Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ulva is a globally distributed genus with ecological and economic significance, yet the codon usage bias of the Ulva chloroplast genome remains poorly understood. METHODS: We assessed the Ulva chloroplast genome codon usage patterns and their drivers by analyzing 30 genomes across 16 Ulva species. RESULTS: The nucleotide composition analysis demonstrated that Ulva chloroplast genomes are rich in A/T, and prefer to use codons that ended with A/T. The relative synonymous codon usage analysis suggested that related species have similar codon usage patterns. A total of 25 high-frequency codons and 7-14 optimal codons were identified in these chloroplast genomes. The ENC values ranged from 31.40 to 32.76, all of which are less than 35, illustrating a strong codon bias of the Ulva genus. Our comparative analyses suggested that natural selection played the main role in the formation of the codon usage bias. Furthermore, the correlation analysis indicated that an influence of the base composition and gene expression levels on the codon usage bias. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the codon usage patterns in Ulva chloroplast genomes, improving our understanding of the genetics and evolution of these economically and ecologically important macroalgae.