Applications of Conserved Indels for Understanding Microbial Phylogeny
Radhey S. Gupta
from: Molecular Phylogeny of Microorganisms (Edited by: Aharon Oren and R. Thane Papke). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2010)
Abstract
Comparative analysis of genome sequences is leading to discovery of large numbers of novel molecular markers that are proving very helpful in understanding many important aspects of microbial phylogeny. Of these molecular markers, the conserved inserts or deletions (indels) in protein sequences provide particularly useful means for identifying different groups of microbes in clear molecular terms and for understanding how they have branched off from a common ancestor. This chapter provides an overview of the utility of conserved indels and other novel molecular markers (viz. lineage-specific proteins) for understanding microbial phylogeny at different phylogenetic depths with specific examples. Genetic and biochemical studies of these markers should also lead to identification of novel properties that are unique to different groups of microbes read more ...
