Shaping the genome--restriction-modification systems as mobile genetic elements.
A restriction enzyme gene is often linked to a modification methylase gene the role of which is to protect a recognition site on DNA from breakage by the former. Loss of some restriction-modification gene complexes leads to cell death through restriction breakage in the genome. Their behavior as genomic parasites/symbionts may explain the distribution of restriction sites and clarify certain aspects of bacterial recombination repair and mutagenesis. A comparison of bacterial genomes supports the hypothesis that restriction-modification gene complexes are mobile elements involved in various genome rearrangements and evolution.
Kobayashi
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I
Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Shirokanedai, 108-8639, Japan. ikobaya@ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Nobusato
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A
Kobayashi-Takahashi
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N
Uchiyama
I
I
D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D020071:Interspersed Repetitive Sequences / Q000235:genetics*; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000235:genetics; D011995:Recombination, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
D004262:DNA Restriction Enzymes