Comparative Study of different msDNA (multicopy single-stranded DNA) structures and phylogenetic comparison of reverse transcriptases (RTs): evidence for vertical inheritance.

ABSTRACT: The multi-copy single-stranded DNA (msDNA) is yielded by the action of reverse transcriptase of retro-element in a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. Upon this phenomenon, it has been shown that msDNA is only produced by Eubacteria because many Eubacteria species contained reverse transcriptase in their special retro-element. We have screened around 111 Archaea at KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) database available at genome net server and observed three Methanosarcina species (M.acetivorans, M.barkeri and M.mazei), which also contained reverse transcriptase in their genome sequences. This observation of reverse transcriptase in Archaea raises questions regarding the origin of this enzyme. The evolutionary relationship between these two domains of life (Eubacteria and Archaea

SUBMITTER: Das R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3218519 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature