Shuffling bacterial metabolomes.
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has a far more significant role than gene duplication in bacterial evolution. This has recently been illustrated by work demonstrating the importance of HGT in the emergence of bacterial metabolic networks, with horizontally acquired genes being placed in peripheral pathways at the outer branches of the networks.
Thomason
Brendan
B
Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Center, 12300 Washington Avenue, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
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Timothy D
TD
D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D023281:Genomics