Essential Genes of a Minimal Bacterium

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 2006 Jan 13

PMID 16407165

Citations 373

Authors

John I Glass

Nacyra Assad-Garcia

Nina Alperovich

Shibu Yooseph

Matthew R Lewis

Mahir Maruf

Clyde A Hutchison 3rd

Hamilton O Smith

J Craig Venter

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Mycoplasma genitalium has the smallest genome of any organism that can be grown in pure culture. It has a minimal metabolism and little genomic redundancy. Consequently, its genome is expected to be a close approximation to the minimal set of genes needed to sustain bacterial life. Using global transposon mutagenesis, we isolated and characterized gene disruption mutants for 100 different nonessential protein-coding genes. None of the 43 RNA-coding genes were disrupted. Herein, we identify 382 of the 482 M. genitalium protein-coding genes as essential, plus five sets of disrupted genes that encode proteins with potentially redundant essential functions, such as phosphate transport. Genes encoding proteins of unknown function constitute 28% of the essential protein-coding genes set. Disruption of some genes accelerated M. genitalium growth.

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