| 1. |
- Alsmark, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
-
Patterns of prokaryotic lateral gene transfers affecting parasitic microbial eukaryotes
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Genome Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1465-6906 .- 1474-760X. ; 14:2, s. R19-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The influence of lateral gene transfer on gene origins and biology in eukaryotes is poorly understood compared with those of prokaryotes. A number of independent investigations focusing on specific genes, individual genomes, or specific functional categories from various eukaryotes have indicated that lateral gene transfer does indeed affect eukaryotic genomes. However, the lack of common methodology and criteria in these studies makes it difficult to assess the general importance and influence of lateral gene transfer on eukaryotic genome evolution. Results: We used a phylogenomic approach to systematically investigate lateral gene transfer affecting the proteomes of thirteen, mainly parasitic, microbial eukaryotes, representing four of the six eukaryotic super-groups. All of the genomes investigated have been significantly affected by prokaryote-to-eukaryote lateral gene transfers, dramatically affecting the enzymes of core pathways, particularly amino acid and sugar metabolism, but also providing new genes of potential adaptive significance in the life of parasites. A broad range of prokaryotic donors is involved in such transfers, but there is clear and significant enrichment for bacterial groups that share the same habitats, including the human microbiota, as the parasites investigated. Conclusions: Our data show that ecology and lifestyle strongly influence gene origins and opportunities for gene transfer and reveal that, although the outlines of the core eukaryotic metabolism are conserved among lineages, the genes making up those pathways can have very different origins in different eukaryotes. Thus, from the perspective of the effects of lateral gene transfer on individual gene ancestries in different lineages, eukaryotic metabolism appears to be chimeric.
|
|
| 2. |
- Alsmark, U. Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
-
Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic parasites : a case study of Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Horizontal Gene Transfer. - Totowa, NJ : Humana Press. - 9781603278522 - 9781603278539 ; , s. 489-500
-
Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Over the past few years it has become apparent that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has played an important role in the evolution of pathogenic prokaryotes. What is less clear is the exact role that HGT has played in shaping the metabolism of eukaryotic organisms. The main problems are the reliable inference of HGT on a genomic scale as well as the functional assignment of genes in these poorly studied organisms. We have screened the completed genomes of the protists Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis for cases of HGT from prokaryotes. Using a fast primary screen followed by a conservative phylogenetic approach, we found 68 and 153 recent cases of HGT in the respective organisms. The majority of transferred genes that fall into functional categories code for enzymes involved in metabolism. We found a broad range of prokaryotic lineages represented among the donors, but organisms that share similar environmental niches with E. histolytica and T. vaginalis, such as the gut and the vaginal mucosa, dominate.
|
|
