Genome Surfing As Driver of Microbial Genomic Diversity. Issue 8 (August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choudoir, Mallory J.; Panke-Buisse, Kevin; Andam, Cheryl P.; Buckley, Daniel H.
• Is Part Of: Trends in microbiology. Volume 25:Issue 8(2017)
• Page Start: 624
• Page End: 636
• Publication Date: 2017-08
• Subjects: Microbiology -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Virulence (Microbiology) -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Virulence -- Periodicals; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Infection -- Périodiques; Virulence (Microbiologie) -- Périodiques; Infection; Microbiology; Virulence (Microbiology); 579
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.02.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-842X

Abstract

Abstract : Historical changes in population size, such as those caused by demographic range expansions, can produce nonadaptive changes in genomic diversity through mechanisms such as gene surfing. We propose that demographic range expansion of a microbial population capable of horizontal gene exchange can result in genome surfing, a mechanism that can cause widespread increase in the pan-genome frequency of genes acquired by horizontal gene exchange. We explain that patterns of genetic diversity within Streptomyces are consistent with genome surfing, and we describe several predictions for testing this hypothesis both in Streptomyces and in other microorganisms. Trends: Microbial genomic diversity is often explained by invoking selection acting on large populations at demographic equilibrium. However, historical fluctuations in population size can produce nonadaptive changes in genomic diversity due to drift. Gene surfing can explain patterns of genomic diversity in diverse species of plants and animals as a consequence of postglacial range expansion driven by historical climate change during the Pleistocene. We propose that genome surfing can result when the demographic mechanisms which produce gene surfing act on microbial populations capable of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Patterns of genetic diversity and gene flow within Streptomyces are indicative of postglacial demographic range expansion. Genome surfing provides a mechanism to explain ancestral patterns of horizontal gene exchange and current patterns of genomic diversity observed within Streptomyces . Video Abstract: