Linear chromosomes in bacteria: no straight edge advantage?

Michael Y Galperin

doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01328.x

Abstract

The beginning of 2007 brought us the complete genome of the yeast Pichia stipitis, five archaeal and more than 25 completely sequenced bacterial genomes (Table 1). In addition, there were two genomics-related papers that deserve a special discussion. One of them (Fuchs et al., 2007) described an unfinished genome of the ubiquitous marine phototrophic bacterium Congregibacter litoralis, while the other (Cui et al., 2007) examined the properties of the Escherichia coli K-12 strains with a linear chromosome.

Highlights

Among the five newly sequenced archaeal genomes, the most interesting one is probably that of Pyrobaculum calidifontis, a facultatively aerobic, heterotrophic hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon originally isolated from a terrestrial hot spring in the Philippines
Species with completely sequenced genomes, Pyrobaculum aerophilum and Pyrobaculum islandicum (GenBank accession numbers AE009441 and CP000504 respectively), JGI scientists are currently sequencing the genome of Pyrobaculum arsenaticum and two closely related species, Caldivirga maquilingensis and Thermoproteus neutrophilus, see http://www.jgi.doe.gov/ sequencing/why/CSP2006/hyperthermo.html
In the previous column (Galperin, 2007), we discussed the diversity of mycobacteria, ranging from the well-known pathogenic species such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium bovis to the soil isolates, capable of metabolizing various petroleum products

Summary

Introduction

Among the five newly sequenced archaeal genomes, the most interesting one is probably that of Pyrobaculum calidifontis, a facultatively aerobic, heterotrophic hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon originally isolated from a terrestrial hot spring in the Philippines. A detailed description of the genome of the BCG vaccine strain of M. bovis, mentioned in that column, has since been published (Brosch et al, 2007).

Results

Conclusion