Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2009 Dec;19(6):613-9. Epub 2009 Nov 10.

Functional and ecological impacts of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes.

Source

Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Botany Department, University of British Columbia, 3529-6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada. pkeeling@interchange.ubc.ca

Abstract

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is known to have contributed to the content of eukaryotic genomes, but the direct effects of HGT on eukaryotic evolution are more obscure because many of the best supported cases involve a new gene replacing a functionally similar homologue. Here, several cases of HGT conferring a plausible adaptive advantage are reviewed to examine emerging trends in such transfer events. In particular, HGT seems to play an important role in adaptation to parasitism and pathogenesis, as well as to other specific environmental conditions such as anaerobiosis or nitrogen and iron limitation in marine environments. Most, but not all, of the functionally significant HGT to eukaryotes comes from bacteria, in part due to chance, but probably also because bacteria have greater metabolic diversity to offer.

PMID:: 19897356; [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Publication Types, MeSH Terms, Grant Support

Publication Types

MeSH Terms

Grant Support

Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Supplemental Content

Save items

Related citations in PubMed

Review Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic evolution. [Nat Rev Genet. 2008]
Review Horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotic evolution.
Keeling PJ, Palmer JD. Nat Rev Genet. 2008 Aug; 9(8):605-18.
Review Role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of plant parasitism among nematodes. [Methods Mol Biol. 2009]
Review Role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of plant parasitism among nematodes.
Mitreva M, Smant G, Helder J. Methods Mol Biol. 2009; 532:517-35.
Estimating the extent of horizontal gene transfer in metagenomic sequences. [BMC Genomics. 2008]
Estimating the extent of horizontal gene transfer in metagenomic sequences.
Tamames J, Moya A. BMC Genomics. 2008 Mar 24; 9:136. Epub 2008 Mar 24.
Algorithms for computing parsimonious evolutionary scenarios for genome evolution, the last universal common ancestor and dominance of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of prokaryotes. [BMC Evol Biol. 2003]
Algorithms for computing parsimonious evolutionary scenarios for genome evolution, the last universal common ancestor and dominance of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of prokaryotes.
Mirkin BG, Fenner TI, Galperin MY, Koonin EV. BMC Evol Biol. 2003 Jan 6; 3:2. Epub 2003 Jan 6.
The transferome of metabolic genes explored: analysis of the horizontal transfer of enzyme encoding genes in unicellular eukaryotes. [Genome Biol. 2009]
The transferome of metabolic genes explored: analysis of the horizontal transfer of enzyme encoding genes in unicellular eukaryotes.
Whitaker JW, McConkey GA, Westhead DR. Genome Biol. 2009; 10(4):R36. Epub 2009 Apr 15.

See reviews... See all...

Cited by 7 PubMed Central articles

Pathogen-origin horizontally transferred genes contribute to the evolution of Lepidopteran insects. [BMC Evol Biol. 2011]
Pathogen-origin horizontally transferred genes contribute to the evolution of Lepidopteran insects.
Li ZW, Shen YH, Xiang ZH, Zhang Z. BMC Evol Biol. 2011 Dec 12; 11:356. Epub 2011 Dec 12.
The Vein Patterning 1 (VEP1) gene family laterally spread through an ecological network. [PLoS One. 2011]
The Vein Patterning 1 (VEP1) gene family laterally spread through an ecological network.
Tarrío R, Ayala FJ, Rodríguez-Trelles F. PLoS One. 2011; 6(7):e22279. Epub 2011 Jul 26.
Genome sequence of the stramenopile Blastocystis, a human anaerobic parasite. [Genome Biol. 2011]
Genome sequence of the stramenopile Blastocystis, a human anaerobic parasite.
Denoeud F, Roussel M, Noel B, Wawrzyniak I, Da Silva C, Diogon M, Viscogliosi E, Brochier-Armanet C, Couloux A, Poulain J, et al. Genome Biol. 2011; 12(3):R29. Epub 2011 Mar 25.

See all...

Related information

Related Citations
Calculated set of PubMed citations closely related to the selected article(s) retrieved using a word weight algorithm. Related articles are displayed in ranked order from most to least relevant, with the “linked from” citation displayed first.
Cited in PMC
Full-text articles in the PubMed Central Database that cite the current articles.

Recent activity

Clear Turn Off Turn On

Functional and ecological impacts of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes.
Functional and ecological impacts of horizontal gene transfer in eukaryotes.
Curr Opin Genet Dev. 2009 Dec ;19(6):613-9. Epub 2009 Nov 10 .

PubMed
Tea catechins' affinity for human cannabinoid receptors.
Tea catechins' affinity for human cannabinoid receptors.
Phytomedicine. 2010 Jan ;17(1):19-22. Epub 2009 Nov 7 .

PubMed
Does early sexual debut reduce teenagers' participation in tertiary education? E...
Does early sexual debut reduce teenagers' participation in tertiary education? Evidence from the SHARE longitudinal study.
J Adolesc. 2010 Oct ;33(5):741-54. Epub 2009 Nov 7 .

PubMed
Headaches, delusions, and catharsis.
Headaches, delusions, and catharsis.
Lancet. 2009 Nov 7 ;374(9701):1652.

PubMed
Estimated burden of diabetes mellitus in Manitoba according to health insurance ...
Estimated burden of diabetes mellitus in Manitoba according to health insurance claims: a pilot study.
CMAJ. 1991 Feb 1 ;144(3):318-24.

PubMed

Your browsing activity is empty.

Activity recording is turned off.

Turn recording back on

PubMed

Result Filters

Display Settings:

Send to: