Evolution by Pervasive Gene Fusion in Antibiotic Resistance and Antibiotic Synthesizing Genes

Computation

Orla Coleman¹  Ruth Hogan¹  Nicole McGoldrick¹  Niamh Rudden¹  James O. McInerney¹  Rainer Breitling² 

[1] Department of Biology, National University of Ireland Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland;

关键词: polyketide;    network;    homology;    evolution;    phylogeny;    connected component;    community structure;   

DOI  :  10.3390/computation3020114

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Phylogenetic (tree-based) approaches to understanding evolutionary history are unable to incorporate convergent evolutionary events where two genes merge into one. In this study, as exemplars of what can be achieved when a tree is not assumed a priori, we have analysed the evolutionary histories of polyketide synthase genes and antibiotic resistance genes and have shown that their history is replete with convergent events as well as divergent events. We demonstrate that the overall histories of these genes more closely resembles the remodelling that might be seen with the children’s toy Lego, than the standard model of the phylogenetic tree. This work demonstrates further that genes can act as public goods, available for re-use and incorporation into other genetic goods.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.