PubMed · 16109880
Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan oceanic bacterium.
Abstract
The SAR11 clade consists of very small, heterotrophic marine alpha-proteobacteria that are found throughout the oceans, where they account for about 25% of all microbial cells. Pelagibacter ubique, the first cultured member of this clade, has the smallest genome and encodes the smallest number of predicted open reading frames known for a free-living microorganism. In contrast to parasitic bacteria and archaea with small genomes, P. ubique has complete biosynthetic pathways for all 20 amino acids and all but a few cofactors. P. ubique has no pseudogenes, introns, transposons, extrachromosomal elements, or inteins; few paralogs; and the shortest intergenic spacers yet observed for any cell.
Explore related subjects
Keep this discovery
Explore connections, maps & timelines
Stephen J Giovannoni, H James Tripp, Scott Givan, Mircea Podar, Kevin L Vergin, Damon Baptista, Lisa Bibbs, Jonathan Eads, Toby H Richardson, Michiel Noordewier, Michael S Rappé, Jay M Short, James C Carrington, Eric J Mathur. 2005-08-19. Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan oceanic bacterium.. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1114057
Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.