Figures & data
Table 1. Mobile genetic elements in 4 populations of MRE. Numbers in parenthesis indicate percentage of total proteins of the individual MRE population metagenomes. Homologous proteins were identified based on BLASTp searches of the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases, with ICE proteins requiring their genetic loci to be in close proximity to each other.
Figure 1. Endobacterial MGEs as sources of genetic heterogeneity and population diversity. (A) In endobacterial populations lacking recombination machinery and MGEs, e.g. Buchnera aphidicola, genomic homogeneity is maintained, while Muller's ratchet continually progresses. (B) In endobacterial populations that have retained recombination machinery and MGEs, e.g., MREs and Wolbachia wBm, MGE sequences can be used as sites for gene conversion and homologous recombination, in addition to their traditional role in transposition. These processes create, through genome shuffling, a genetically heterogeneous population (without the introduction of novel genes) and ensure population longevity by decelerating Muller's ratchet.
