Detection of horizontal transfer of individual genes by anomalous oligomer frequencies.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding the history of life requires that we understand the transfer of genetic material across phylogenetic boundaries. Detecting genes that were acquired by means other than vertical descent is a basic step in that process. Detection by discordant phylogenies is computationally expensive and not always definitive. Many have used easily computed compositional features as an alternative procedure. However, different compositional methods produce different predictions, and the effectiveness of any method is not well established.

Results

The ability of octamer frequency comparisons to detect genes artificially seeded in cyanobacterial genomes was markedly increased by using as a training set those genes that are highly conserved over all bacteria. Using a subs

SUBMITTER: Elhai J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3497702 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature