Selection for Translational Efficiency in Genes Associated with Alphaproteobacterial Gene Transfer Agents.

ABSTRACT: Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are virus-like elements that are encoded by some bacterial and archaeal genomes. The production of GTAs can be induced by carbon depletion and results in host lysis and the release of virus-like particles that contain mostly random fragments of the host DNA. The remaining members of a GTA-producing population act as GTA recipients by producing proteins needed for GTA-mediated DNA acquisition. Here, we detected a codon usage bias toward codons with more readily available tRNAs in the RcGTA-like GTA genes of alphaproteobacterial genomes. Such bias likely improves the translational efficacy during GTA gene expression. While the strength of codon usage bias fluctuates substantially among individual GTA genes and across taxonomic groups, it is especially pronounced i

SUBMITTER: Kogay R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9765227 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature