Why Might Bacterial Pathogens Have Small Genomes?
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Weinert, Lucy A
Welch, John J
Abstract
Bacteria that cause serious disease often have smaller genomes, and fewer genes, than their nonpathogenic, or less pathogenic relatives. Here, we review evidence for the generality of this association, and summarise the various reasons why the association might hold. We focus on the population genetic processes that might lead to reductive genome evolution, and show how several of these could be connected to pathogenicity. We find some evidence for most of the processes having acted in bacterial pathogens, including several different modes of genome reduction acting in the same lineage. We argue that predictable processes of genome evolution might not reflect any common underlying process.
Description
Keywords
antivirulence genes, population genetics, reductive genome evolution, Bacteria, Evolution, Molecular, Genome, Bacterial, Virulence
Journal Title
Trends Ecol Evol
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0169-5347
1872-8383
1872-8383
Volume Title
32
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
Royal Society (DH140195)
Wellcome Trust (109385/Z/15/Z)
Genetics Society (unknown)
Wellcome Trust (109385/Z/15/Z)
Genetics Society (unknown)