| Summary: | Translation efficiency modulates gene expression in prokaryotes. The comparative analysis of translation elongation efficiency characteristics of <i>Ralstonia</i> genus bacteria genomes revealed that these characteristics diverge in accordance with the phylogeny of <i>Ralstonia</i>. The first branch of this genus is a group of bacteria commonly found in moist environments such as soil and water that includes the species <i>R. mannitolilytica</i>, <i>R. insidiosa</i>, and <i>R. pickettii</i>, which are also described as nosocomial infection pathogens. In contrast, the second branch is plant pathogenic bacteria consisting of <i>R. solanacearum</i>, <i>R. pseudosolanacearum</i>, and <i>R. syzygii</i>. We found that the soil <i>Ralstonia</i> have a significantly lower number and energy of potential secondary structures in mRNA and an increased role of codon usage bias in the optimization of highly expressed genes’ translation elongation efficiency, not only compared to phytopathogenic <i>Ralstonia</i> but also to <i>Cupriavidus necator</i>, which is closely related to the <i>Ralstonia</i> genus. The observed alterations in translation elongation efficiency of orthologous genes are also reflected in the difference of potentially highly expressed gene’ sets’ content among <i>Ralstonia</i> branches with different lifestyles. Analysis of translation elongation efficiency characteristics can be considered a promising approach for studying complex mechanisms that determine the evolution and adaptation of bacteria in various environments.
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