Abstract
Bacteria evolve as a result of mutations and acquisition of foreign DNA by recombination processes. A growing body of evidence suggests that mutation and recombination rates are not constant across the bacterial chromosome. Bacterial chromosomal DNA is organized into a compact nucleoid structure which is established by binding of the nucleoid-associated proteins (NAPs) and other proteins. This review gives an overview of recent findings indicating that the mutagenic and recombination processes in bacteria vary at different chromosomal positions. Involvement of NAPs and other possible mechanisms in these regional differences are discussed. Variations in mutation and recombination rates across the bacterial chromosome may have implications in the evolution of bacteria.
Highlights
Several studies have suggested that mutation and recombination rates are not constant across the bacterial chromosome
It is possible that regional differences in the topology of chromosomal DNA may cause unequal access of chromosomal regions to mutagenesis by influencing admission to DNA repair enzymes and involvement of specialized DNA polymerases in DNA repair synthesis
Depending on the location of the potential target sequences in the chromosome, some mutational pathways may prevail over the others in the evolution of bacteria
Summary
Several studies have suggested that mutation and recombination rates are not constant across the bacterial chromosome. The abundance of NAPs in the bacteria changes during the transition from exponential growth phase to stationary growth phase [15,16] These proteins can induce dynamic alterations in the physical structure of the promoters in the bacterial nucleoid and directly affect the patterns of gene regulation [17,18]. The reader can find detailed overviews on the structure of the bacterial chromosome and on the functions of NAPs in genome organization and activity in several recent reviews, e.g., [23,24,25,26,27]. The aim of the current review is to give an overview of recent observations regarding the effect of target sequence location in the bacterial chromosome on mutagenesis and recombination processes, as well as to describe the role of NAPs in these processes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
