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Related Concept Videos

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types 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.
Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types 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.
Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

Gene Duplication and Divergence

The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Gene Families01:57

Gene Families

Gene families consist of groups of genes proposed to have originated from a common ancestor. Typically these arise through events in which a gene or genes are mistakenly duplicated during cell division. Unlike their parent genes (which are subject to selection pressure to maintain function), these gene copies do not need to preserve their sequences and may evolve at a relatively faster rate.
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Horizontal Gene Transfer01:27

Horizontal 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:...
Gene Conversion02:08

Gene 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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Biased gene transfer mimics patterns created through shared ancestry.

Cheryl P Andam1, David Williams, J Peter Gogarten

  • 1Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3125, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases (TyrRS) show distinct evolutionary paths. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) played a significant role, reinforcing phylogenetic signals rather than ancient gene duplication and loss.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Phylogenetics
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Two distinct clades of bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases (TyrRS) exist, with representatives across many bacterial phyla.
  • The evolutionary history of these TyrRS types has been debated, with hypotheses including ancient gene duplication and loss versus horizontal gene transfer (HGT).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history of bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetases (TyrRS).
  • To determine whether horizontal gene transfer (HGT) or ancient duplication and differential gene loss best explains the observed phylogenetic patterns of TyrRS.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum likelihood analysis of TyrRS distribution.
  • In silico simulations to model the effects of biased HGT on phylogenetic signals.
  • Comparative genomic analysis of genomic synteny to assess gene positions in related genomes.

Main Results:

  • Phylogenetic analysis suggests HGT is a major driver, reinforcing or creating phylogenetic signals similar to ribosomal phylogenies.
  • In silico simulations demonstrate that biased HGT can mimic patterns of shared ancestry.
  • Genomic synteny analysis rejects the hypothesis of ancient duplication followed by differential gene loss.

Conclusions:

  • The observed phylogenetic patterns of bacterial TyrRS are shaped by both vertical inheritance and biased HGT.
  • Frequent HGT can create phylogenetic signals that are difficult to distinguish from common organismal descent.
  • Functionally similar homologs, like the two TyrRS types, that are rarely found together are proposed to be labeled as homeoalleles.