A structural backbone with sequestered plasticity organizes the Escherichia coli pangenome
Yi-Fei Lu, Guang-Hong Zuo, Xiao-Yang Zhi · 2026
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Description
Yi-Fei Lu, Guang-Hong Zuo, and Xiao-Yang Zhi build a fast, alignment-free way to map the E. coli pangenome in 2026 work. Their tool, CVNet, groups genes by composition vectors and clustering, scaling almost linearly with genome count. Applied to 1,200 complete E. coli genomes, it let the team ask where genes sit, not just which exist.
Core genes formed a stiff, modular backbone tilted toward the chromosome's replication origin. Over 99 percent of accessory genes and islands sat tucked between core genes at the weakest links in that scaffold. The authors call this sequestered plasticity: change is boxed into hotspots so the core stays intact.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Yi-Fei Lu, Guang-Hong Zuo, Xiao-Yang Zhi |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 49922 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |