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PMID: 18511688 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

Massive horizontal gene transfer in bdelloid rotifers.

Science (New York, N.Y.) ·Vol. 320 ·No. 5880 ·2008-05-30 ·Pages 1210-3

Gladyshev EA, Meselson M, Arkhipova IR

Abstract

Horizontal gene transfer in metazoans has been documented in only a few species and is usually associated with endosymbiosis or parasitism. By contrast, in bdelloid rotifers we found many genes that appear to have originated in bacteria, fungi, and plants, concentrated in telomeric regions along with diverse mobile genetic elements. Bdelloid proximal gene-rich regions, however, appeared to lack foreign genes, thereby resembling those of model metazoan organisms. Some of the foreign genes were defective, whereas others were intact and transcribed; some of the latter contained functional spliceosomal introns. One such gene, apparently of bacterial origin, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and yielded an active enzyme. The capture and functional assimilation of exogenous genes may represent an important force in bdelloid evolution.

MeSH Terms
Animals DNA Transposable Elements DNA, Helminth Gene Transfer, Horizontal Genes, Bacterial Genes, Fungal Molecular Sequence Data Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid Rotifera/genetics Telomere
Chemicals
DNA Transposable Elements DNA, Helminth
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Gladyshev Eugene A
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
Meselson Matthew
Arkhipova Irina R
Article Info
Journal
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Abbr.
Science
ISSN
1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.1156407
Published
2008-05-30
Pages
1210-3
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
0404511
Subset
IM
Grants
NIGMS NIH HHS · R01 GM072708 · United States
NIGMS NIH HHS · GM072708 · United States
Databases
GENBANK
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External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1126/science.1156407 View journal details
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