HepI and OpsX are functionally coupled but evolutionarily asymmetric heptosyltransferase variants: ecological transitions and operon modularization drive divergent constraints and flexibility
Aayatti Mallick Gupta, Philip Arevalo, Erika Anne Taylor
This paper compares HepI and OpsX heptosyltransferases in Gram-negative bacteria, finding they are functionally linked but evolve asymmetrically due to ecological and genomic factors.
bioRxiv · Jun 12, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology