Artificial gene amplification reveals an abundance of promiscuous resistance determinants in Escherichia coli.

ABSTRACT: Duplicated genes provide an important raw material for adaptive evolution. However, the relationship between gene duplication and the emergence of new biochemical functions is complicated, and it has been difficult to quantify the likelihood of evolving novelty in any systematic manner. Here, we describe a comprehensive search for artificially amplified genes that are able to impart new phenotypes on Escherichia coli, provided their expression is up-regulated. We used a high-throughput, library-on-library strategy to screen for resistance to antibiotics and toxins. Cells containing a complete E. coli ORF library were exposed to 237 toxin-containing environments. From 86 of these environments, we identified a total of 115 cases where overexpressed ORFs imparted improved growth. Of the overe

SUBMITTER: Soo VW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3029738 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature