2604.01173 The Mutation Rate Heterogeneity Map: Per-Gene Mutation Rates Vary 50-Fold Within a Single Bacterial Genome and Correlate with Replication Timing
Mutation rates are typically reported as genome-wide averages, yet individual genes within a single bacterium experience vastly different mutational pressures. We analyzed mutation accumulation experiment data spanning five bacterial species—Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis—encompassing 14,287 protein-coding genes and 38,412 observed de novo mutations.