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Genomic DNA in Eukaryotes00:58

Genomic DNA in Eukaryotes

Eukaryotes have large genomes compared to prokaryotes. To fit their genomes into a cell, eukaryotic DNA is packaged extraordinarily tightly inside the nucleus. To achieve this, DNA is tightly wound around proteins called histones, which are packaged into nucleosomes that are joined by linker DNA and coil into chromatin fibers. Additional fibrous proteins further compact the chromatin, which is recognizable as chromosomes during certain phases of cell division.
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

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Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
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The present-day mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes have retained some of the characteristics of their ancestral prokaryotes and also have acquired new attributes during their evolution within eukaryotic cells. Like prokaryotic genomes, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes neither bind with histone-like proteins nor show complex packaging into chromosome-like structures, as observed in eukaryotes. Unlike mitotic cell divisions observed in eukaryotic cells, mitochondria and chloroplasts...
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Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

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The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
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Dissection of Drosophila melanogaster Flight Muscles for Omics Approaches
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Dyneins across eukaryotes: a comparative genomic analysis.

Bill Wickstead1, Keith Gull1

  • 1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.

Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark)
|September 28, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Dyneins, essential microtubule motors, show diverse evolutionary paths. Many lineages have lost dyneins entirely, while others exhibit unique component compositions, revealing surprising functional fluidity.

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Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Dyneins are crucial minus-end-directed microtubule motors involved in various cellular processes.
  • They are composed of dynein heavy chains (DHCs), intermediate chains (ICs), light intermediate chains (LICs), and light chains (LCs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary distribution and diversification of dynein components across Eukaryota.
  • To understand the patterns of dynein loss and conservation in different eukaryotic lineages.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequence data analysis from 24 diverse eukaryotic organisms.
  • Phylogenetic inference to identify dynein component families and their distribution.

Main Results:

  • Identified nine DHC families and six IC families, with specific distributions across eukaryotes.
  • Confirmed dynein loss in higher plants, likely due to a single ancestral loss of cytoplasmic dynein 1.
  • Discovered at least three eukaryotic lineages completely lacking dyneins and noted variations in dynein composition, including absence of retrograde motors in some IFT systems and inner-arm dyneins in diatoms.

Conclusions:

  • Dynein evolution is characterized by both extensive losses and lineage-specific innovations.
  • The presence and composition of dyneins are surprisingly variable, suggesting functional plasticity and independent evolutionary trajectories.