Plastid Genomes of Carnivorous Plants and × Reveal Evolutionary Patterns Resembling Those Observed in Parasitic Plants.

Carnivorous plants have the ability to capture and digest small animals as a source of additional nutrients, which allows them to grow in nutrient-poor habitats. Here we report the complete sequences of the plastid genomes of two carnivorous plants of the order Caryophyllales, and × . The plastome of is repeat-rich and highly rearranged. It lacks NAD(P)H dehydrogenase genes, as well as and genes, and three essential tRNA genes. Intron losses are observed in some protein-coding and tRNA genes along with a pronounced reduction of RNA editing sites. Only six editing sites were identified by RNA-seq in plastid genome and at most conserved editing sites the conserved amino acids are already encoded at the DNA level. In contrast, the × plastome has a typical structure and gene content, except for pseudogenization of the gene. × and could represent different stages of evolution of the plastid genomes of carnivorous plants, resembling events observed in parasitic plants in the course of the switch from autotrophy to a heterotrophic lifestyle.