Evolution Toward Pathogenicity May Involve

Question

Evolution toward pathogenicity may involve
A) horizontal gene transfer.
B) gene loss.
C) gene acquisition.
D) horizontal gene transfer and gene acquisition.
E) horizontal gene transfer, gene loss, and gene acquisition.

Accepted Answer

Evolution toward pathogenicity may involve a combination of mechanisms such as horizontal gene transfer (where genes from other organisms are incorporated into the pathogen's genome), gene loss (where pathogen loses genes that are no longer necessary for survival in the new host), and gene acquisition (where new genes that are advantageous in the host are acquired through mutation, recombination or horizontal gene transfer). Therefore, the best choice is E, which includes all three mechanisms.