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Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Genome-wide Purification of Extrachromosomal Circular DNA from Eukaryotic Cells
Published on: April 4, 2016
DNA Circles as Vehicles for Genes to Evade Chromosomal Discipline
Monica Rojas-Triana1, Jacobus J Boomsma1, Birgitte Regenberg1
1Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract:
In this Perspective article, we follow the journey of a gene that breaks free from its stringent chromosomal transmission dynamics to become an independently multiplying agent on so-called extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA/eccDNA). We discuss how the release of a gene from its chromosomal anchor can affect its dosage, regulatory context, and potential evolutionary trajectory before examining the phenotypic implications for unicellular and multicellular eukaryotes that transmit genes on circular DNA. We also briefly explore the fundamental difference between circularized genes in flowering plants (angiosperms) and mammals (primarily cancer) concerning somatic and germline inheritance.
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