State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
Genomics. 2011 Nov;98(5):367-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2011.08.006. Epub 2011 Aug 28.
Horizontal gene transfer, the movement of genetic materials across the normal mating barriers between organisms occurs frequently and contributes significantly to the evolution of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes. However, few concurrent transfers of functionally related genes implemented in a pathway from eukaryotes to prokaryotes are observed. Here, we did phylogenetic analyses to support that the genes, i.e. dihydrofolate reductase, glycine hydroxymethyltransferase, and thymidylate synthase involved in thymidylate metabolism, in Hz-1 virus were obtained from insect genome recently by independent horizontal gene transfers. In addition, five other related genes in nucleotide metabolism show evidences of horizontal gene transfers. These genes demonstrate similar expression pattern, and they may have formatted a functionally related pathway (e.g. thymidylate synthesis, and DNA replication) in Hz-1 virus. In conclusion, we provide an example of horizontal gene transfer of functionally related genes in a pathway to prokaryote from eukaryote.
水平基因转移，即遗传物质跨越生物体正常交配障碍的移动，在真核生物和原核生物基因组的进化中经常发生，并做出了重大贡献。然而，很少观察到同时从真核生物向原核生物转移功能相关基因的途径。在这里，我们进行了系统发育分析，以支持 Hz-1 病毒中参与胸苷酸代谢的二氢叶酸还原酶、甘氨酸羟甲基转移酶和胸苷酸合酶等基因是最近通过独立的水平基因转移从昆虫基因组中获得的。此外，核苷酸代谢中的另外五个相关基因显示出水平基因转移的证据。这些基因表现出相似的表达模式，它们可能在 Hz-1 病毒中形成了一个功能相关的途径（例如胸苷酸合成和 DNA 复制）。总之，我们提供了一个真核生物向原核生物水平基因转移功能相关途径的例子。
