Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 13 October 2006:
Vol. 314. no. 5797, p. 267
DOI: 10.1126/science.1134196
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Brevia

The 160-Kilobase Genome of the Bacterial Endosymbiont Carsonella

Atsushi Nakabachi,1,2* Atsushi Yamashita,3{dagger} Hidehiro Toh,3,4{dagger} Hajime Ishikawa,5 Helen E. Dunbar,2 Nancy A. Moran,2 Masahira Hattori6,7*

Previous studies have suggested that the minimal cellular genome could be as small as 400 kilobases. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of the psyllid symbiont Carsonella ruddii, which consists of a circular chromosome of 159,662 base pairs, averaging 16.5% GC content. It is by far the smallest and most AT-rich bacterial genome yet characterized. The genome has a high coding density (97%) with many overlapping genes and reduced gene length. Genes for translation and amino acid biosynthesis are relatively well represented, but numerous genes considered essential for life are missing, suggesting that Carsonella may have achieved organelle-like status.

1 Environmental Molecular Biology Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
3 Kitasato Institute for Life Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan.
4 Center for Basic Research, Kitasato Institute, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan.
5 School of General Education, University of the Air, Mihama, Chiba 261-8586, Japan.
6 Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8561, Japan.
7 Genome Core Technology Facility, RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.

{dagger} These authors contributed equally to this work.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bachi{at}email.arizona.edu (A.N.); hattori{at}k.u-tokyo.ac.jp (M.H.)

Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Convergent evolution of metabolic roles in bacterial co-symbionts of insects.
J. P. McCutcheon, B. R. McDonald, and N. A. Moran (2009)
PNAS 106, 15394-15399
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Conserved Network of Proteins Essential for Bacterial Viability.
J. I. Handford, B. Ize, G. Buchanan, G. P. Butland, J. Greenblatt, A. Emili, and T. Palmer (2009)
J. Bacteriol. 191, 4732-4749
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The consequences of genetic drift for bacterial genome complexity.
C.-H. Kuo, N. A. Moran, and H. Ochman (2009)
Genome Res. 19, 1450-1454
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Deletional Bias across the Three Domains of Life.
C.-H. Kuo and H. Ochman (2009)
Gen Biol Evol 2009, 145-152
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Hamiltonella defensa, genome evolution of protective bacterial endosymbiont from pathogenic ancestors.
P. H. Degnan, Y. Yu, N. Sisneros, R. A. Wing, and N. A. Moran (2009)
PNAS 106, 9063-9068
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Promoter Characterization in the AT-Rich Genome of the Obligate Endosymbiont "Candidatus Blochmannia floridanus".
S. Stoll, H. Feldhaar, and R. Gross (2009)
J. Bacteriol. 191, 3747-3751
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Widespread Distribution of Cell Defense against D-Aminoacyl-tRNAs.
S. Wydau, G. van der Rest, C. Aubard, P. Plateau, and S. Blanquet (2009)
J. Biol. Chem. 284, 14096-14104
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Temporal Dynamics of Slightly Deleterious Mutations in Escherichia coli and Shigella spp..
K. J. Balbi, E. P.C. Rocha, and E. J. Feil (2009)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 26, 345-355
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Dynamics and Time Scale of Ongoing Genomic Erosion in Symbiotic Bacteria.
N. A. Moran, H. J. McLaughlin, and R. Sorek (2009)
Science 323, 379-382
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Trends in Prokaryotic Evolution Revealed by Comparison of Closely Related Bacterial and Archaeal Genomes.
P. S. Novichkov, Y. I. Wolf, I. Dubchak, and E. V. Koonin (2009)
J. Bacteriol. 191, 65-73
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Genomics of bacteria and archaea: the emerging dynamic view of the prokaryotic world.
E. V. Koonin and Y. I. Wolf (2008)
Nucleic Acids Res. 36, 6688-6719
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Diverse Phage-Encoded Toxins in a Protective Insect Endosymbiont.
P. H. Degnan and N. A. Moran (2008)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 74, 6782-6791
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Endosymbiont gene functions impaired and rescued by polymerase infidelity at poly(A) tracts.
I. Tamas, J. J. Wernegreen, B. Nystedt, S. N. Kauppinen, A. C. Darby, L. Gomez-Valero, D. Lundin, A. M. Poole, and S. G. E. Andersson (2008)
PNAS 105, 14934-14939
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A new regulatory circuit in ribosomal protein operons: S2-mediated control of the rpsB-tsf expression in vivo.
L. V. Aseev, A. A. Levandovskaya, L. S. Tchufistova, N. V. Scaptsova, and I. V. Boni (2008)
RNA 14, 1882-1894
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Flavin-dependent thymidylate synthase X limits chromosomal DNA replication.
F. Escartin, S. Skouloubris, U. Liebl, and H. Myllykallio (2008)
PNAS 105, 9948-9952
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Long-Term Evolutionary Stability of Bacterial Endosymbiosis in Curculionoidea: Additional Evidence of Symbiont Replacement in the Dryophthoridae Family.
C. Conord, L. Despres, A. Vallier, S. Balmand, C. Miquel, S. Zundel, G. Lemperiere, and A. Heddi (2008)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 25, 859-868
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Complete genome of the uncultured Termite Group 1 bacteria in a single host protist cell.
Y. Hongoh, V. K. Sharma, T. Prakash, S. Noda, T. D. Taylor, T. Kudo, Y. Sakaki, A. Toyoda, M. Hattori, and M. Ohkuma (2008)
PNAS 105, 5555-5560
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Advances in environmental genomics: towards an integrated view of micro-organisms and ecosystems.
P. N. Bertin, C. Medigue, and P. Normand (2008)
Microbiology 154, 347-359
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Parallel genomic evolution and metabolic interdependence in an ancient symbiosis.
J. P. McCutcheon and N. A. Moran (2007)
PNAS 104, 19392-19397
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Frequency of Secondary Symbiont Infection in an Invasive Psyllid Relates to Parasitism Pressure on a Geographic Scale in California.
A. K. Hansen, G. Jeong, T. D. Paine, and R. Stouthamer (2007)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 73, 7531-7535
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Reductive evolution of architectural repertoires in proteomes and the birth of the tripartite world.
M. Wang, L. S. Yafremava, D. Caetano-Anolles, J. E. Mittenthal, and G. Caetano-Anolles (2007)
Genome Res. 17, 1572-1585
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Localization and Visualization of a Coxiella-Type Symbiont within the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum.
O. Klyachko, B. D. Stein, N. Grindle, K. Clay, and C. Fuqua (2007)
Appl. Envir. Microbiol. 73, 6584-6594
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Reconstruction of highly heterogeneous gene-content evolution across the three domains of life.
W. Iwasaki and T. Takagi (2007)
Bioinformatics 23, i230-i239
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Sponge-Associated Microorganisms: Evolution, Ecology, and Biotechnological Potential.
M. W. Taylor, R. Radax, D. Steger, and M. Wagner (2007)
Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 71, 295-347
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Colloquium Papers: Symbiosis as an adaptive process and source of phenotypic complexity.
N. A. Moran (2007)
PNAS 104, 8627-8633
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Colloquium Papers: Functional information and the emergence of biocomplexity.
R. M. Hazen, P. L. Griffin, J. M. Carothers, and J. W. Szostak (2007)
PNAS 104, 8574-8581
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The Orientia tsutsugamushi genome reveals massive proliferation of conjugative type IV secretion system and host cell interaction genes.
N.-H. Cho, H.-R. Kim, J.-H. Lee, S.-Y. Kim, J. Kim, S. Cha, S.-Y. Kim, A. C. Darby, H.-H. Fuxelius, J. Yin, et al. (2007)
PNAS 104, 7981-7986
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dynamics of Reductive Genome Evolution in Mitochondria and Obligate Intracellular Microbes.
A. N. Khachane, K. N. Timmis, and V. A. P. Martins dos Santos (2007)
Mol. Biol. Evol. 24, 449-456
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)