Discovering Horizontal Gene Transfer Events Among Protein Families With Molecular Divergent and Convergent Evolution

Hundreds of diverse protein families encoded in genomes of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes are collected in various sequence databases, most prominently InterPro (EMBL-EBI), which is based on functional domain prediction. However, most obtained sequences within defined gene families emerge from large ongoing genome sequencing projects, and even after their annotation within whole genomes, they remain mostly just as hypothetical proteins in putative open reading frames. Discovering their phylogenetic position within a particular gene family (or superfamily) can help in elucidating their real physiological function. Among various novel and already investigated members of a particular family, specific rare events like horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between evolutionarily distantly related genomes, can still be discovered but they need to be supported with sufficiently robust analytical methods.

The goal of this Research Topic is to get an up-to-date overview on the possible ways peculiar gene evolution occurs within various protein families and superfamilies, and whether there are some unifying rules. Authors from interdisciplinary fields of science are invited to contribute their original research, in-depth review, and mini reviews contributions dealing with divergent and/or convergent evolution at a molecular level, observed in particular gene families of interest. These studies are encouraged to discuss what the analysis of existing biomolecular data can unravel about convergent or divergent modes of evolution. We will also accept Perspectives, Hypothesis and Theory, novels Methods, Opinions, and General Commentary.

Special attention will be given to the discovery and detailed description of horizontal gene transfer events that can be described between divergent kingdoms or other phylogenetic clades. Specific points of interest would be; whether such genes retain their original function after the observed HGT event, as well as the reconstruction of ancestral coding sequences using various high-throughput methods, and the practical applications of these methods for investigating the ancient protein variants.

This Research Topic welcomes submissions including, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Horizontal gene transfer (lateral gene transfer)
• Gene family evolution
• Superfamilies and their definitions
• Molecular Divergent evolution
• Molecular Convergent evolution
• Ancestral sequence reconstruction