Cited by 379Genomics and Phylogenetic StudiesEvolution and Genetic DynamicsPhilosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation

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Horizontal gene transfer in evolution: facts and challenges

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Boto, Luis·2010·Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

DOI 10.1098/rspb.2009.1679PMC PMC2842723

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Abstract

The contribution of horizontal gene transfer to evolution has been controversial since it was suggested to be a force driving evolution in the microbial world. In this paper, I review the current standpoint on horizontal gene transfer in evolutionary thinking and discuss how important horizontal gene transfer is in evolution in the broad sense, and particularly in prokaryotic evolution. I review recent literature, asking, first, which processes are involved in the evolutionary success of transferred genes and, secondly, about the extent of horizontal gene transfer towards different evolutionary times. Moreover, I discuss the feasibility of reconstructing ancient phylogenetic relationships in the face of horizontal gene transfer. Finally, I discuss how horizontal gene transfer fits in the current neo-Darwinian evolutionary paradigm and conclude there is a need for a new evolutionary paradigm that includes horizontal gene transfer as well as other mechanisms in the explanation of evolution.

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Improved Maximum Parsimony Models for Phylogenetic Networks
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Background
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Background
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“[1] L.”
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BackgroundInfluential
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Background
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“2008) and continues to contribute to microbial evolution (Boto 2010).”
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“the selective pressure posed by the environment drives bacterial genome evolution through gene loss, duplication, mutation, and acquisition of new genes via lateral/horizontal gene transfer (Boto 2010).”
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“From a public health perspective, these MGEs are especially concerning, as they may carry resistance genes for multiple antibiotics, allowing for the rapid dissemination and outbreak-formation in taxonomicallydiverse bacteria [13].”
Background
The Bacillus subtilis Conjugative Plasmid pLS20 Encodes Two Ribbon-Helix-Helix Type Auxiliary Relaxosome Proteins That Are Essential for Conjugation
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“Three main mechanisms are responsible for HGT: transformation through natural competence, transduction via bacterial phage, and conjugation (Ochman et al., 2000; Frost et al., 2005; Thomas and Nielsen, 2005).”
BackgroundInfluential
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“Moreover, horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, such as conjugation, transformation, and transduction, have further accelerated the dissemination of resistance determinants amongst bacterial populations [1,2].”
Background
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“pneumoniae and its related species contained surface proteins or virulence factors suggesting that these regions are exchanged more frequently than others, possibly due to the selective pressure from the host immune system and confirming that genes involved in DNA replication, transcription and translation are less li…”
Background
Evaluating the Evolutionary Origins of Unexpected Character Distributions within the Bacterial Planctomycetes-Verrucomicrobia-Chlamydiae Superphylum
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“Part of the reason for this is perhaps that researchers are cautious about explicitly building models for a process (HGT) which is relatively poorly understood, in terms of factors likely to influence variation in the rate at which it occurs such as gene size, features, and degree of divergence of accepting and donati…”
Background
Constraints on lateral gene transfer in promoting fimbrial usher protein diversity and function
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What Is a Scientific Theory?
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“, Darwinian versus Lamarckian evolution) and the bacterial species concept (Boto 2010; Koonin and Wolf 2009; Puigbo et al. 2009).”
Background
Persulfide-Responsive Transcription Factor SqrR Regulates Gene Transfer and Biofilm Formation via the Metabolic Modulation of Cyclic di-GMP in Rhodobacter capsulatus
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Membrane-Binding Biomolecules Influence the Rate of Vesicle Exchange between Bacteria
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Horizontal Gene Transfer in Evolution
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Self-citation
Fabulous combination therapy: Synergistic antibiotic inhibition of aquatic antibiotic-resistant bacteria via membrane damage and DNA binding by novel nano antimicrobial peptide C-I20
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“It has also been demonstrated that birds can acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria during their migration from human-influenced environments or through horizontal gene transfer from contact with other birds in similar environments (27, 28).”
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“ARGs, unlike their chemical counterparts, exhibit prolonged persistence in environmental matrices and spread readily through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) (Boto, 2010; Emamalipour et al ., 2020).”
Identification of gene fusion events in Mycobacterium tuberculosis that encode chimeric proteins
Gallant, J., Mouton, J., Ummels, R., ten Hagen‐Jongman, C. M., Kriel, N. L., Pain, A., Warren, R. M., Bitter, W., Heunis, T. D. J., & Sampson, S. L. (2020) · NAR Genomics and Bioinformatics · doi:10.1093/nargab/lqaa033 · Cited by 9
Horizontal gene transfer confers fermentative metabolism in the respiratory-deficient plant trypanosomatid Phytomonas serpens
Ienne, S., Pappas, G. J., Jr., Benabdellah, K., González, A., & Zingales, B. S. (2012) · Infection Genetics and Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2012.01.016 · Cited by 9
“In this way, these criteria may allow the identification of recent gene transfer events but are inefficient in detecting events that occurred a long time ago (Boto, 2010).”
Background
Antibiotic Resistance in the Aquatic Environment
Marti, E., & Balcázar, J. L. (2013) · Comprehensive analytical chemistry · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-62657-8.00019-7 · Cited by 9
Comparisons of the transferability of plasmids pCAR1, pB10, R388, and NAH7 among Pseudomonas putida at different cell densities
Yanagida, K., Sakuda, A., Suzuki‐Minakuchi, C., Shintani, M., Matsui, K., Okada, K., & Nojiri, H. (2016) · Bioscience Biotechnology and Biochemistry · doi:10.1080/09168451.2015.1127131 · Cited by 9
“The OD600 values of donor and recipient cells were adjusted using LB [donor: recipient ratios, 2 × 10: 2 × 10(1) (1), 2 × 10: 2 × 10 (2), 2 × 10: 2 × 10 (3), 2 × 10: 2 × 10 (4), 2 × 10: 2 × 10 (5)] before mixing; the identical ratio of donor to recipient cells (1:10) were used in each cell density.”
Evidence Supporting the Uptake and Genomic Incorporation of Environmental DNA in the “Ancient Asexual” Bdelloid Rotifer Philodina roseola
Bininda‐Emonds, O. R. P., Hinz, C., & Ahlrichs, W. H. (2016) · Life · doi:10.3390/life6030038 · Cited by 9
“, interference with the needed repair of the double-stranded breaks inflicted by desiccation [21,42,43,46,47]) and would be strengthened by other, indirect mechanisms that promote exchange with more “advantageous” donors [46,48].”
Background
Horizontally transferred genes in the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi
Hernandez, A. M., & Ryan, J. F. (2018) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.5067 · Cited by 9
“Moreover, HGT is a potential catalyst for organisms to acquire novel traits (Soucy, Huang & Gogarten, 2015) and creates opportunities for HGT receivers to exploit new ecological niches (Boto, 2010).”
Background
Contribution of Lateral Gene Transfer to the evolution of the eukaryotic fungus Piromyces sp . E2: Massive bacterial transfer of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolismPreprint
Duarte, I., & Huynen, M. A. (2019) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/514042 · Cited by 10

Authors: Boto, L.
Affiliations: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (ES)
Corresponding author: Boto, Luis
ORCID: Boto, Luis
Venue: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Publisher: The Royal Society
Published: 2009-11-28
Volume: 277
Issue: 1683
Pages: 819-827
ISSN: 0080-4649 (ISSN-L)
0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1679
PMC: PMC2842723
OpenAlex: W2108923274
Cited by: 379
References: 123
Citations by year: 2026: 11 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 34 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 35 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 27
FWCI: 1.45
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ (tdm)
Locations: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
DIGITAL.CSIC (Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics: Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation
Keywords: horizontal gene transfer, prokaryotic evolution, microbial evolution, phylogenetic inference, evolutionary processes, evolutionary timescales
MeSH terms: Archaea, Bacteria, Biological Evolution, Phylogeny, Gene Transfer, Horizontal

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