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A selective force favoring increased G+C content in bacterial genes
Rahul Raghavan1, Yogeshwar D Kelkar, Howard Ochman
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Bacterial genomes show wide G+C content variation. Despite a mutation bias towards A+T, G+C-rich genes enhance bacterial growth, suggesting natural selection drives higher G+C content.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Bacterial genomes exhibit significant variation in Guanine-Cytosine (G+C) content, ranging from 13% to over 75%.
- Historically, G+C content variation was attributed solely to neutral mutation processes.
- Recent evidence suggests mutational bias alone cannot explain observed G+C content, implying a role for natural selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of natural selection in shaping bacterial genomic G+C content.
- To determine if variations in synonymous G+C content within genes affect bacterial fitness.
- To test the hypothesis that forces acting on individual gene base composition influence overall genomic G+C content.
Main Methods:
- Comparative sequence analysis of bacterial genomes.
- Experimental manipulation of synonymous G+C content in specific genes.
- Growth rate assays of bacterial strains with altered gene G+C content.
Main Results:
- Escherichia coli strains with G+C-rich gene versions exhibited significantly higher growth rates.
- A pervasive mutational bias towards Adenine-Thymine (A+T) was observed.
- A selective force, independent of adaptive codon usage, was identified as driving genes towards higher G+C content.
Conclusions:
- Natural selection actively influences bacterial G+C content, counteracting mutational biases.
- Higher G+C content in genes confers a fitness advantage to bacteria.
- Synonymous site base composition is a target of selection, impacting bacterial fitness and genome evolution.
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