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Whole-genome sequencing efforts have revolutionized the study of bifidobacterial genetics and physiology. Unfortunately, the sequence of a single genome does not provide information on bifidobacterial genetic diversity and on how genetic variability supports improved adaptation of these bacteria to the environment of the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Analysis of nine genomes from bifidobacterial species showed that such genomes display an open pan-genome structure. Mathematical extrapolation of the data indicates that the genome reservoir available to the bifidobacterial pan-genome consists of more than 5000 genes, many of which are uncharacterized, but which are probably important to provide adaptive abilities pertinent to the human GIT. We also define a core bifidobacterial gene set which will undoubtedly provide a new baseline from which one can examine the evolution of bifidobacteria. Phylogenetic investigation performed on a total of 506 orthologues that are common to nine complete bifidobacterial genomes allowed the construction of a Bifidobacterium supertree which is largely concordant with the phylogenetic tree obtained using 16S rRNA genes. Moreover, this supertree provided a more robust phylogenetic resolution than the 16S rRNA gene-based analysis. This comparative study of the genus Bifidobacterium thus presents a foundation for future functional analyses of this important group of GIT bacteria. DOI 10.1099/mic.0.039545-0

The extent of variation in the migratory movements that occurred in Sicily was evaluated using surname data taken from the telephone directories of the 390 communes of the island. The surname distribution of each commune was linearized by a log-log transformation, and a significant fit to a linear regression model was found in almost all cases. Interestingly, the slope of the regression line appeared to be a sensitive indicator of the different level of isolation associated with each Sicilian commune. By this approach, two distinct groups of communes, showing a higher or lower degree of isolation, were obtained, and two independent analyses of the surname structure of Sicily were carried out. A first multidimensional scaling analysis, based on the more isolated communes, yielded evidence for a more ancient pattern, characterized by a geographical gradient along the east-west axis. The same analysis, addressed to the less isolated communes, instead highlighted a wide network of interactions between geographically distant zones of the island. The fitting of the surname distribution to the log-log model allowed for the detection of a narrow subset of 35 Sicilian communes, whose significantly higher degree of isolation was statistically proved by the parallelism test. We believe that a genetic analysis focused on such specific zones of the island could reveal ancient patterns of differentiation, thus helping to answer the controversial question of the genetic history of Sicily. KEY WORDS human population; surnames; migration rate; population sampling; multidimensional scaling

A well-known mechanism through which new protein-coding genes originate is by modification of pre-existing genes, e.g. by duplication or horizontal transfer. In contrast, many viruses generate protein-coding genes de novo, via the overprinting of a new reading frame onto an existing (“ancestral”) frame. This mechanism is thought to play an important role in viral pathogenicity, but has been poorly explored, perhaps because identifying the de novo frames is very challenging. Therefore, a new approach to detect them was needed. We assembled a reference set of overlapping genes for which we could reliably determine the ancestral frames, and found that their codon usage was significantly closer to that of the rest of the viral genome than the codon usage of de novo frames. Based on this observation, we designed a method that allowed the identification of de novo frames based on their codon usage with a very good specificity, but intermediate sensitivity. Using our method, we predicted that the Rex gene of deltaretroviruses has originated de novo by overprinting the Tax gene. Intriguingly, several genes in the same genomic region have also originated de novo and encode proteins that regulate the functions of Tax. Such “gene nurseries” may be common in viral genomes. Finally, our results confirm that the genomic GC content is not the only determinant of codon usage in viruses and suggest that a constraint linked to translation must influence codon usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known mechanism through which new protein-coding genes originate is by modification of pre-existing genes, e.g. by duplication or horizontal transfer. In contrast, many viruses generate protein-coding genes de novo, via the overprinting of a new reading frame onto an existing (“ancestral”) frame. This mechanism is thought to play an important role in viral pathogenicity, but has been poorly explored, perhaps because identifying the de novo frames is very challenging. Therefore, a new approach to detect them was needed. We assembled a reference set of overlapping genes for which we could reliably determine the ancestral frames, and found that their codon usage was significantly closer to that of the rest of the viral genome than the codon usage of de novo frames. Based on this observation, we designed a method that allowed the identification of de novo frames based on their codon usage with a very good specificity, but intermediate sensitivity. Using our method, we predicted that the Rex gene of deltaretroviruses has originated de novo by overprinting the Tax gene. Intriguingly, several genes in the same genomic region have also originated de novo and encode proteins that regulate the functions of Tax. Such “gene nurseries” may be common in viral genomes. Finally, our results confirm that the genomic GC content is not the only determinant of codon usage in viruses and suggest that a constraint linked to translation must influence codon usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]