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Related Concept Videos

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms02:18

Types of Genetic Transfer Between Organisms

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Genetic transfer occurs when genetic information is passed from one organism to another. It occurs via two mechanisms: vertical gene transfer and horizontal gene transfer. Vertical gene transfer occurs when genetic information is transferred from one generation to the next, which happens much more frequently than horizontal gene transfer. Both sexual and asexual reproduction are forms of vertical gene transfer, where one or more organisms pass some or all of their genome onto their progeny.
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Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes02:19

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A eukaryotic cell can have up to three different types of genetic systems: nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. During evolution, organelles have exported many genes to the nucleus; this transfer is still ongoing in some plant species. Approximately 18% of the Arabidopsis thaliana nuclear genome is thought to be derived from the chloroplast’s cyanobacterial ancestor, and around 75% of the yeast genome derived from the mitochondria’s bacterial ancestor. This export has occurred...
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Genome Size and the Evolution of New Genes03:21

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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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Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

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Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
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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.
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Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

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The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
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Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Using Phylogenetic Analysis to Investigate Eukaryotic Gene Origin
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Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes: aligning theory with data.

Patrick J Keeling1

  • 1Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. pkeeling@mail.ubc.ca.

Nature Reviews. Genetics
|January 23, 2024
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) moves genetic information between genomes. In eukaryotes, HGT is less common due to reduced gene need, despite unique cell behaviors potentially increasing gene acquisition.

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Conjugative Mating Assays for Sequence-specific Analysis of Transfer Proteins Involved in Bacterial Conjugation
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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genetics
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is crucial for bacterial and archaeal evolution.
  • The role of HGT in eukaryotic evolution remains less understood.
  • Eukaryotic cell behaviors like phagocytosis and endosymbiosis may facilitate HGT.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current theories on HGT in eukaryotes.
  • To integrate existing data on eukaryotic HGT with theoretical frameworks.
  • To explore the factors influencing the frequency and impact of HGT in eukaryotes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing theories and empirical data on eukaryotic HGT.
  • Analysis of proposed mechanisms for HGT in eukaryotes, including phagocytosis and endosymbiosis.
  • Comparison of HGT rates and genomic content between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Main Results:

  • Eukaryotic nuclear genomes appear to encode fewer HGTs compared to prokaryotes.
  • While phagocytosis and endosymbiosis can increase gene acquisition, eukaryotes may have a reduced need for these acquired genes.
  • Selection processes in eukaryotes may not readily utilize variation introduced by HGT.

Conclusions:

  • The frequency of HGT in eukaryotes is influenced by a balance between acquisition opportunities and the necessity for acquired genes.
  • Reduced selective pressure for HGT-derived variation may explain lower HGT rates in eukaryotic nuclear genomes.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the evolutionary impact of HGT across eukaryotic lineages.