Title |
Lateral gene transfer between prokaryotes and multicellular eukaryotes: ongoing and significant?
|
---|---|
Published in |
BMC Biology, May 2009
|
DOI | 10.1186/1741-7007-7-20 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Vera ID Ros, Gregory DD Hurst |
Abstract |
The expansion of genome sequencing projects has produced accumulating evidence for lateral transfer of genes between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. However, it remains controversial whether these genes are of functional importance in their recipient host. Nikoh and Nakabachi, in a recent paper in BMC Biology, take a first step and show that two genes of bacterial origin are highly expressed in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Active gene expression of transferred genes is supported by three other recent studies. Future studies should reveal whether functional proteins are produced and whether and how these are targeted to the appropriate compartment. We argue that the transfer of genes between host and symbiont may occasionally be of great evolutionary importance, particularly in the evolution of the symbiotic interaction itself. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 6 | 5% |
Germany | 3 | 3% |
Spain | 3 | 3% |
Czechia | 2 | 2% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 2% |
Netherlands | 1 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Turkey | 1 | <1% |
Mexico | 1 | <1% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 92 | 82% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 31 | 28% |
Researcher | 24 | 21% |
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 10% |
Professor > Associate Professor | 11 | 10% |
Student > Master | 8 | 7% |
Other | 19 | 17% |
Unknown | 8 | 7% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 79 | 71% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 11 | 10% |
Environmental Science | 4 | 4% |
Immunology and Microbiology | 2 | 2% |
Computer Science | 1 | <1% |
Other | 6 | 5% |
Unknown | 9 | 8% |