Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes

Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes PDF Author: Laura A Katz
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191513857
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Genomics and Evolution of Eukaryotic Microbes synthesizes the rapidly emerging fields of eukaryotic diversity and genome evolution. Eukaryotes (cells with nuclei) evolved as microbes and have existed on Earth for approximately two billion years. The tremendous diversity of eukaryotic microbes (protists) is often overlooked by those who study the macroscopic eukaryotic lineages: plants, animals, and fungi. Yet, eukaryotic microbes are of critical importance to ecosystems, human health, and our desire to understand biodiversity on Earth. By bringing together groundbreaking data from genome studies of diverse eukaryotic microbes, this book elucidates the many novelties among eukaryotic genomes and provides a single resource for otherwise widely dispersed information. Eukaryotic microorganisms impact both our health and our environment. These organisms include some of the deadliest known pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum, a causative agent of malaria, and Entamoeba histolytica an agent of dysentery. Eukaryotic microbes also play a significant role in environments through their involvement in global biogeochemical cycles. Such roles are perhaps best exemplified by the coccolithophores, including the species Emiliania huxleyi, which can create 'blooms' in the oceans that are visible from outer space (i.e. as large as the state of Alaska). Despite the great importance and breadth of eukaryotic microbes (the vast majority of major ukaryotic lineages are microbial, with plants, animals and fungi representing just three of an estimated 60-200 major lineages), our understanding of their diversity and phylogeny is only now rapidly expanding, in part bolstered by genomic studies. This book presents analyses and interpretations from experts in the field. Recent advances, particularly in DNA sequencing technologies, have made eukaryotic microbes more accessible to genome analyses. Unravelling the wealth of information on eukaryotic genomes will invariably revolutionize our understanding of eukaryotes, including their physiology, systematics, and ecology.

Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes

Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes PDF Author: Laura A Katz
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191513857
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Genomics and Evolution of Eukaryotic Microbes synthesizes the rapidly emerging fields of eukaryotic diversity and genome evolution. Eukaryotes (cells with nuclei) evolved as microbes and have existed on Earth for approximately two billion years. The tremendous diversity of eukaryotic microbes (protists) is often overlooked by those who study the macroscopic eukaryotic lineages: plants, animals, and fungi. Yet, eukaryotic microbes are of critical importance to ecosystems, human health, and our desire to understand biodiversity on Earth. By bringing together groundbreaking data from genome studies of diverse eukaryotic microbes, this book elucidates the many novelties among eukaryotic genomes and provides a single resource for otherwise widely dispersed information. Eukaryotic microorganisms impact both our health and our environment. These organisms include some of the deadliest known pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum, a causative agent of malaria, and Entamoeba histolytica an agent of dysentery. Eukaryotic microbes also play a significant role in environments through their involvement in global biogeochemical cycles. Such roles are perhaps best exemplified by the coccolithophores, including the species Emiliania huxleyi, which can create 'blooms' in the oceans that are visible from outer space (i.e. as large as the state of Alaska). Despite the great importance and breadth of eukaryotic microbes (the vast majority of major ukaryotic lineages are microbial, with plants, animals and fungi representing just three of an estimated 60-200 major lineages), our understanding of their diversity and phylogeny is only now rapidly expanding, in part bolstered by genomic studies. This book presents analyses and interpretations from experts in the field. Recent advances, particularly in DNA sequencing technologies, have made eukaryotic microbes more accessible to genome analyses. Unravelling the wealth of information on eukaryotic genomes will invariably revolutionize our understanding of eukaryotes, including their physiology, systematics, and ecology.

Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes

Genomics and Evolution of Microbial Eukaryotes PDF Author: Laura Katz Olson
Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand
ISBN: 0198569742
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
This book represents a unique combination of recently-emerged information on eukaryotic microbes, evolution and genomics. Eukaryotes, cells with nuclei, evolved as microbes and have existed on Earth for approximately 2 billion years. Although currently relatively understudied, eukaryotic microorganisms are of critical importance to ecosystems (through their involvement in global biogeochemical cycles), human health (they include some of the deadliest pathogens), and our desire tounderstand global biodiversity. Recent advances, particularly in DNA sequencing technologies, are making eukaryotic microbes more accessible through genome analyses. Insights from these studies are challenging previously held theories of genome evolution, based on studies of a limited number of plants,animals and fungi.

Organelles, Genomes and Eukaryote Phylogeny

Organelles, Genomes and Eukaryote Phylogeny PDF Author: Robert P Hirt
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0203508939
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 462

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Book Description
The recent revolution in molecular biology has spread through every field of biology including systematics and evolution. Researchers can now analyze the genomes of different species relatively quickly, and this is generating a great deal of data and theories about relationships between taxa as well as how they originated and diversified. Org

Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution

Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution PDF Author: Pabulo H. Rampelotto
Publisher:
ISBN: 9783319690797
Category : SCIENCE
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
One of the most profound paradigms that have transformed our understanding about life over the last decades was the acknowledgement that microorganisms play a central role in shaping the past and present environments on Earth and the nature of all life forms. Each organism is the product of its history and all extant life traces back to common ancestors, which were microorganisms. Nowadays, microorganisms represent the vast majority of biodiversity on Earth and have survived nearly 4 billion years of evolutionary change. Microbial evolution occurred and continues to take place in a great variety of environmental conditions. However, we still know little about the processes of evolution as applied to microorganisms and microbial populations. In addition, the molecular mechanisms by which microorganisms communicate/interact with each other and with multicellular organisms remains poorly understood. Such patterns of microbe-host interaction are essential to understand the evolution of microbial symbiosis and pathogenesis. Recent advances in DNA sequencing, high-throughput technologies, and genetic manipulation systems have enabled studies that directly characterize the molecular and genomic bases of evolution, producing data that are making us change our view of the microbial world. The notion that mutations in the coding regions of genomes are, in combination with selective forces, the main contributors to biodiversity needs to be re-examined as evidence accumulates, indicating that many non-coding regions that contain regulatory signals show a high rate of variation even among closely related organisms. Comparative analyses of an increasing number of closely related microbial genomes have yielded exciting insight into the sources of microbial genome variability with respect to gene content, gene order and evolution of genes with unknown functions. Furthermore, laboratory studies (i.e. experimental microbial evolution) are providing fundamental biological insight through direct observation of the evolution process. They not only enable testing evolutionary theory and principles, but also have applications to metabolic engineering and human health. Overall, these studies ranging from viruses to Bacteria to microbial Eukaryotes are illuminating the mechanisms of evolution at a resolution that Darwin, Delbruck and Dobzhansky could barely have imagined. Consequently, it is timely to review and highlight the progress so far as well as discuss what remains unknown and requires future research. This book explores the current state of knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of microbial evolution with a collection of papers written by authors who are leading experts in the field.

Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution

Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Evolution PDF Author: Pabulo H. Rampelotto
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319690787
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
One of the most profound paradigms that have transformed our understanding about life over the last decades was the acknowledgement that microorganisms play a central role in shaping the past and present environments on Earth and the nature of all life forms. Each organism is the product of its history and all extant life traces back to common ancestors, which were microorganisms. Nowadays, microorganisms represent the vast majority of biodiversity on Earth and have survived nearly 4 billion years of evolutionary change. Microbial evolution occurred and continues to take place in a great variety of environmental conditions. However, we still know little about the processes of evolution as applied to microorganisms and microbial populations. In addition, the molecular mechanisms by which microorganisms communicate/interact with each other and with multicellular organisms remains poorly understood. Such patterns of microbe-host interaction are essential to understand the evolution of microbial symbiosis and pathogenesis.Recent advances in DNA sequencing, high-throughput technologies, and genetic manipulation systems have enabled studies that directly characterize the molecular and genomic bases of evolution, producing data that are making us change our view of the microbial world. The notion that mutations in the coding regions of genomes are, in combination with selective forces, the main contributors to biodiversity needs to be re-examined as evidence accumulates, indicating that many non-coding regions that contain regulatory signals show a high rate of variation even among closely related organisms. Comparative analyses of an increasing number of closely related microbial genomes have yielded exciting insight into the sources of microbial genome variability with respect to gene content, gene order and evolution of genes with unknown functions. Furthermore, laboratory studies (i.e. experimental microbial evolution) are providing fundamental biological insight through direct observation of the evolution process. They not only enable testing evolutionary theory and principles, but also have applications to metabolic engineering and human health. Overall, these studies ranging from viruses to Bacteria to microbial Eukaryotes are illuminating the mechanisms of evolution at a resolution that Darwin, Delbruck and Dobzhansky could barely have imagined. Consequently, it is timely to review and highlight the progress so far as well as discuss what remains unknown and requires future research. This book explores the current state of knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of microbial evolution with a collection of papers written by authors who are leading experts in the field.

Microbial genomics challenge Darwin

Microbial genomics challenge Darwin PDF Author: Didier Raoult
Publisher: Frontiers E-books
ISBN: 2889191222
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 179

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Book Description
The 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birthday was celebrated in 2009, making the concept of Darwinism even more popular than at the time it was originally proposed, to the extent that it has acquired quasi-religious status. His theory revolves around a Tree of Life in which all living organisms are considered to have descended from a single ancestor, and each node represents a common ancestor. It comprises hierarchy and dichotomy, which are typical characteristics of the post-biblical 19th century vision. Indeed, according to post-modern philosophy (also called the French theory) the majority of theories, including scientific ones, are based only on meta-narratives expressing the influence of a culture at a given time. Buddhism or Hinduism may have generated a very different story of evolution. Our way of thinking about life, and the way we describe evolution, have changed radically in the 21st century due to the genomic revolution. Comparative genome analyses have demonstrated that gene repertoires are characterized by plasticity, and there is strong evidence that nearly all genes have been exchanged at some point. Genomic data show that the genetic information of living organisms is inherited not only vertically but also laterally. Lateral gene transfers were at first observed only in bacteria, which contain genes originating from eukaryotes, Archaea and viruses. Such transfers were subsequently identified in all living organisms; giant viruses have chimeric genomes and the human genome is a mosaic of genes with eukaryotic, bacterial, and viral origins. We cannot identify a single common ancestor for the gene repertoire of any organism. Furthermore, a very high proportion of genes have been newly created through gene fusion or degradation, and others show no homology to sequences found in other species. It is now clear that every living organism has a variety of ancestors, while exchanges between species are intense, and the creation of new genes is frequent and permanent in all living organisms. Our current genomic knowledge contradicts the tree of life theory, as established by Darwin. Recent analyses have produced bushes rather than resolved trees, with the structure of some parts remaining elusive. It becomes more and more obvious that phylogenetic relationships are better described by forests and networks and that species evolution looks more like a rhizome. The chimerism and mosaic structure of all living organisms through both non-vertical inheritance and de novo creation can only be assimilated and described by a post-Darwinist concept. In this Research Topic we wish to highlight the influence of microbiology and genomics on our understanding of the complexity of gene repertoires, and also demonstrate how current knowledge does not support Darwin’s theory. Microbiology has offered a great advance in the way we perceive life. Evidence obtained from studies on bacterial and viral evolution, lateral inheritance, phylogenetic trees and biodiversity continues to challenge what constituted, until recently, an unimpeded dogma in biology.

The Eukaryote Genome in Development and Evolution

The Eukaryote Genome in Development and Evolution PDF Author: John Bernard
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401159912
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
'The mind unlearns with difficulty what has long been impressed upon it. ' Seneca Reductionism, is, without question, the most successful analytical approach available to the experimental scientist. With the advent of techniques for cloning and sequencing DNA, and the development of a variety of molecular probes for localizing macromolecules in cells and tissues, the biologist now has available the most powerful reductionist tools ever invented. The application of these new technologies has led to a veritable explosion of facts regarding the types and organization of nucleotide sequences present in the genomes of eukaryotes. These data offer a level of precision and predictability which is unparalleled in biology. Recombinant DNA techniques were initially developed to gather information about the structure and organization of the DNA sequences within a genome. The power and potential of these techniques, however, extend far beyond simple data collection of this kind. In an attempt to use the new technology as a basis for analyzing development and evolution, attention was first focused on the topic of gene regulation, an approach that had proven so successful in prokaryotes. It is now clear that this has not been an adequate approach. Lewin (1984) has quoted Brenner as stating 'at the beginning it was said that the answer to the understanding of development was going to come from a knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of gene control. I doubt whether anyone believes this any more.

Microbial Evolution

Microbial Evolution PDF Author: Howard Ochman
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781621820376
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Bacteria have been the dominant forms of life on Earth for the past 3.5 billion years. They rapidly evolve, constantly changing their genetic architecture through horizontal DNA transfer and other mechanisms. Consequently, it can be difficult to define individual species and determine how they are related. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology examines how bacteria and other microbes evolve, focusing on insights from genomics-based studies. Contributors discuss the origins of new microbial populations, the evolutionary and ecological mechanisms that keep species separate once they have diverged, and the challenges of constructing phylogenetic trees that accurately reflect their relationships. They describe the organization of microbial genomes, the various mutations that occur, including the birth of new genes de novo and by duplication, and how natural selection acts on those changes. The role of horizontal gene transfer as a strong driver of microbial evolution is emphasized throughout. The authors also explore the geologic evidence for early microbial evolution and describe the use of microbial evolution experiments to examine phenomena like natural selection. This volume will thus be essential reading for all microbial ecologists, population geneticists, and evolutionary biologists.

In the Light of Evolution

In the Light of Evolution PDF Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: Sackler Colloquium
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Evolution of Microbial Life

Evolution of Microbial Life PDF Author: Society for General Microbiology. Symposium
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521564328
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 318

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Book Description
This volume considers the evolution and diversification of early unicellular life.