Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana Volumen 68, núm. 1, 2016, p. 165-172 http://dx.doi.org/10.18268/BSGM2016v68n1a15

Short note

DNA structure and architecture in the chromosome and plasmid of hyperthermophilic organisms, a theoretical approach

Héctor G. Vázquez¹, Arturo Becerra^1,*

¹ Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, 04510 CDMX, México.

^* This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Hyperthermophilic organisms have been recognized as an important element in the origin and early evolution of life on Earth, but also as a model for exobiological studies. Analyzing their molecular dynamics can help us understand this important lifestyle. In this study, using bioinformatic tools, the DNA composition in chromosomes and plasmids of hyperthemophilic organism were compared, and their structure, probable amino acid bias and DNA flexibility were analyzed. In some chromosomes and plasmids shows differential features of DNA flexibility and skews in mutation rate, which suggests that only some molecular elements show high values of variability, contrary to the proposal of the flexible genome theory.

Keywords: chromosome, plasmids, Quintana values, DNA twisting, codon usage, hyperthermophiles.

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