RNA control of reverse transcription in a diversity-generating retroelement.

ABSTRACT: Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) create massive protein sequence variation (up to 10³⁰)¹ in ecologically diverse microorganisms. A recent survey identified around 31,000 DGRs from more than 1,500 bacterial and archaeal genera, constituting more than 90 environment types². DGRs are especially enriched in the human gut microbiome^2,3 and nano-sized microorganisms that seem to comprise most microbial life and maintain DGRs despite reduced genomes^4,5. DGRs are also implicated in the emergence of multicellularity^6,7. Variation occurs during reverse transcription of a protein-encoding RNA template coupled to misincorporation at adenosines. In the prototypical Bordetella bacteriophage DGR, the template must be surrounded by

SUBMITTER: Handa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11995886 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature