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Related Concept Videos

Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

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Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
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Viral Mutations00:36

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A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...
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Viral Recombination00:57

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Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
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Organisms are capable of detecting and fixing nucleotide mismatches that occur during DNA replication. This sophisticated process requires identifying the new strand and replacing the erroneous bases with correct nucleotides. Mismatch repair is coordinated by many proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
The Mutator Protein Family Plays a Key Role in DNA Mismatch Repair
The human genome has more than 3 billion base pairs of DNA per cell. Prior to cell division, that vast amount of genetic...
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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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Mutation and recombination in pathogen evolution: Relevance, methods and controversies.

Miguel Arenas1, Natalia M Araujo2, Catarina Branco3

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal.

Infection, Genetics and Evolution : Journal of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics in Infectious Diseases
|September 28, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mutation and recombination are key drivers of pathogen evolution, influencing drug resistance and outbreaks. This review clarifies their roles and analytical methods, addressing persistent scientific controversies.

Keywords:
Evolutionary analysisHBV evolutionHIV-1 evolutionMutationPathogen evolutionRecombination

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Microbial genetics
  • Pathogen dynamics

Background:

  • Mutation and recombination generate genetic diversity in pathogens, impacting host immunity and drug resistance.
  • Previous studies highlight their importance, but controversies remain regarding their specific contributions to observed phenotypes.
  • Understanding these evolutionary forces is crucial for predicting pathogen behavior and developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To revise the significance of mutation and recombination in pathogen evolution at intra-host and inter-host scales.
  • To describe advanced analytical methods for detecting and quantifying mutation and recombination, including often-overlooked biases.
  • To discuss the roles of mutation and recombination in specific pathogenic taxa and vaccine design.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on pathogen evolution, mutation, and recombination.
  • Description of state-of-the-art analytical techniques for evolutionary studies.
  • Case studies illustrating the impact of mutation and recombination in pathogenic taxa.

Main Results:

  • Mutation and recombination are fundamental to pathogen evolution, affecting fitness, diversity, and vaccine design.
  • Advanced analytical methods can quantify these forces, but biases must be considered.
  • Specific examples demonstrate their critical roles in pathogenic taxa.

Conclusions:

  • Mutation and recombination are central to pathogen evolution, driving adaptation and diversity.
  • Accurate quantification and interpretation of these forces are essential for understanding pathogen dynamics.
  • Addressing controversies and pitfalls in analysis is vital for advancing the field.