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Extreme polyploidy in a large bacterium.

Jennifer E Mendell1, Kendall D Clements, J Howard Choat

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|May 1, 2008
PubMed
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Epulopiscium bacteria achieve giant size through extreme polyploidy, possessing tens of thousands of genome copies. This high copy number correlates with cell size, enabling advantages typically seen in eukaryotic cells.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Cell size in bacteria is typically limited by diffusion efficiency.
  • Eukaryotic cells overcome diffusion limits, but most prokaryotes remain small.
  • Epulopiscium, a bacterial symbiont, is an exception, reaching unusually large sizes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic basis for the large cell size of Epulopiscium.
  • To quantify the number of genomes within Epulopiscium cells.
  • To understand the implications of extreme polyploidy on Epulopiscium's biology.

Main Methods:

  • Quantitative, single-cell PCR assays targeting single-copy genes.
  • Sequence analysis of essential single-copy genes (dnaA, recA, ftsZ).

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Main Results:

  • Epulopiscium cells contain tens of thousands of genome copies.
  • Genome copy number is positively correlated with Epulopiscium cell size.
  • Genetic homogeneity suggests limited DNA transfer per generation.
  • Extreme polyploidy may allow for genetic instability in essential genes.

Conclusions:

  • Epulopiscium exhibits unprecedented levels of polyploidy, enabling its large cell size.
  • The arrangement of genomes may facilitate regional cellular responses.
  • This extreme polyploidy provides Epulopiscium with some eukaryotic-like advantages.