Homing endonucleases residing within inteins: Evolutionary puzzles awaiting genetic solutions

Adi Barzel; Adit Naor; Eyal Privman; Martin Kupiec; Uri Gophna

doi:10.1042/BST0390169

Homing endonucleases residing within inteins: Evolutionary puzzles awaiting genetic solutions

Adi Barzel, Adit Naor, Eyal Privman, Martin Kupiec, Uri Gophna

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Inteins are selfish genetic elements that disrupt the sequence of protein-coding genes and are excised post-translationally. Most inteins also contain a HEN (homing endonuclease) domain, which is important for their horizontal transmission. The present review focuses on the evolution of inteins and their nested HENs, and highlights several unsolved questions that could benefit from molecular genetic approaches. Such approaches can be well carried out in halophilic archaea, which are naturally intein-rich and have highly developed genetic tools for their study. In particular, the fitness effects of habouring an intein/HEN can be tested in direct competition assays, providing additional insights that will improve current evolutionary models.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	169-173
Number of pages	5
Journal	Biochemical Society Transactions
Volume	39
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1042/BST0390169
State	Published - Feb 2011
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Archaeon
Endonuclease
Halophile
Homing endonuclease (HEN)
Intein

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biochemistry

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10.1042/BST0390169

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abstract = "Inteins are selfish genetic elements that disrupt the sequence of protein-coding genes and are excised post-translationally. Most inteins also contain a HEN (homing endonuclease) domain, which is important for their horizontal transmission. The present review focuses on the evolution of inteins and their nested HENs, and highlights several unsolved questions that could benefit from molecular genetic approaches. Such approaches can be well carried out in halophilic archaea, which are naturally intein-rich and have highly developed genetic tools for their study. In particular, the fitness effects of habouring an intein/HEN can be tested in direct competition assays, providing additional insights that will improve current evolutionary models.",

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AU - Gophna, Uri

PY - 2011/2

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AB - Inteins are selfish genetic elements that disrupt the sequence of protein-coding genes and are excised post-translationally. Most inteins also contain a HEN (homing endonuclease) domain, which is important for their horizontal transmission. The present review focuses on the evolution of inteins and their nested HENs, and highlights several unsolved questions that could benefit from molecular genetic approaches. Such approaches can be well carried out in halophilic archaea, which are naturally intein-rich and have highly developed genetic tools for their study. In particular, the fitness effects of habouring an intein/HEN can be tested in direct competition assays, providing additional insights that will improve current evolutionary models.

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Homing endonucleases residing within inteins: Evolutionary puzzles awaiting genetic solutions

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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