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The chromosomal accommodation and domestication of mobile genetic elements
Marie Touchon1, Louis-Marie Bobay2, Eduardo P C Rocha1
1Microbial Evolutionary Genomics, Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris, France; CNRS, UMR3525, 75724 Paris, France.
Current Opinion in Microbiology
|October 12, 2014
Summary
Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) like phages can be domesticated by prokaryotes, influencing chromosome evolution and social traits. This domestication benefits host fitness by integrating MGEs seamlessly and adaptively.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Prokaryotes are frequently infected by large mobile genetic elements (MGEs), including conjugative elements and temperate phages.
- The evolutionary success of MGEs is linked to their host's fitness, driving selection against disruptive integrations.
- MGEs must be genetically accommodated, silencing infectious traits and expressing host-adaptive functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the phenomenon of mobile genetic element (MGE) domestication in prokaryotes.
- To understand how MGE integration impacts prokaryotic chromosome organization and evolution.
- To explore the role of MGE domestication in the diversification of social traits.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of recent data on MGE-host interactions.
- Investigating the genetic mechanisms of MGE integration and silencing.
- Comparative genomics to assess the impact on chromosome structure.
- Studying the expression of adaptive functions by domesticated MGEs.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that the domestication of MGEs by prokaryotes is a frequent evolutionary event.
- Domestication involves the silencing of MGEs' infectious mechanisms and the expression of beneficial functions.
- Integrated MGEs can influence prokaryotic chromosome organization and evolution.
- MGE domestication may drive the diversification of prokaryotic social traits.
Conclusions:
- Prokaryotic MGE domestication is a significant evolutionary process.
- This process benefits hosts by integrating MGEs adaptively, enhancing fitness.
- MGE domestication reshapes prokaryotic genomes and contributes to the evolution of complex social behaviors.
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