Exploring microbial microevolution with microarrays

Gene arrays are typically employed to monitor gene expression and regulation, but they are finding additional applications in studying patterns of evolution in bacterial genomes. In particular, this approach has been applied to answer questions about the heterogeneity in full gene repertoires among bacterial strains and species without relying on more costly and time-consuming methodologies. In this review, we evaluate some of the evolutionary patterns and processes affecting bacterial genomes as detected with microarrays, and also delineate the limitations and conclusions stemming from such studies.