Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Extrachromosomal element capture and the evolution of multiple replication origins in archaeal chromosomes
AU - Robinson, Nicholas P.
AU - Bell, Stephen D.
PY - 2007/4/3
Y1 - 2007/4/3
N2 - In all three domains of life, DNA replication begins at specialized loci termed replication origins. In bacteria, replication initiates from a single, clearly defined site. In contrast, eukaryotic organisms exploit a multitude of replication origins, dividing their genomes into an array of short contiguous units. Recently, the multiple replication origin paradigm has also been demonstrated within the archaeal domain of life, with the discovery that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus has three replication origins. However, the evolutionary mechanism driving the progression from single to multiple origin usage remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Aeropyrum pernix, a distant relative of Sulfolobus, has two origins. Comparison with the Sulfolobus origins provides evidence for evolution of replicon complexity by capture of extrachromosomal genetic elements. We additionally identify a previously unrecognized candidate archaeal initiator protein that is distantly related to eukaryotic Cdt1. Our data thus provide evidence that horizontal gene transfer, in addition to its well-established role in contributing to the information content of chromosomes, may fundamentally alter the manner in which the host chromosome is replicated.
AB - In all three domains of life, DNA replication begins at specialized loci termed replication origins. In bacteria, replication initiates from a single, clearly defined site. In contrast, eukaryotic organisms exploit a multitude of replication origins, dividing their genomes into an array of short contiguous units. Recently, the multiple replication origin paradigm has also been demonstrated within the archaeal domain of life, with the discovery that the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus has three replication origins. However, the evolutionary mechanism driving the progression from single to multiple origin usage remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Aeropyrum pernix, a distant relative of Sulfolobus, has two origins. Comparison with the Sulfolobus origins provides evidence for evolution of replicon complexity by capture of extrachromosomal genetic elements. We additionally identify a previously unrecognized candidate archaeal initiator protein that is distantly related to eukaryotic Cdt1. Our data thus provide evidence that horizontal gene transfer, in addition to its well-established role in contributing to the information content of chromosomes, may fundamentally alter the manner in which the host chromosome is replicated.
KW - Aeropyrum
KW - Amino Acid Sequence
KW - Archaeal Proteins
KW - Base Sequence
KW - Cell Cycle Proteins
KW - Chromosomes, Archaeal
KW - DNA Footprinting
KW - DNA Replication
KW - DNA-Binding Proteins
KW - Evolution, Molecular
KW - Extrachromosomal Inheritance
KW - Genes, Archaeal
KW - Molecular Sequence Data
KW - Open Reading Frames
KW - Origin Recognition Complex
KW - Protein Structure, Tertiary
KW - Replication Origin
KW - Replicon
KW - Restriction Mapping
KW - Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
KW - Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
KW - Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
KW - Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
KW - Sulfolobus solfataricus
KW - Comparative Study
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0700206104
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0700206104
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 17392430
VL - 104
SP - 5806
EP - 5811
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 14
ER -