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Patch type nucleotide sequence identities between genomes from many different species facilitate illegitimate
Stefanie Weber1, Christina M Ramirez2, Walter Doerfler3,4
1Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|March 29, 2026
Summary
Patch-type sequence identities, around 45%, are intrinsic statistical properties of the genetic alphabet. These patterns may signal illegitimate recombination, driving genome evolution and adaptation across life.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Comparative analyses reveal consistent patch-type sequence identities across diverse taxa.
- These identities, short stretches of matching nucleotides with mismatches, appear even in randomized sequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the intrinsic statistical properties of the genetic alphabet.
- To explore the role of patch-type identities in recombination and genome evolution.
Main Methods:
- Comparative sequence analysis across viruses, bacteria, plants, and mammals.
- Alignment of randomized and scrambled sequences.
- Statistical modeling and simulations based on base composition.
Main Results:
- Consistent patch-type sequence identities of approximately 45% observed across taxa.
- Identities arise from intrinsic statistical properties of the genetic alphabet, not just homology.
- Patch-type patterns act as recognition signals for illegitimate recombination, facilitating DNA insertions and rearrangements.
- Observed at foreign DNA integration sites, potentially driving evolutionary innovation and diversification (e.g., SARS-CoV-2).
Conclusions:
- The statistical architecture of the genetic alphabet encodes information and potential for genome remodeling.
- Randomness at the nucleotide level can generate order and complexity, driving adaptation.
- Provides a framework linking sequence properties to biological outcomes in evolution.
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