthesis. Here, it is shown that the strength of selection acting on transcript nitrogen content is influenced by the amount of nitrogen plants require to conduct photosynthesis. Specifically, plants that require more nitrogen to conduct photosynthesis experience stronger selection on transcript sequences to use synonymous codons that cost less nitrogen to biosynthesize. It is further shown that the strength of selection acting on transcript nitrogen cost constrains molecular sequence evolution such that genes experiencing stronger selection evolve at a slower rate. Together these findings reveal that the plant molecular clock is set by photosynthetic efficiency, and provide a mechanistic explanation for changes in plant speciation rates that occur concomitant with improvements in photosynthetic efficiency and changes in the environment such as light, temperature, and atmospheric CO2 concentration.
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