Horizontal Gene Transfer and the Formation of Groups of Microorganisms
David Williams, Cheryl P. Andam and J. Peter Gogarten
from: Molecular Phylogeny of Microorganisms (Edited by: Aharon Oren and R. Thane Papke). Caister Academic Press, U.K. (2010)
Abstract
In this chapter, we discuss the impact of gene transfer on the formation of groups of organisms. We begin by discussing the obvious: gene transfer can make it more difficult to define and determine relationships. In those cases where many genes have been transferred between preferred partners, the majority of genes in a genome may reflect gene acquisition, and as a consequence, if a coherent signal is detected, one nevertheless might not be sure that the signal is due to organismal shared ancestry. In the second part of this chapter we will focus on two positive aspects of gene transfer. The presence of a particular transferred gene was shown, in several cases, to constitute a shared derived character useful in classification. Gene transfer can put together new metabolic pathways that open up new ecological niches, and consequently, the transfer of an adaptive gene might create a new group of organisms read more ...
