AUTHOR=Contreras-Díaz Roberto , Carevic Felipe S. , van den Brink Liesbeth 

TITLE=Comparative analysis of the complete mitogenome of Geoffroea decorticans: a native tree surviving in the Atacama Desert

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1226052

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2023.1226052

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Chañar (<italic>Geoffroea decorticans</italic> (Gill., ex Hook. &amp; Arn.) Burkart) has been highly significant for indigenous people in the Atacama Desert for over 3,000 years. Through evolutionary processes, the <italic>G. decorticans</italic> mitogenome likely underwent changes facilitating its adaptation to the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert. Here, we compare the mitochondrial genome of <italic>G. decorticans</italic> with those of other <italic>Papilionoideae</italic> family species. The complete mitogenome of <italic>G. decorticans</italic> was sequenced and assembled, making it the first in the genus <italic>Geoffroea</italic>. The mitogenome contained 383,963 base pairs, consisting of 33 protein coding genes, 21 transfer RNA genes, and 3 ribosomal RNA genes. The Chañar mitogenome is relatively compact, and has two intact genes (<italic>sdh4</italic> and <italic>nad1</italic>) which were not observed in most other species. Additionally, Chañar possessed the highest amount of mitochondrial DNA of plastid origin among angiosperm species. The phylogenetic analysis of the mitogenomes of Chañar and 12 other taxa displayed a high level of consistency in taxonomic classification, when compared to those of the plastid genome. <italic>Atp8</italic> was subjected to positive selection, while the <italic>ccmFc</italic> and <italic>rps1</italic> were subjected to neutral selection. This study provides valuable information regarding its ability to survive the extreme environmental conditions of the Atacama Desert.</p>