Bacterial Hha-like proteins facilitate incorporation of horizontally transferred DNA |
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Authors: | Sonia Paytubi Jesús García Antonio Juárez |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King’s College Circle – Room 4379, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada |
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Abstract: | Horizontal gene transfer (HGT), non-hereditary transfer of genetic material between organisms, accounts for a significant
proportion of the genetic variability in bacteria. In Gram negative bacteria, the nucleoid-associated protein H-NS silences
unwanted expression of recently acquired foreign DNA. This, in turn, facilitates integration of the incoming genes into the
regulatory networks of the recipient cell. Bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae express an additional protein, the Hha protein that, by binding to H-NS, potentiates silencing of HGT DNA. We provide here
an overview of Hha-like proteins, including their structure and function, as well as their evolutionary relationship. We finally
present available information suggesting that, by expressing Hha-like proteins, bacteria such as Escherichia coli facilitate HGT incorporation and hence, the impact of HGT in their genetic diversity. |
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