Abstract
Plant mitochondrial genes are transmitted horizontally across mating barriers with surprising frequency, but the mechanism of transfer is unclear1,2. Here we describe two new cases of horizontal gene transfer, from parasitic flowering plants to their host flowering plants, and present phylogenetic and biogeographic evidence that this occurred as a result of direct physical contact between the two. Our findings complement the discovery that genes can be transferred in the opposite direction, from host to parasite plant3.
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Supplementary information
Supplementary Methods
This file contains three sections of methodology: molecular analyses, phylogenetic analyses, and ruling out DNA contamination or misidentification. Supplementary references are also included. (DOC 41 kb)
Supplementary Figure 1
This figure presents an expanded atp1 phylogeny that includes additional taxa from the Plantaginaceae, Orobanchaceae, and Convolvulaceae. (PDF 76 kb)
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Mower, J., Stefanović, S., Young, G. et al. Gene transfer from parasitic to host plants. Nature 432, 165–166 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/432165b
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/432165b
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