Factors Behind Junk DNA in Bacteria

Genes

Rosario Gil¹ 

[1] Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain; Departament de Genètica, Universitat de València, Dr. Moliner, 50, 46100 Burjassot (València), Spain

关键词: junk DNA;    pseudogenes;    intergenic regions (IGR);    insertion sequences (IS);    genome degradation;   

DOI  :  10.3390/genes3040634

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Although bacterial genomes have been traditionally viewed as being very compact, with relatively low amounts of repetitive and non-coding DNA, this view has dramatically changed in recent years. The increase of available complete bacterial genomes has revealed that many species present abundant repetitive DNA (i.e., insertion sequences, prophages or paralogous genes) and that many of these sequences are not functional but can have evolutionary consequences as concerns the adaptation to specialized host-related ecological niches. Comparative genomics analyses with close relatives that live in non-specialized environments reveal the nature and fate of this bacterial junk DNA. In addition, the number of insertion sequences and pseudogenes, as well as the size of the intergenic regions, can be used as markers of the evolutionary stage of a genome.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2012 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.