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1.
To study the evolution of human X-linked red and green opsin genes, genomic sequences in large regions of the two genes were
compared. The divergences in introns 3, 4, and 5 and the 3′ flanking sequence of the two genes are significantly lower than
those in exons 4 and 5. The homogenization mechanism of introns and the 3′ flanking sequence of human red and green opsin
genes is probably gene conversion, which also occurred in exons 1 and 6. At least one gene conversion event occurred in each
of three regions (1, 3, and 5) in the sequences compared. In conclusion, gene conversion has occurred frequently between human
red and green opsin genes, but exons 2, 3, 4, and 5 have been maintained distinct between the two genes by natural selection.
Received: 29 September 1997 / Accepted: 29 September 1997 相似文献
2.
3.
Analysis of DNA sequences of 132 introns and 140 exons from 42 pairs of orthologous genes of mouse and rat was used to compare
patterns of evolutionary change between introns and exons. The mean of the absolute difference in length (measured in base
pairs) between the two species was nearly five times as high in the case of introns as in the case of exons. The average rate
of nucleotide substitution in introns was very similar to the rate of synonymous substitution in exons, and both were about
three times the rate of substitution at nonsynonymous sites in exons. G+C content of introns and exons of the same gene were
correlated; but mean G+C content at the third positions of exons was significantly higher than that of introns or positions
1–2 of exons from the same gene. G+C content was conserved over evolutionary time, as indicated by strong correlations between
mouse and rat; but the change in G+C content was greatest at position 3 of exons, intermediate in introns, and lowest at positions
1–2 in introns.
Received: 23 December 1996 / Accepted: 1 April 1997 相似文献
4.
Contrasting levels of DNA polymorphism at the autosomal and X-linked visual color pigment loci in humans and squirrel monkeys 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
The X-linked color pigment (opsin) locus is known to be highly polymorphic
in the squirrel monkey and other New World monkeys. To see whether this is
also the case for the autosomal (blue) opsin locus, we obtained 32 squirrel
monkey and 30 human blue opsin gene sequences. No amino acid polymorphism
was found in either the squirrel monkey sample or the human sample,
contrary to the situation at the X-linked opsin locus. This sharp contrast
in the level of polymorphism might be due to differences in gene expression
between the autosomal and the X-linked loci. At the X-linked locus,
heterozygote advantage can occur because, owing to X-inactivation, the two
alleles in a heterozygote are expressed in different cone cells, producing
two types of cone cell, whereas at the autosomal locus, heterozygote
advantage cannot occur because the two alleles in a heterozygote are
expressed in the same cone cells, producing only one type of cone cell
(i.e., phenotypically a homozygote). From the sequence data, the levels of
nucleotide diversity (pi, i.e., the number of nucleotide differences per
site) are estimated: for the human sample, pi = 0.00% per nondegenerate
site, 0.00% per twofold degenerate site, and 0.04% per fourfold degenerate
site in the coding regions and 0.01% per site in intron 4; for the squirrel
monkey sample, pi = 0.00% per nondegenerate site, 0.00% per twofold
degenerate site, and 0.15% per fourfold degenerate site in the coding
regions and 0.17% per site in intron 4. The blue opsin genes from the
common and pygmy chimpanzees, the gorilla, the capuchin, and the howler
monkey were also sequenced. Features critical to the function of the opsin
are well conserved in all known mammalian sequences. However, the
interhelical loops are, on average, actually more conservative than the
transmembrane helical regions. In addition, these sequence data and those
from some other genes indicate that the common and pygmy chimpanzees are
not closely related, their divergence data being from one third to one half
the date of the human-chimpanzee divergence.
相似文献
5.
Yi-Hong Zhou David Hewett-Emmett Jeannette P. Ward Wen-Hsiung Li 《Journal of molecular evolution》1997,45(6):610-618
Bush babies have had a long history of nocturnal life and it would be interesting to know whether their color vision genes
have become degenerate. Therefore, we used PCR techniques to sequence the X-linked pigment gene of two of these nocturnal
prosimians: Galago senegalensis and Otolemur garnettii. Southern hybridization of genomic DNA of G. senegalensis showed a single X-linked pigment gene. Interestingly, the deduced pigment sequences of the two bush babies are identical.
By comparing the X-linked pigments of bush baby, human, squirrel monkey, and marmoset, 38 variable positions were identified.
At those positions that may cause a spectral shift, the bush baby pigment has identical or biochemically similar residues
to those of the marmoset cone pigment with a spectral peak of 543 nm. This result is consistent with the estimate of 544–545
nm for the spectral peak of the X-linked pigment of Otolemur crassicaudatus, which is closely related to Otolemur garnettii. The neighbor-joining tree of mammalian X-linked pigments showed a significantly shorter branch in the bush baby lineage than
in other primate lineages. A relative rate test showed that the nonsynonymous substitution rate of the bush baby X-linked
pigment gene is about three times slower than that of the human red pigment gene, though the synonymous substitution rates
of the two genes are similar. The slower nonsynonymous rate in the bush baby lineage suggests that the bush baby X-linked
pigment gene is under functional constraints, in spite of its nocturnal life. Two radical changes at positions in the intradiskal
surface next to the sixth transmembrane domain were observed in the X-linked cone pigment of bush babies but not in other
primates. They are changes from Ala to Ser and from Asn to His, which are similar in function to the corresponding residues
in rhodopsins. These two changes may be of importance for dim light sensitivity, which is consistent with our proposal that
the evolution of the bush baby X-linked pigment gene is under selective pressure. In addition, the 2.5% divergence in introns
2 and 5 of the X-linked pigment gene between the two bush babies supports their classification into two separate genera.
Received: 30 November 1996 / Accepted: 17 June 1997 相似文献
6.
Wei Huang Benny H.-J. Chang Xun Gu David Hewett-Emmett W.-H. Li 《Journal of molecular evolution》1997,44(4):463-465
To study sex differences in mutation rate in primates, we sequenced the third introns of the AMGX and AMGY genes from humans,
orangutans, and squirrel monkeys and estimated that the male-to-female ratio of mutation rate is α= 5.14 with the 95% confidence
interval (2.42, 16.6). Combining this data set and the data sets from ZFX/ZFY and SMCX/SMCY introns, we obtained an estimate
of α= 5.06 with the 95% confidence interval reduced to (3.24, 8.79). The α value is significantly higher in higher primates
than in rodents.
Received: 19 August 1996 / Accepted: 22 November 1996 相似文献
7.
In this paper we analyzed 49 lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) sequences, mostly from vertebrates. The amino acid sequence differences
were found to be larger for a human–killifish pair than a human–lamprey pair. This indicates that some protein sequence convergence
may occur and reduce the sequence differences in distantly related species. We also examined transitions and transversions
separately for several species pairs and found that the transitions tend to be saturated in the distantly related species
pair, while transversions are increasing. We conclude that transversions maintain a conservative rate through the evolutionary
time. Kimura's two-parameter model for multiple-hit correction on transversions only was used to derive a distance measure
and then construct a neighbor-joining (NJ) tree. Three findings were revealed from the NJ tree: (i) the branching order of
the tree is consistent with the common branch pattern of major vertebrates; (ii) Ldh-A and Ldh-B genes were duplicated near the origin of vertebrates; and (iii) Ldh-C and Ldh-A in mammals were produced by an independent gene duplication in early mammalian history. Furthermore, a relative rate test
showed that mammalian Ldh-C evolved more rapidly than mammalian Ldh-A. Under a two-rate model, this duplication event was calibrated to be approximately 247 million years ago (mya), dating back
to the Triassic period. Other gene duplication events were also discovered in Xenopus, the first duplication occurring approximately 60–70 mya in both Ldh-A and Ldh-B, followed by another recent gene duplication event, approximately 20 mya, in Ldh-B.
Received: 5 October 2001 / Accepted: 24 October 2001 相似文献
8.
We have determined the genomic structure of an integrin β-subunit gene from the coral, Acropora millepora. The coding region of the gene contains 26 introns, spaced relatively uniformly, and this is significantly more than have
been found in any integrin β-subunit genes from higher animals. Twenty-five of the 26 coral introns are also found in a β-subunit
gene from at least one other phylum, indicating that the coral introns are ancestral. While there are some suggestions of
intron gain or sliding, the predominant theme seen in the homologues from higher animals is extensive intron loss. The coral
baseline allows one to infer that a number of introns found in only one phylum of higher animals result from frequent intron
loss, as opposed to the seemingly more parsimonious alternative of isolated intron gain. The patterns of intron loss confirm
results from protein sequences that most of the vertebrate genes, with the exception of β4, belong to one of two β subunit
families. The similarity of the patterns within each of the β1,2,7 and β3,5,6,8 groups indicates that these gene structures
have been very stable since early vertebrate evolution. Intron loss has been more extensive in the invertebrate genes, and
obvious patterns have yet to emerge in this more limited data set.
Received: 5 March 2001 / Accepted: 17 May 2001 相似文献
9.
The mitochondrial DNA-encoded cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the nuclear DNA-encoded hsp60 gene from the euglenoid
protozoan Euglena gracilis were cloned and sequenced. The COI sequence represents the first example of a mitochondrial genome-encoded gene from this
organism. This gene contains seven TGG tryptophan codons and no TGA tryptophan codons, suggesting the use of the universal
genetic code. This differs from the situation in the mitochondrion of the related kinetoplastid protozoa, in which TGA codes
for tryptophan. In addition, a complete absence of CGN triplets may imply the lack of the corresponding tRNA species. COI
cDNAs from E. gracilis possess short 5′ and 3′ untranslated transcribed sequences and lack a 3′ poly[A] tail.
The COI gene does not require uridine insertion/deletion RNA editing, as occurs in kinetoplastid mitochondria, to be functional,
and no short guide RNA-like molecules could be visualized by labeling total mitochondrial RNA with [α-32P]GTP and guanylyl transferase. In spite of the differences in codon usage and the 3′ end structures of mRNAs, phylogenetic
analysis using the COI and hsp60 protein sequences suggests a monophyletic relationship between the mitochondrial genomes
of E. gracilis and of the kinetoplastids, which is consistent with the phylogenetic relationship of these groups previously obtained using
nuclear ribosomal RNA sequences.
Received: 5 March 1996 / Accepted: 31 July 1996 相似文献
10.
Ferritin, a protein widespread in nature, concentrates iron ∼1011–1012-fold above the solubility within a spherical shell of 24 subunits; it derives in plants and animals from a common ancestor
(based on sequence) but displays a cytoplasmic location in animals compared to the plastid in contemporary plants. Ferritin
gene regulation in plants and animals is altered by development, hormones, and excess iron; iron signals target DNA in plants
but mRNA in animals. Evolution has thus conserved the two end points of ferritin gene expression, the physiological signals
and the protein structure, while allowing some divergence of the genetic mechanisms. Comparison of ferritin gene organization
in plants and animals, made possible by the cloning of a dicot (soybean) ferritin gene presented here and the recent cloning
of two monocot (maize) ferritin genes, shows evolutionary divergence in ferritin gene organization between plants and animals
but conservation among plants or among animals; divergence in the genetic mechanism for iron regulation is reflected by the
absence in all three plant genes of the IRE, a highly conserved, noncoding sequence in vertebrate animal ferritin mRNA. In
plant ferritin genes, the number of introns (n= 7) is higher than in animals (n= 3). Second, no intron positions are conserved when ferritin genes of plants and animals are compared, although all ferritin
gene introns are in the coding region; within kingdoms, the intron positions in ferritin genes are conserved. Finally, secondary
protein structure has no apparent relationship to intron/exon boundaries in plant ferritin genes, whereas in animal ferritin
genes the correspondence is high. The structural differences in introns/exons among phylogenetically related ferritin coding
sequences and the high conservation of the gene structure within plant or animal kingdoms suggest that kingdom-specific functional
constraints may exist to maintain a particular intron/exon pattern within ferritin genes. In the case of plants, where ferritin
gene intron placement is unrelated to triplet codons or protein structure, and where ferritin is targeted to the plastid,
the selection pressure on gene organization may relate to RNA function and plastid/nuclear signaling.
Received: 25 July 1995 / Accepted: 3 October 1995 相似文献
11.
The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the donkey and mtDNA comparisons among four closely related mammalian species-pairs 总被引:7,自引:0,他引:7
The nucleotide sequence of the complete mitochondrial genome of the donkey, Equus asinus, was determined. The length of the molecule is 16,670 bp. The length, however, is not absolute due to pronounced heteroplasmy
caused by variable numbers of two types of repetitive motifs in the control region. The sequence of the repeats is (a) 5′-CACACCCA
and (b) 5′-TGCGCGCA, respectively. The order of (a) and (b) can be expressed as {n[2(a)+(b)]+m(a)}. In 32 different clones analyzed the number of n and m ranged from 0 to 9 and 1 to 7. The two rRNA genes, the 13 peptide-coding genes, and the 22 tRNA genes of the donkey and the
horse, Equus caballus, were compared in detail. Total nucleotide difference outside the control region was 6.9%. Nucleotide difference between peptide-coding
genes ranged from 6.4% to 9.4% with a mean of 8.0%. In the inferred protein sequences of the 13 peptide-coding genes the amino
acid difference was 0.2–8.8%, and the mean for the 13 concatenated amino acid sequences was 1.9%. In the 22 tRNA genes, the
mean difference was 3.5%, and that in the two rRNA genes was 4.1%. The mtDNA differences between the donkey and the horse
suggest that the evolutionary separation of the two species occurred ≈9 million years ago. Analyses of differences among the
mtDNAs of three other species-pairs, harbor seal/grey seal, fin whale/blue whale, and Homo/common chimpanzee, showed that the relative evolutionary rate of individual peptide-coding genes varies among different species-pairs
and modes of comparison. The findings show that the superimposition of sequence data of one lineage for resolving and dating
evolutionary divergences of other lineages should be performed with caution unless based on comprehensive data.
Received: 15 October 1995 / Accepted: 15 April 1996 相似文献
12.
Charles Robin Robyn J. Russell Kerrie M. Medveczky John G. Oakeshott 《Journal of molecular evolution》1996,43(3):241-252
The α-esterase cluster of D. melanogaster contains 11 esterase genes dispersed over 60 kb. Embedded in the cluster are two unrelated open reading frames that have
sequence similarity with genes encoding ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme and tropomyosin. The esterase amino acid sequences show
37–66% identity with one another and all but one have all the motifs characteristic of functional members of the carboxyl/cholinesterase
multigene family. The exception has several frameshift mutations and appears to be a pseudogene. Patterns of amino acid differences
among cluster members in relation to generic models of carboxyl/cholinesterase protein structure are broadly similar to those
among other carboxyl/cholinesterases sequenced to date. However the α-esterases differ from most other members of the family
in: their lack of a signal peptide; the lack of conservation in cysteines involved in disulfide bridges; and in four indels,
two of which occur in or adjacent to regions that align with proposed substrate-binding sites of other carboxyl/cholinesterases.
Phylogenetic analyses clearly identify three simple gene duplication events within the cluster. The most recent event involved
the pseudogene which is located in an intron of another esterase gene. However, relative rate tests suggest that the pseudogene
remained functional after the duplication event and has become inactive relatively recently. The distribution of indels also
suggests a deeper node in the gene phylogeny that separates six genes at the two ends of the cluster from a block of five
in the middle.
Received: 18 January 1996 / Accepted: 12 March 1996 相似文献
13.
The actin–cross-linking protein spectrin is a prominent component of the membrane cytoskeleton. Spectrin is a tetramer of
two antiparallel αβ-dimers which share a unique and ancient gene structure. The α-spectrin and β-spectrin genes are composed
primarily of tandemly repeated 106-amino-acid segments, each of which forms a triple α-helical coiled coil. Both the genes
and the repeats themselves are homologous. The two genes are thought to be the result of a gene duplication event, and each
gene is the product of duplications of the 106-amino-acid repeats. In this work we compare the process of molecular evolution
across the repeated segments of the α- and β-spectrin genes. We find that the α-spectrin segments have, for the most part,
evolved in a homogeneous fashion, while considerable heterogeneity is found among β-spectrin segments. Several segments with
unique known functions are found to have evolved differently than the others. On the basis of heterogeneity of the evolutionary
process, we suggest that at least one repeat has a unique function that has yet to be documented. We also present new statistical
methods for comparing the evolutionary process between different regions of DNA sequences.
Received: 27 March 1996 / Accepted: 21 October 1996 相似文献
14.
A.D. Shutov H. Braun Yu.V. Chesnokov Ch. Horstmann I.A. Kakhovskaya H. Bäumlein 《Journal of molecular evolution》1998,47(4):486-492
The development of seeds as a specialized organ for the nutrition, protection, and dispersal of the next generation was an
important step in the evolution of land plants. Seed maturation is accompanied by massive synthesis of storage compounds such
as proteins, starch, and lipids. To study the processes of seed storage protein evolution we have partially sequenced storage
proteins from maturing seeds of representatives from the gymnosperm genera Gnetum, Ephedra, and Welwitschia—morphologically diverse and unusual taxa that are grouped in most formal systems into the common order Gnetales. Based on
partial N-terminal amino acid sequences, oligonucleotide primers were derived and used for PCR amplification and cloning of
the corresponding cDNAs. We also describe the structure of the nuclear gene for legumin of Welwitschia mirabilis. This first gnetalean nuclear gene structure contains introns in only two of the four conserved positions previously characterized
in other spermatophyte legumin genes. The distinct phylogenetic status of the gnetalean taxa is also reflected in a sequence
peculiarity of their legumin genes. A comparative analysis of exon/intron sequences leads to the hypothesis that legumin genes
from Gnetales belong to a monophyletic evolutionary branch clearly distinct from that of legumin genes of extant Ginkgoales
and Coniferales as well as from all angiosperms.
Received: 5 June 1997 / Accepted: 31 March 1998 相似文献
15.
Introns are generally believed to evolve too rapidly and too erratically to be of much use in phylogenetic reconstructions.
Few phylogenetically informative intron sequences are available, however, to ascertain the validity of this supposition. In
the present study the supposition was tested on the example of the mammalian class II major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) genes of the DRB family. Since the Mhc genes evolve under balancing selection and are believed to recombine or rearrange frequently, the evolution of their introns
could be expected to be particularly rapid and subject to scrambling. Sequences of intron 4 and 5 DRB genes were obtained from polymerase chain reaction-amplified fragments of genomic DNA from representatives of six eutherian
orders—Primates, Scandentia, Chiroptera, Dermoptera, Lagomorpha, and Insectivora. Although short stretches of the introns
have indeed proved to be unalignable, the bulk of the intron sequences from all six orders, spanning >85 million years (my)
of evolution, could be aligned and used in a study of the tempo and mode of intron evolution. The analysis has revealed the
Mhc introns to evolve at a rate similar to that of other genes and of synonymous sites of non-Mhc genes. No evidence of homogenization or large-scale scrambling of the intron sequences could be found. The Mhc introns apparently evolve largely by point mutations and insertions/deletions. The phylogenetic signals contained in the
intron sequences could be used to identify Scandentia as the sister group of Primates, to support the existence of the Archonta
superorder, and to confirm the monophyly of the Chiroptera.
Received: 26 October 1998 / Accepted: 21 December 1998 相似文献
16.
Hiroshi Wada Mari Kobayashi Riki Sato Nori Satoh Hitoshi Miyasaka Yoshihisa Shirayama 《Journal of molecular evolution》2002,54(1):118-128
To test the validity of intron–exon structure as a phylogenetic marker, the intron–exon structure of EF-1α genes was investigated
for starfish, acornworms, ascidians, larvaceans, and amphioxus and compared with that of vertebrates. Of the 11 distinct intron
insertion sites found within the coding regions of the deuterostome EF-1α genes, 7 are shared by several taxa, while the remainder
are unique to certain taxa. Examination of the shared introns of the deuterostome EF-1α gene revealed that independent intron
loss or intron insertion must have occurred in separate lineages of the deuterostome taxa. Maximum parsimony analysis of the
intron–exon data matrix recovered five parsimonious trees (consistency index = 0.867). From this result, we concluded that
the intron–exon structure of deuterostome EF-1α has evolved more dynamically than previously thought, rendering it unsuitable
as a phylogenetic marker. We also reconstructed an evolutionary history of intron insertion–deletion events on the deuterostome
phylogeny, based on several molecular phylogenetic studies. These analyses revealed that the deuterostome EF-1α gene has lost
individual introns more frequently than all introns simultaneously. 相似文献
17.
Of Worms and Men: An Evolutionary Perspective on the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) and FGF Receptor Families 总被引:6,自引:0,他引:6
François Coulier Pierre Pontarotti Régine Roubin Helge Hartung Mitchell Goldfarb Daniel Birnbaum 《Journal of molecular evolution》1997,44(1):43-56
FGFs (fibroblast growth factors) play major roles in a number of developmental processes. Recent studies of several human
disorders, and concurrent analysis of gene knock-out and properties of the corresponding recombinant proteins have shown that
FGFs and their receptors are prominently involved in the development of the skeletal system in mammals. We have compared the
sequences of the nine known mammalian FGFs, FGFs from other vertebrates, and three additional sequences that we extracted
from existing databases: two human FGF sequences that we tentatively designated FGF10 and FGF11, and an FGF sequence from
C?norhabditis elegans. Similarly, we have compared the sequences of the four FGF receptor paralogs found in chordates with four non-chordate FGF
receptors, including one recently identified in C. elegans. The comparison of FGF and FGF receptor sequences in vertebrates and nonvertebrates shows that the FGF and FGF receptor families
have evolved through phases of gene duplications, one of which may have coincided with the emergence of vertebrates, in relation
with their new system of body scaffold.
Received: 6 April 1996 / Accepted: 5 July 1996 相似文献
18.
Steven T. Case Carol Cox Walter C. Bell Rosemary T. Hoffman Jon Martin Robert Hamilton 《Journal of molecular evolution》1997,44(4):452-462
Aquatic larvae of the midge, Chironomus tentans, synthesize a 185-kDa silk protein (sp185) with the cysteine-containing motif Cys-X-Cys-X-Cys (where X is any residue) every
20–28 residues. We report here the cloning and full-length sequence of cDNAs encoding homologous silk proteins from Chironomus pallidivittatus (sp185) and Chironomus thummi (sp220). Deduced amino acid sequences reveal proteins of nearly identical mass composed of 72 blocks of 20–28 residues, 61%
of which can be described by the motif X5–8-Cys-X5-(Trp/Phe/Tyr)-X4-Cys-X-Cys-X-Cys. Spatial arrangement of these residues is preserved more than surrounding sequences. cDNA clones enabled
us to map the genes on polytene chromosomes and identify for the first time the homolog of the Camptochironomus Balbiani ring 3 locus in Chironomus thummi. The apparent molecular weight difference between these proteins (185 vs 220 kDa) is not attributable to primary structure
and may be due to differential N-linked glycosylation. DNA distances and codon substitutions indicate that the C. tentans and C. pallidivittatus genes are more related to each other than either is to C. thummi; however, substitution rates for the 5′- and 3′-halves of these genes are different. Blockwise sequence comparisons suggest
intragenic variation in that some regions evolved slower or faster than the mean and may have been subjected to different
selective pressures.
Received: 30 August 1996 / Accepted: 6 November 1996 相似文献
19.
We have isolated a 29,000-Da carbonic anhydrase (CA) protein from the zebrafish, Danio rerio, sequenced two peptide fragments, and tentatively identified it as a high-activity CA by inhibition kinetics. We have also
characterized a 1,537-bp message whose deduced sequence of 260 amino acids matches that of the isolated protein. This CA is
clearly an α-CA based on the similarity of its sequence to that of other members of the α-CA gene family. A phylogenetic analysis
suggested CAH-Z diverged after the branching of the CA-V and CA-VII genes and prior to the duplications that generated the
CA-I, CA-II, and CA-III genes of amniotes. This marks the first characterization of the mRNA and its protein product from
the CA gene of a teleost.
Received: 31 March 1996 / Accepted: 8 September 1996 相似文献
20.
Although bacterial species display wide variation in their overall GC contents, the genes within a particular species' genome
are relatively similar in base composition. As a result, sequences that are novel to a bacterial genome—i.e., DNA introduced
through recent horizontal transfer—often bear unusual sequence characteristics and can be distinguished from ancestral DNA.
At the time of introgression, horizontally transferred genes reflect the base composition of the donor genome; but, over time,
these sequences will ameliorate to reflect the DNA composition of the new genome because the introgressed genes are subject
to the same mutational processes affecting all genes in the recipient genome. This process of amelioration is evident in a
large group of genes involved in host-cell invasion by enteric bacteria and can be modeled to predict the amount of time required
after transfer for foreign DNA to resemble native DNA. Furthermore, models of amelioration can be used to estimate the time
of introgression of foreign genes in a chromosome. Applying this approach to a 1.43-megabase continuous sequence, we have
calculated that the entire Escherichia coli chromosome contains more than 600 kb of horizontally transferred, protein-coding DNA. Estimates of amelioration times indicate
that this DNA has accumulated at a rate of 31 kb per million years, which is on the order of the amount of variant DNA introduced
by point mutations. This rate predicts that the E. coli and Salmonella enterica lineages have each gained and lost more than 3 megabases of novel DNA since their divergence.
Received: 7 July 1996 / Accepted: 27 September 1996 相似文献