| Title |
The Most Conserved Genome Segments for Life Detection on Earth and Other Planets
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres, October 2008
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s11084-008-9148-z |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Thomas A. Isenbarger, Christopher E. Carr, Sarah Stewart Johnson, Michael Finney, George M. Church, Walter Gilbert, Maria T. Zuber, Gary Ruvkun |
| Abstract |
On Earth, very simple but powerful methods to detect and classify broad taxa of life by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are now standard practice. Using DNA primers corresponding to the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, one can survey a sample from any environment for its microbial inhabitants. Due to massive meteoritic exchange between Earth and Mars (as well as other planets), a reasonable case can be made for life on Mars or other planets to be related to life on Earth. In this case, the supremely sensitive technologies used to study life on Earth, including in extreme environments, can be applied to the search for life on other planets. Though the 16S gene has become the standard for life detection on Earth, no genome comparisons have established that the ribosomal genes are, in fact, the most conserved DNA segments across the kingdoms of life. We present here a computational comparison of full genomes from 13 diverse organisms from the Archaea, Bacteria, and Eucarya to identify genetic sequences conserved across the widest divisions of life. Our results identify the 16S and 23S ribosomal RNA genes as well as other universally conserved nucleotide sequences in genes encoding particular classes of transfer RNAs and within the nucleotide binding domains of ABC transporters as the most conserved DNA sequence segments across phylogeny. This set of sequences defines a core set of DNA regions that have changed the least over billions of years of evolution and provides a means to identify and classify divergent life, including ancestrally related life on other planets. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 4 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 2 | 50% |
| Unknown | 2 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 3 | 75% |
| Scientists | 1 | 25% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 262 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 6 | 2% |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 1% |
| Germany | 2 | <1% |
| Canada | 2 | <1% |
| Italy | 1 | <1% |
| Sweden | 1 | <1% |
| South Africa | 1 | <1% |
| Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
| France | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 3 | 1% |
| Unknown | 241 | 92% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 60 | 23% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 53 | 20% |
| Student > Master | 38 | 15% |
| Student > Bachelor | 33 | 13% |
| Other | 11 | 4% |
| Other | 35 | 13% |
| Unknown | 32 | 12% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 96 | 37% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 57 | 22% |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 12 | 5% |
| Immunology and Microbiology | 10 | 4% |
| Chemistry | 9 | 3% |
| Other | 38 | 15% |
| Unknown | 40 | 15% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 21. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 07 December 2022.
All research outputs
#1,746,603
of 25,366,663 outputs
Outputs from Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
#37
of 531 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#4,456
of 98,805 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres
#3
of 5 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,366,663 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 93rd percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 531 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.7. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 93% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 98,805 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 95% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 5 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 2 of them.