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Related Concept Videos

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes

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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.
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The central dogma explains the flow of genetic information from DNA nucleotides to the amino acid sequence of proteins.
RNA is the Missing Link Between DNA and Proteins
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Exon Recombination02:32

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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...
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DNA-only Transposons02:57

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DNA-only transposons are called autonomous transposons since they code for the enzyme transposase that is required for the transposition mechanism. Insertion of transposons can alter gene functions in multiple ways. They can mutate the gene, alter gene expression by introducing a novel promoter or insulator sequence, introduce new splice sites, and change the mRNA transcripts produced, or remodel chromatin structure.
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Conservative Site-specific Recombination and Phase Variation02:53

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Because the DNA segments are cut and reorganized in a direction-specific manner, site-specific recombination has emerged as an efficient genetic engineering technique. Flippase and Cyclization recombinases or Flp and Cre, respectively, are two members of the tyrosine recombinase family derived from bacteriophages, that are used to mediate site-specific DNA insertions, deletions, and targeted expression of proteins in mammalian cell lines.
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Gene Duplication and Divergence02:37

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The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
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Determination of the Optimal Chromosomal Locations for a DNA Element in Escherichia coli Using a Novel Transposon-mediated Approach
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Intragenic DNA inversions expand bacterial coding capacity.

Rachael B Chanin1, Patrick T West1, Ryan M Park1

  • 1Department of Medicine (Hematology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation); Stanford, USA.

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|March 22, 2023
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Bacterial populations generate diversity using phase variation. Researchers discovered novel

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Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Bioinformatics

Background:

  • Bacterial populations exhibit phenotypic heterogeneity, deviating from strict clonality.
  • Phase variation, a reversible gene expression mechanism, generates this heterogeneity.
  • Enzyme-mediated DNA inversions in intergenic regions are a known form of phase variation.

Approach:

  • Developed novel bioinformatic methods to analyze long-read sequencing data.
  • Discovered thousands of previously undescribed phase-variable regions in prokaryotes.
  • Identified a new class of invertible elements, termed 'intragenic invertons'.

Key Points:

  • Intragenic invertons are located entirely within genes, a novel finding.
  • These elements enable a single gene to encode multiple protein variants.
  • This mechanism increases coding capacity without expanding genome size.

Conclusions:

  • Intragenic invertons represent a previously unrecognized mechanism for gene diversification.
  • Experimental characterization in *Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron* provides a framework for future research.
  • This discovery offers new insights into bacterial adaptation and evolution.