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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
10:39
Methodology for the Study of Horizontal Gene Transfer in Staphylococcus aureus
Published on: March 10, 2017
Quasispecies theory for horizontal gene transfer and recombination
Enrique Muñoz1, Jeong-Man Park, Michael W Deem
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, USA.
Summary
Genetic recombination and horizontal gene transfer significantly impact population fitness. These processes can either hinder or enhance selection based on the fitness landscape, offering new insights into molecular evolution models.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Evolution
- Population Genetics
- Theoretical Biology
Background:
- Existing models like Crow-Kimura and Eigen describe molecular evolution.
- Understanding genetic information exchange is crucial for modern biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- Generalize existing models to include genetic information exchange.
- Analyze the effects of recombination and horizontal gene transfer on population fitness and genotype distribution.
Main Methods:
- Developed an analytic field theoretic mapping for generalized quasispecies models.
- Investigated horizontal gene transfer and two-parent recombination.
- Derived exact analytical formulas for equilibrium mean fitness.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated analytical solvability of nonlinear generalizations of quasispecies theory.
- Identified two selected phases for two-parent recombination, one spectrally rigid.
- Showed that recombination/HGT can be disadvantageous with positive epistasis and advantageous with negative epistasis.
Conclusions:
- Recombination/HGT effects are landscape-dependent: detrimental for single sharp peak, mild load for positive epistasis, advantage for negative epistasis.
- Confirmed the mutational deterministic hypothesis for quasispecies models.
- Provided a framework applicable to any permutation invariant replication rate function.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
02:18Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms
Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
01:27Horizontal Gene Transfer
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a process where genetic material moves between organisms within the same generation, unlike vertical gene transfer, which occurs from parent to offspring. HGT plays a crucial role in microbial evolution, adaptation, and survival, particularly in shared environments like the human gut.Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids, prophages, integrons, insertion sequences, and transposons facilitate this process. HGT occurs through three primary mechanisms:...
02:08Gene Conversion
Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
02:08Gene Conversion
Other than maintaining genome stability via DNA repair, homologous recombination plays an important role in diversifying the genome. In fact, the recombination of sequences forms the molecular basis of genomic evolution. Random and non-random permutations of genomic sequences create a library of new amalgamated sequences. These newly formed genomes can determine the fitness and survival of cells. In bacteria, homologous and non-homologous types of recombination lead to the evolution of new...
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