Evaluation of the mechanisms of intron loss and gain in the social amoebae Dictyostelium

摘要

BackgroundSpliceosomal introns are a common feature of eukaryotic genomes. To approach a comprehensive understanding of intron evolution on Earth, studies should look beyond repeatedly studied groups such as animals, plants, and fungi. The slime mold Dictyostelium belongs to a supergroup of eukaryotes not covered in previous studies.