For your initial post: Use a research database provided through the OSU Library (e.g., Web of Science) to find an original peer-reviewed research article (i.e., a primary source with new data collected by the authors themselves; not a review) that investigates the topic of HGT.
Some ideas for specific issues to explore:
Is HGT relatively more important for the evolution of prokaryotes or eukaryotes?
Are certain types of genes more likely to be transferred?
Do horizontally transferred genes persist within genomes?
Are horizontally transferred genes typically neutral, beneficial, or harmful?
What types of HGT are possible? Prokaryote to prokaryote? Prokaryote to eukaryote? Eukaryote to eukaryote?
Might HGT affect predictions regarding the origin and phylogeny of species, especially when these are based on the absence/presence of genes?
Does HGT allow for the potential escape of transgenes from genetically modified organisms?
How do horizontally transferred genes move between species? Is HGT driven by vectors such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, or insects? Or by the transformational uptake of free DNA released into the environment? Other possibilities?
In your initial post;
Describe the hypothesis addressed by the original research study and the main conclusions, including the reasoning behind the acceptance/rejection of the original hypothesis. Give your post a subject (i.e., clearly indicate your chosen topic), so that classmates can quickly determine the content of your post.
Refer to the article used for your post with short in-text citations.
At the end of your post, include a complete citation for the research article used.
Here is an example of an appropriate initial post:
Subject: Fitness correlates of crop transgene flow
Lu et al. (2016) investigated the fitness outcomes of transgene flow from cultivated rice to its unmanaged conspecifics such as weedy rice. In their results, the authors found considerable variation in environmental outcomes based on the transgenic trait in question. Thus, based on their results, the authors’ assert that a case-by-case method of biosafety regulation should be employed in this system.
Literature Cited:
Lu BR, Yang X, Ellstrand NC. 2016. Fitness correlates of crop transgene flow into weedy populations: a case study of weedy rice in China and other examples. Evol Appl. 9(7):857–870.
