Methylamine-specific methyltransferase paralogs in Methanosarcina are functionally distinct despite frequent gene conversion.

ABSTRACT: Sequenced archaeal genomes are mostly smaller and more streamlined than typical bacterial genomes; however, members of the Methanosarcina genus within the Euryarchaeaota are a significant exception, with M. acetivorans being the largest archaeal genome (5.8 Mbp) sequenced thus far. This finding is partially explained by extensive gene duplication within Methanosarcina spp. Significantly, the evolutionary pressures leading to gene duplication and subsequent genome expansion have not been well investigated, especially with respect to biological methane production (methanogenesis), which is the key biological trait of these environmentally important organisms. In this study, we address this question by specifically probing the functional evolution of two methylamine-specific methyltransferase

SUBMITTER: Nayak DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6776008 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature