Environments shape the nucleotide composition of genomes

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Environments shape the nucleotide composition of genomes
Creators Name:	Foerstner, K.U., von Mering, C., Hooper, S.D. and Bork, P.
Abstract:	To test the impact of environments on genome evolution, we analysed the relative abundance of the nucleotides guanine and cytosine ('GC content') of large numbers of sequences from four distinct environmental samples (ocean surface water, farm soil, an acidophilic mine drainage biofilm and deep-sea whale carcasses). We show that the GC content of complex microbial communities seems to be globally and actively influenced by the environment. The observed nucleotide compositions cannot be easily explained by distinct phylogenetic origins of the species in the environments; the genomic GC content may change faster than was previously thought, and is also reflected in the amino-acid composition of the proteins in these habitats.
Keywords:	Ecology, Environmen, Evolution, GC content, Metagenomics
Source:	EMBO Reports
ISSN:	1469-221X
Publisher:	Nature Publishing Group
Volume:	6
Number:	12
Page Range:	1208-1213
Date:	30 September 2005
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.embor.7400538
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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