Noncanonical DNA structures are drivers of genome evolution.

Trends Genet

Department of Biology, Penn State University, 310 Wartik Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Published: February 2023

In addition to the canonical right-handed double helix, other DNA structures, termed 'non-B DNA', can form in the genomes across the tree of life. Non-B DNA regulates multiple cellular processes, including replication and transcription, yet its presence is associated with elevated mutagenicity and genome instability. These discordant cellular roles fuel the enormous potential of non-B DNA to drive genomic and phenotypic evolution. Here we discuss recent studies establishing non-B DNA structures as novel functional elements subject to natural selection, affecting evolution of transposable elements (TEs), and specifying centromeres. By highlighting the contributions of non-B DNA to repeated evolution and adaptation to changing environments, we conclude that evolutionary analyses should include a perspective of not only DNA sequence, but also its structure.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9877202PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tig.2022.11.005DOI Listing

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