Loss to Gain: Pseudogenes in Microorganisms, Focusing on Eubacteria, and Their Biological Significance

Overview

Journal Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
Microbiology

Date 2024 May 8

PMID 38717672

Authors

Yi Yang

Pengzhi Wang

Samir El Qaidi

Philip R Hardwidge

Jinlin Huang

Guoqiang Zhu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Pseudogenes are defined as "non-functional" copies of corresponding parent genes. The cognition of pseudogenes continues to be refreshed through accumulating and updating research findings. Previous studies have predominantly focused on mammals, but pseudogenes have received relatively less attention in the field of microbiology. Given the increasing recognition on the importance of pseudogenes, in this review, we focus on several aspects of microorganism pseudogenes, including their classification and characteristics, their generation and fate, their identification, their abundance and distribution, their impact on virulence, their ability to recombine with functional genes, the extent to which some pseudogenes are transcribed and translated, and the relationship between pseudogenes and viruses. By summarizing and organizing the latest research progress, this review will provide a comprehensive perspective and improved understanding on pseudogenes in microorganisms. KEY POINTS: • Concept, classification and characteristics, identification and databases, content, and distribution of microbial pseudogenes are presented. • How pseudogenization contribute to pathogen virulence is highlighted. • Pseudogenes with potential functions in microorganisms are discussed.

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