Origin of an animal mitochondrial DNA polymerase subunit via lineage-specific acquisition of a glycyl-tRNA synthetase from bacteria of the Thermus-Deinococcus group
Yi. Wolf et Ev. Koonin, Origin of an animal mitochondrial DNA polymerase subunit via lineage-specific acquisition of a glycyl-tRNA synthetase from bacteria of the Thermus-Deinococcus group, TRENDS GEN, 17(8), 2001, pp. 431-433
Phylogenetic tree analysis shows that the accessory subunit animal mitochon
drial DNA polymerase emerges as a result of horizontal transfer of the gene
encoding glycyl-tRNA synthetase from a bacterium of the Thermus-Deinococcu
s group into the animal nuclear genome. This acquisition by a distinct euka
ryotic lineage of a gene encoding a mitochondrial protein from a nonmitocho
ndrial bacterial source underscores the contribution of different types of
horizontal transfer event to the evolution of eukaryotes.