dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaGlobal divergence of microbial genome sequences mediated by propagating fronts
| Authors | Kalin Vetsigian, Nigel Goldenfeld |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0501033 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0501033 |
| DOI | 10.1073/pnas.0502757102 |
Abstract
We model the competition between recombination and point mutation in microbial genomes, and present evidence for two distinct phases, one uniform, the other genetically diverse. Depending on the specifics of homologous recombination, we find that global sequence divergence can be mediated by fronts propagating along the genome, whose characteristic signature on genome structure is elucidated, and apparently observed in closely-related {\it Bacillus} strains. Front propagation provides an emergent, generic mechanism for microbial "speciation", and suggests a classification of microorganisms on the basis of their propensity to support propagating fronts.
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"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:32.276000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-03-02T18:01:32.276000Z",
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"abstract": "We model the competition between recombination and point mutation in\nmicrobial genomes, and present evidence for two distinct phases, one uniform,\nthe other genetically diverse. Depending on the specifics of homologous\nrecombination, we find that global sequence divergence can be mediated by\nfronts propagating along the genome, whose characteristic signature on genome\nstructure is elucidated, and apparently observed in closely-related {\\it\nBacillus} strains. Front propagation provides an emergent, generic mechanism\nfor microbial \"speciation\", and suggests a classification of microorganisms on\nthe basis of their propensity to support propagating fronts.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0501033",
"authors": [
"Kalin Vetsigian",
"Nigel Goldenfeld"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.GN"
],
"doi": "10.1073/pnas.0502757102",
"title": "Global divergence of microbial genome sequences mediated by propagating fronts",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0501033"
},
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"type": "Model",
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