Fractured genes: a novel genomic arrangement involving new split inteins and a new homing endonuclease family.

ABSTRACT: Inteins are genetic elements, inserted in-frame into protein-coding genes, whose products catalyze their removal from the protein precursor via a protein-splicing reaction. Intein domains can be split into two fragments and still ligate their flanks by a trans-protein-splicing reaction. A bioinformatic analysis of environmental metagenomic data revealed 26 different loci with a novel genomic arrangement. In each locus, a conserved enzyme coding region is broken in two by a split intein, with a free-standing endonuclease gene inserted in between. Eight types of DNA synthesis and repair enzymes have this 'fractured' organization. The new types of naturally split-inteins were analyzed in comparison to known split-inteins. Some loci include apparent gene control elements brought in with the en

SUBMITTER: Dassa B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2677866 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature