Complete plastid genome sequences suggest strong selection for retention of photosynthetic genes in the parasitic plant genus Cuscuta

Table 1 Plastid gene loss relative to Panax ginseng

Gene Type	Ipomoea purpurea	Cuscuta exaltata	Cuscuta obtusiflora
NADH dehydrogenase		ndhA, Ψ ndhB, ndhC, Ψ ndhD, ndhE, ndhF, ndhG, ndhH, ndhI, ndhJ, ndhK	ndhA, ndhB, ndhC, ndhD, ndhE, ndhF, ndhG, ndhH, ndhI, ndhJ, ndhK,
Photosystem Protein			psaI
Ribosomal Protein	(Ψ rpl23?)	Ψ rpl23, Ψ rps16	rpl23, rpl32, rps16
Transfer-RNA		trnK-UUU	trnA-UGC,trnG-UCC, trnI-GAU,trnK-UUU, trnR-ACG†,trnV-UAC
RNA polymerase			Ψ rpoA, rpoB, rpoC1, rpoC2
Initiation factor	Ψ infA*†	Ψ infA*†	infA*†
Unknown	ycf15	Ψ ycf15	ycf15
Intron maturase			matK†

ISSN: 1471-2229