The Phylogeny of Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Indicates Lateral Gene Transfer from Cryptomonads to Dinoflagellates

Abstract.

Sequence analysis of two nuclear-encoded glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) genes isolated from the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax polyedra distinguishes them as cytosolic and chloroplastic forms of the enzyme. Distance analysis of the cytosolic sequence shows the Gonyaulax gene branching early within the cytosolic clade, consistent with other analyses. However, the plastid sequence forms a monophyletic group with the plastid isoforms of cryptomonads, within an otherwise cytosolic clade, distinct from all other plastid GAPDHs. This is attributed to lateral gene transfer from an ancestral cryptomonad to a dinoflagellate, providing the first example of genetic exchange accompanying symbiotic associations between the two, which are common in present day cells.