Enigmatic distribution, evolution, and function of inteins.
Inteins are mobile genetic elements capable of self-splicing post-translationally. They exist in all three domains of life including in viruses and bacteriophage, where they have a sporadic distribution even among very closely related species. In this review, we address this anomalous distribution from the point of view of the evolution of the host species as well as the intrinsic features of the inteins that contribute to their genetic mobility. We also discuss the incidence of inteins in functionally important sites of their host proteins. Finally, we describe instances of conditional protein splicing. These latter observations lead us to the hypothesis that some inteins have adapted to become sensors that play regulatory roles within their host protein, to the advantage of the organism in which they reside.
From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222 onovikova@albany.edu.
Olga
O
Novikova
From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222.
Natalya
N
Topilina
From the Department of Biological Sciences and RNA Institute, University at Albany, The State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222.
Marlene
M
Belfort
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001105:Archaea / Q000235:genetics; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016678:Genome / Q000235:genetics; D047668:Inteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D019154:Protein Splicing / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D011506:Proteins
Bioinformatics; Conditional Splicing; DNA Enzymes; Intein Gain and Loss; Intein Localization; Invasion; Microbiology; Molecular Evolution; Protein Splicing; Splicing