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Life 2013
Horizontal Gene Transfer and Its Part in the Reorganisation of Genetics during the LUCA EpochDOI: 10.3390/life3040518 Keywords: Horizontal gene transfer, lateral gene transfer, phylogenetic reconstruction transformation, transduction, conjugation, gene transfer agent (GTA), membrane vesicle transfer (MVT), phylogenetic tree of life, origin of life, last universal common ancestor (LUCA) Abstract: Currently there are five known mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer (HGT): transduction, conjugation, transformation, gene transfer agents and membrane vesicle transfer. The question here is: what part did HGT play in the reorganisation of genetics during the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) epoch? LUCA is a construct to explain the origin of the three domains of life; namely Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. This editorial offers a general introduction to the relevance and ultimate significance of HGT in relation to the LUCA.
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