Reconstructing evolution: gene transfer from plastids to the nucleus

dc.contributor.authorBock, R.
dc.contributor.authorTimmis, J.
dc.date.issued2008
dc.description.abstractDuring evolution, the genomes of eukaryotic cells have undergone major restructuring to meet the new regulatory challenges associated with compartmentalization of the genetic material in the nucleus and the organelles acquired by endosymbiosis (mitochondria and plastids). Restructuring involved the loss of dispensable or redundant genes and the massive translocation of genes from the ancestral organelles to the nucleus. Genomics and bioinformatic data suggest that the process of DNA transfer from organelles to the nucleus still continues, providing raw material for evolutionary tinkering in the nuclear genome. Recent reconstruction of these events in the laboratory has provided a unique tool to observe genome evolution in real time and to study the molecular mechanisms by which plastid genes are converted into functional nuclear genes. Here, we summarize current knowledge about plastid-to-nuclear gene transfer in the context of genome evolution and discuss new insights gained from experiments that recapitulate endosymbiotic gene transfer in the laboratory.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityRalph Bock and Jeremy N. Timmis
dc.identifier.citationBioEssays, 2008; 30(6):556-566
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/bies.20761
dc.identifier.issn0265-9247
dc.identifier.issn1521-1878
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/53202
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/bies.20761
dc.subjectCell Nucleus
dc.subjectPlastids
dc.subjectCyanobacteria
dc.subjectPlants
dc.subjectPlants, Genetically Modified
dc.subjectDNA
dc.subjectRNA
dc.subjectGene Transfer Techniques
dc.subjectEvolution, Molecular
dc.subjectSymbiosis
dc.subjectGene Expression Regulation
dc.subjectGene Transfer, Horizontal
dc.subjectGenome, Bacterial
dc.subjectGenome, Plant
dc.subjectModels, Genetic
dc.subjectResearch Design
dc.subjectGenome, Plastid
dc.titleReconstructing evolution: gene transfer from plastids to the nucleus
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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