Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Evolution of Microbial Genome01:08

Evolution of Microbial Genome

Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.
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.
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?02:05

Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?

The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Methanonatronarchaeum thermophilum gen. nov., sp. nov. and 'Candidatus Methanohalarchaeum thermophilum', extremely halo(natrono)philic methyl-reducing methanogens from hypersaline lakes comprising a new euryarchaeal class Methanonatronarchaeia classis nov.

International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology·2018
Same author

Bioinformatics Meets Virology: The European Virus Bioinformatics Center's Second Annual Meeting.

Viruses·2018
Same author

Taxonomy of the family Arenaviridae and the order Bunyavirales: update 2018.

Archives of virology·2018
Same author

Evolution of Genome Architecture in Archaea: Spontaneous Generation of a New Chromosome in Haloferax volcanii.

Molecular biology and evolution·2018
Same author

Estimation of universal and taxon-specific parameters of prokaryotic genome evolution.

PloS one·2018
Same author

Taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales: update 2018.

Archives of virology·2018
Same journal

DeepMethylation: A deep learning framework for tissue-specific DNA methylation prediction and functional variant annotation.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

Redefining and estimating the early-phase reproduction ratio for epidemic outbreaks in spatially structured populations.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

Optimized phenotype definitions boost GWAS power.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

Detection, communication, and individual identification with deep audio embeddings: A case study with North Atlantic right whales.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

Exploring the structural lexicon of the Proteome via Metric Geometry.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same journal

Linking retinal sampling in neural encoding models to temporal profiles of visual processing in humans.

PLoS computational biology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

In Vivo Proximity Biotinylation for Protein Interaction Studies in Paramecium tetraurelia
06:43

In Vivo Proximity Biotinylation for Protein Interaction Studies in Paramecium tetraurelia

Published on: September 12, 2025

Universal pacemaker of genome evolution.

Sagi Snir1, Yuri I Wolf, Eugene V Koonin

  • 1Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology and The Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel.

Plos Computational Biology
|December 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The study reveals a universal genome-wide pacemaker (UPM) model that explains conserved gene evolution rates across life. This model better fits evolutionary data than the molecular clock (MC) model, suggesting synchronous rate changes in genes.

More Related Videos

Optimization and Comparative Analysis of Plant Organellar DNA Enrichment Methods Suitable for Next-generation Sequencing
12:33

Optimization and Comparative Analysis of Plant Organellar DNA Enrichment Methods Suitable for Next-generation Sequencing

Published on: July 28, 2017

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression
08:54

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 16, 2026

In Vivo Proximity Biotinylation for Protein Interaction Studies in Paramecium tetraurelia
06:43

In Vivo Proximity Biotinylation for Protein Interaction Studies in Paramecium tetraurelia

Published on: September 12, 2025

Optimization and Comparative Analysis of Plant Organellar DNA Enrichment Methods Suitable for Next-generation Sequencing
12:33

Optimization and Comparative Analysis of Plant Organellar DNA Enrichment Methods Suitable for Next-generation Sequencing

Published on: July 28, 2017

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression
08:54

In vivo Application of the REMOTE-control System for the Manipulation of Endogenous Gene Expression

Published on: March 29, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Genomics
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Comparative genomics reveals conserved distribution of gene evolution rates across diverse species.
  • This conservation suggests strong correlations in evolutionary rates among genes within a genome.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To differentiate between the Universal PaceMaker (UPM) model and the molecular clock (MC) model.
  • To investigate the underlying mechanism driving conserved gene evolution rate distributions.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic tree fitting for bacterial and archaeal genes.
  • Constraining trees according to UPM and MC models.
  • Comparing model fit to supertrees reflecting vertical descent.

Main Results:

  • The UPM model demonstrated a significantly better fit than the MC model.
  • Both models showed overdispersion, but UPM's fit was statistically superior.
  • Evidence supports a genome-wide evolutionary pacemaker operating across life's history.

Conclusions:

  • A universal, genome-wide evolutionary pacemaker (UPM) is supported by the data.
  • This pacemaker likely influences gene evolution rates synchronously across genomes.
  • The UPM model provides a more accurate explanation for conserved evolutionary rate distributions than the MC model.