Assessing the Influence of HGT on the Evolution of Stress Responses in Microbial Communities from Shark Bay, Western Australia

Research at Shark Bay, Western Australia, reveals that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) has played a significant role in the evolution of stress response mechanisms in microbial communities inhabiting pustular mats. These mats serve as modern analogs of ancient microbial systems and are subject to various environmental stresses such as osmotic stress, oxidative stress, and arsenic toxicity. Using the MetaCHIP tool, scientists identified HGT events related to stress response genes in 83 metagenome-assembled genomes. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that these gene transfers may have occurred outside modern pustular mats, indicating a potentially long history of HGT. Notably, a specific osmoprotectant transport gene shows recent adaptations, hinting at interactions between Planctomycetota and Myxococcota within the mats. The findings underscore the ongoing microbial adaptations and evolution in these unique ecosystems.

Skoog, E. J., Fournier, G. P., & Bosak, T. (2023). Assessing the Influence of HGT on the Evolution of Stress Responses in Microbial Communities from Shark Bay, Western Australia. Genes, 14(12), 2168. https://doi.org/10.3390/genes14122168