Summary
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the transfer of genetic material between distantly related organisms. While most genes in prokaryotes can be horizontally transferred, HGTs in eukaryotes are considered as rare, particularly in mammals. Here we report the identification of HGT regions in 13 model eukaryotes by comparing their genomes with 824 eukaryotic genomes. Between 4 and 358 non-redundant HGT regions per species were found in the 13 model organisms, and most of these HGT regions were previously unknown. The majority of the 824 eukaryotes with full length genome sequences also contain HGTs. These HGTs have transformed their host genomes with thousands of copies and have impacted hundreds, even thousands of genes. We extended this analysis to ~128,000 prokaryote and virus genomes and revealed a few potential routes of horizontal gene transfer involving blood sucking parasites, intracellular pathogens, and bacteria. Our findings revealed that HGT is widespread in eukaryotic genomes, and is an important driver of genome evolution for eukaryotes.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Footnotes
↵* Contact information Chaochun Wei, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China, Tel: (+86)21-34204083, E-mail: ccwei{at}sjtu.edu.cn