PMID:12930738
| Citation |
Zinser, ER, Schneider, D, Blot, M and Kolter, R (2003) Bacterial evolution through the selective loss of beneficial Genes. Trade-offs in expression involving two loci. Genetics 164:1271-7 |
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| Abstract |
The loss of preexisting genes or gene activities during evolution is a major mechanism of ecological specialization. Evolutionary processes that can account for gene loss or inactivation have so far been restricted to one of two mechanisms: direct selection for the loss of gene activities that are disadvantageous under the conditions of selection (i.e., antagonistic pleiotropy) and selection-independent genetic drift of neutral (or nearly neutral) mutations (i.e., mutation accumulation). In this study we demonstrate with an evolved strain of Escherichia coli that a third, distinct mechanism exists by which gene activities can be lost. This selection-dependent mechanism involves the expropriation of one gene's upstream regulatory element by a second gene via a homologous recombination event. Resulting from this genetic exchange is the activation of the second gene and a concomitant inactivation of the first gene. This gene-for-gene expression tradeoff provides a net fitness gain, even if the forfeited activity of the first gene can play a positive role in fitness under the conditions of selection. |
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| Keywords |
Adaptation, Physiological; Alleles; Artificial Gene Fusion; DNA Transposable Elements; Escherichia coli/genetics; Escherichia coli/growth & development; Evolution, Molecular; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Genes, Bacterial; Mutagenesis, Insertional; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Selection, Genetic; Transcription, Genetic |
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