title: Copy number change: evolving views on gene amplification.
abstract: The rapid pace of genomic sequence analysis is increasing the awareness of intrinsically dynamic genetic landscapes. Gene duplication and amplification (GDA) contribute to adaptation and evolution by allowing DNA regions to expand and contract in an accordion-like fashion. This process affects diverse aspects of bacterial infection, including antibiotic resistance and host-pathogen interactions. In this review, microbial GDA is discussed, primarily using recent bacterial examples that demonstrate medical and evolutionary consequences. Interplay between GDA and horizontal gene transfer further impact evolutionary trajectories. Complementing the discovery of gene duplication in clinical and environmental settings, experimental evolution provides a powerful method to document genetic change over time. New methods for GDA detection highlight both its importance and its potential application for genetic engineering, synthetic biology and biotechnology.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, The College of New Jersey, 2000 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ 08628, USA. elliottk@tcnj.edu
authors.forename: Kathryn T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuff
authors.forename: Ellen L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Neidle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018628:Gene Dosage; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins