Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes
Prokaryotic genomes are replete with mobile genetic elements (MGE) that span a continuum of replication autonomy. On numerous occasions during microbial evolution, diverse MGE lose their autonomy altogether but, rather than being quickly purged from the host genome, assume a new function that benefi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.821197/full |
| _version_ | 1811271657107488768 |
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| author | Sean Benler Eugene V. Koonin |
| author_facet | Sean Benler Eugene V. Koonin |
| author_sort | Sean Benler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Prokaryotic genomes are replete with mobile genetic elements (MGE) that span a continuum of replication autonomy. On numerous occasions during microbial evolution, diverse MGE lose their autonomy altogether but, rather than being quickly purged from the host genome, assume a new function that benefits the host, rendering the immobilized MGE subject to purifying selection, and resulting in its vertical inheritance. This mini-review highlights the diversity of the repurposed (exapted) MGE as well as the plethora of cellular functions that they perform. The principal contribution of the exaptation of MGE and their components is to the prokaryotic functional systems involved in biological conflicts, and in particular, defense against viruses and other MGE. This evolutionary entanglement between MGE and defense systems appears to stem both from mechanistic similarities and from similar evolutionary predicaments whereby both MGEs and defense systems tend to incur fitness costs to the hosts and thereby evolve mechanisms for survival including horizontal mobility, causing host addiction, and exaptation for functions beneficial to the host. The examples discussed demonstrate that the identity of an MGE, overall mobility and relationship with the host cell (mutualistic, symbiotic, commensal, or parasitic) are all factors that affect exaptation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:24:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-500afbe9cdf64acd9b554a650b0c94da |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-889X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T22:24:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-500afbe9cdf64acd9b554a650b0c94da2022-12-22T03:14:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences2296-889X2022-03-01910.3389/fmolb.2022.821197821197Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in ProkaryotesSean BenlerEugene V. KooninProkaryotic genomes are replete with mobile genetic elements (MGE) that span a continuum of replication autonomy. On numerous occasions during microbial evolution, diverse MGE lose their autonomy altogether but, rather than being quickly purged from the host genome, assume a new function that benefits the host, rendering the immobilized MGE subject to purifying selection, and resulting in its vertical inheritance. This mini-review highlights the diversity of the repurposed (exapted) MGE as well as the plethora of cellular functions that they perform. The principal contribution of the exaptation of MGE and their components is to the prokaryotic functional systems involved in biological conflicts, and in particular, defense against viruses and other MGE. This evolutionary entanglement between MGE and defense systems appears to stem both from mechanistic similarities and from similar evolutionary predicaments whereby both MGEs and defense systems tend to incur fitness costs to the hosts and thereby evolve mechanisms for survival including horizontal mobility, causing host addiction, and exaptation for functions beneficial to the host. The examples discussed demonstrate that the identity of an MGE, overall mobility and relationship with the host cell (mutualistic, symbiotic, commensal, or parasitic) are all factors that affect exaptation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.821197/fullmobile genetic elementexaptationantivirus defense mechanismsbiological conflict systemshorizontal gene transfer |
| spellingShingle | Sean Benler Eugene V. Koonin Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences mobile genetic element exaptation antivirus defense mechanisms biological conflict systems horizontal gene transfer |
| title | Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes |
| title_full | Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes |
| title_fullStr | Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes |
| title_short | Recruitment of Mobile Genetic Elements for Diverse Cellular Functions in Prokaryotes |
| title_sort | recruitment of mobile genetic elements for diverse cellular functions in prokaryotes |
| topic | mobile genetic element exaptation antivirus defense mechanisms biological conflict systems horizontal gene transfer |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2022.821197/full |
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