Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
14:06
Mapping Bacterial Functional Networks and Pathways in Escherichia Coli using Synthetic Genetic Arrays
Published on: November 12, 2012
Putative essential and core-essential genes in Mycoplasma genomes
1Department of Physics, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
Scientific Reports
|February 23, 2012
Summary
Researchers identified essential genes in Mycoplasma species using a novel prediction algorithm. This work aids in understanding minimal Mycoplasma genomes and essential genes in other organisms.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Synthetic Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Mycoplasma species are crucial in synthetic biology, notably for creating the first synthetic life.
- Identifying essential genes is vital for synthetic biology but remains largely unknown for many Mycoplasma species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a predictive algorithm for identifying essential genes in Mycoplasma.
- To determine the set of core essential genes across 16 Mycoplasma genomes.
Main Methods:
- Developed a gene essentiality prediction algorithm integrating gene strand distribution, homologous search, and codon adaptation index.
- Applied the algorithm to 16 Mycoplasma genomes, including M. mycoides and M. capricolum.
- Validated the algorithm's accuracy through self-consistency and cross-validation tests.
Main Results:
- The algorithm achieved 80.8% accuracy in self-consistency and 78.9% in cross-validation.
- Predicted 5880 essential genes across the 16 Mycoplasma genomes.
- Identified 153 core essential genes common to all analyzed Mycoplasma genomes.
Conclusions:
- The developed algorithm accurately predicts essential genes in Mycoplasma.
- The predicted essential genes and the algorithm can advance the study of minimal Mycoplasma genomes.
- This approach offers a valuable tool for essential gene identification in other microbial genomes.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Evolution of Microbial Genome
Microbial genome evolution is a highly dynamic process shaped by continual gene gain and loss across species and strains. This genomic flexibility allows microorganisms to adapt rapidly to environmental pressures and interactions with other organisms. Central to understanding this diversity is the distinction between the core and pan genomes.The core genome comprises the genes shared by all sampled strains of a species, representing essential functions needed for fundamental cellular processes.
01:24Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
The phylum Tenericutes, which includes the single class Mollicutes, comprises bacteria that lack cell walls. The term "Mollicutes" derives from the Latin word mollis, meaning "soft." These organisms are among the smallest known and are commonly referred to as mycoplasmas due to the prominence of the genus Mycoplasma, which includes well-known human pathogens. Despite their inability to stain gram-positively (a result of their lack of cell walls), mycoplasmas are phylogenetically related to the...
00:46Genomic DNA in Prokaryotes
The genome of most prokaryotic organisms consists of double-stranded DNA organized into one circular chromosome in a region of cytoplasm called the nucleoid. The chromosome is tightly wound, or supercoiled, for efficient storage. Prokaryotes also contain other circular pieces of DNA called plasmids. These plasmids are smaller than the chromosome and often carry genes that confer adaptive functions, such as antibiotic resistance.
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...
Genomic Diversity in Bacteria
Although bacterial genomes are much...
01:58Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors
The organization of prokaryotic genes in their genome is notably different from that of eukaryotes. Prokaryotic genes are organized, such that the genes for proteins involved in the same biochemical process or function are located together in groups. This group of genes, along with their regulatory elements, are collectively known as an operon. The functional genes in an operon are transcribed together to give a single strand of mRNA known as polycistronic mRNA.
Transcription of prokaryotic...
Transcription of prokaryotic...
01:58Prokaryotic Transcriptional Activators and Repressors
The organization of prokaryotic genes in their genome is notably different from that of eukaryotes. Prokaryotic genes are organized, such that the genes for proteins involved in the same biochemical process or function are located together in groups. This group of genes, along with their regulatory elements, are collectively known as an operon. The functional genes in an operon are transcribed together to give a single strand of mRNA known as polycistronic mRNA.
Transcription of prokaryotic...
Transcription of prokaryotic...
01:28Prokaryotic Gene Structure and Organization
Prokaryotic genomes exhibit a streamlined organization of coding and non-coding regions essential for gene expression and protein synthesis. While coding regions contain the genetic instructions for proteins or functional RNAs, non-coding regions regulate the precise transcription and translation of these genes.Coding Regions: Proteins and RNAsThe primary coding regions, known as structural genes, include sequences transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) and ultimately translated into...