Chronological order of reversal events on Rickettsia genus

Abstract

Traditional algorithms for sorting permutations by signed reversals output one solution while the solution space can be huge. The enumeration of traces of solutions for this problem can be a powerful tool to help the study of rear-rangement scenarios which only include reversals. Through the analysis of the permutations of six members of the Rickettsia genus in relation with their common ancestral, we were able to produce all possible scenarios and infer some chronological order over the reversal events that occurred during the evolution of these species. Our results matched with the scenario proposed in the literature.