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Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

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.

Exon Recombination

Exon Recombination

The evolution of new genes is critical for speciation. Exon recombination, also known as exon shuffling or domain shuffling, is an important means of new gene formation. It is observed across vertebrates, invertebrates, and in some plants such as potatoes and sunflowers. During exon recombination, exons from the same or different genes recombine and produce new exon-intron combinations, which might evolve into new genes.
Exon shuffling follows “splice frame rules.” Each exon...

In-vitro Mutagenesis

In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Directed Evolution Method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Mutant Library Creation and Screening

Directed Evolution Method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Mutant Library Creation and Screening

Published on: April 1, 2016

Genome editor-directed in vivo library diversification.

Cristina Cheng¹, Mi Zhou¹, Qiwen Su¹

¹Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.

Cell Chemical Biology

|June 9, 2021

Summary

Genome editors enable precise in vivo gene library diversification for biomolecular engineering. This approach enhances directed evolution by reducing toxicity and "cheater" mutations, improving sequence sampling for discovering novel biomolecules.

Keywords:

CRISPR base editing directed evolution error-prone polymerase genome editing in vivo library diversification recombinase targeted mutagenesis transposase

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Last Updated: Nov 2, 2025

Directed Evolution Method in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Mutant Library Creation and Screening

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Published on: April 1, 2016

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In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity

In Vitro Directed Evolution of a Restriction Endonuclease with More Stringent Specificity

Published on: March 25, 2020

Area of Science:

Biomolecular engineering
Synthetic biology
Chemical biology

Background:

Directed evolution is a powerful tool for biomolecular engineering, requiring diverse gene libraries.
Efficient in vivo library diversification is crucial for sampling sequence space and identifying functional variants.
Traditional mutagenesis methods like whole-genome mutagenesis can cause toxicity and undesirable 'cheater' mutations.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize recent advances in genome editor-directed in vivo library diversification.
To highlight the benefits of using genome editors for precise mutagenesis and library generation.
To provide an outlook on future applications in chemical biology.

Main Methods:

Exploiting genome editors for targeted and precise mutagenesis within living cells.
Facilitating in vivo library diversification focused on specific genes of interest.
Achieving higher mutational density compared to traditional methods.

Main Results:

Genome editor-directed diversification allows precise mutagenesis, focusing on desired genes.
This approach leads to higher mutational density within the gene library.
Occurrence of toxic effects and 'cheater' mutations is significantly reduced.

Conclusions:

Genome editor-directed in vivo library diversification represents a significant advancement in biomolecular engineering.
This technology offers enhanced precision, efficiency, and reduced negative outcomes compared to older methods.
Future applications in chemical biology are promising for accelerated discovery and development.