The role of environmentally triggered genetic and epigenetic changes in microbial adaptation and evolution is still not broadly appreciated. Brave Genomes: Microbial Genome Plasticity in the Face of Environmental Challenge narrates how microorganisms cope with environmental changes including unanticipated ones. Although it does comprise eukaryotes, it focuses on bacteria and – whenever possible – on archaea.
Among the environmentally sensitive sources of genome plasticity, the book treats tandem repeats, mutagenic break repair, transcription-associated mutagenesis and transposable elements. Additionally, it deals with epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and regulatory RNA-based systems. These not only regulate the activity of mobile DNA, they can also synergize with it. In closing, symbiosis and genetic noise are also discussed as possible sources of phenotypic plasticity.
Brave Genomes emphasizes the role of the environment in generating genotypic and phenotypic diversity. This emerges, in turn, as the most efficient response to challenging conditions.
1. Title of Book - p. i 2. Cover image - p. i 3. Title page - p. ii 4. Table of Contents - p. iii 5. Copyright - p. iii 6. Dedication - p. iii 7. Preface - p. ix 8. Acknowledgments - p. xiii 9. About the cover image artist - p. xiv 10. Epigraph - p. xiv 11. Chapter 1. 15 DNA facts - p. 1 12. Chapter 2. DNA fun facts: Hypermutable DNA, mutagenic DNA break repair, and transcription-associated mutagenesis - p. 31 13. Chapter 3. On top of the DNA - p. 79 14. Chapter 4. DNA very fun facts - p. 177 15. Chapter 5. No two cells are alike - p. 255 16. Glossary - p. 281 17. Postface - p. 305 18. Index - p. 309
The role of environmentally triggered genetic and epigenetic changes in microbial adaptation and evolution is still not broadly appreciated. Brave Genomes: Microbial Genome Plasticity in the Face of Environmental Challenge narrates how microorganisms cope with environmental changes including unanticipated ones. Although it does comprise eukaryotes, it focuses on bacteria and – whenever possible – on archaea.
Among the environmentally sensitive sources of genome plasticity, the book treats tandem repeats, mutagenic break repair, transcription-associated mutagenesis and transposable elements. Additionally, it deals with epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and regulatory RNA-based systems. These not only regulate the activity of mobile DNA, they can also synergize with it. In closing, symbiosis and genetic noise are also discussed as possible sources of phenotypic plasticity.
Brave Genomes emphasizes the role of the environment in generating genotypic and phenotypic diversity. This emerges, in turn, as the most efficient response to challenging conditions.
1. Title of Book - p. i 2. Cover image - p. i 3. Title page - p. ii 4. Table of Contents - p. iii 5. Copyright - p. iii 6. Dedication - p. iii 7. Preface - p. ix 8. Acknowledgments - p. xiii 9. About the cover image artist - p. xiv 10. Epigraph - p. xiv 11. Chapter 1. 15 DNA facts - p. 1 12. Chapter 2. DNA fun facts: Hypermutable DNA, mutagenic DNA break repair, and transcription-associated mutagenesis - p. 31 13. Chapter 3. On top of the DNA - p. 79 14. Chapter 4. DNA very fun facts - p. 177 15. Chapter 5. No two cells are alike - p. 255 16. Glossary - p. 281 17. Postface - p. 305 18. Index - p. 309
