Nucleic acids movement and its relation to genome dynamics of repetitive DNA Is cellular and intercellular movement of DNA and RNA molecules related to the evolutionary dynamic genome components?

• Published in: BioEssays Vol. 44; no. 4
• Main Authors: Kejnovsky, Eduard, Jedlicka, Pavel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Biological evolution; Cell migration; Cytoplasm; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Evolution; Gene transfer; Genomes; Horizontal transfer; Nucleic acids; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Satellite DNA; Structure-function relationships; Viruses
• ISSN: 0265-9247; 1521-1878
• DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100242

Abstract There is growing evidence of evolutionary genome plasticity. The evolution of repetitive DNA elements, the major components of most eukaryotic genomes, involves the amplification of various classes of mobile genetic elements, the expansion of satellite DNA, the transfer of fragments or entire organellar genomes and may have connections with viruses. In addition to various repetitive DNA elements, a plethora of large and small RNAs migrate within and between cells during individual development as well as during evolution and contribute to changes of genome structure and function. Such migration of DNA and RNA molecules often results in horizontal gene transfer, thus shaping the whole genomic network of interconnected species. Here, we propose that a high evolutionary dynamism of repetitive genome components is often related to the migration/movement of DNA or RNA molecules. We speculate that the cytoplasm is probably an ideal compartment for such evolutionary experiments.