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While every living organism has a genome of some kind (be it RNA, or DNA), there is considerable variation in the sizes of these blueprints. One major factor that impacts genome size is whether the organism is prokaryotic or eukaryotic. In prokaryotes, the genome contains little to no non-coding sequence, such that genes are tightly clustered in groups or operons sequentially along the chromosome. Conversely, the genes in eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of non-coding sequence.
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Evolution of small prokaryotic genomes.

David J Martínez-Cano1, Mariana Reyes-Prieto2, Esperanza Martínez-Romero3

  • 1Departamento de Ingeniería Genética, Cinvestav Unidad Irapuato Irapuato, Mexico.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|January 23, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Prokaryotes with small genomes exhibit diverse biology, driven by natural selection or neutral processes. Their unique adaptations offer insights into genome evolution and minimal cell design.

Keywords:
Black Queen HypothesisMuller’s ratchetendosymbiosisminimal genome sizereductive genome evolutionrobustness-based selective reductionstreamlining evolutionsymbionelle

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Prokaryotes display remarkable biological diversity despite having reduced genomes, ranging from free-living organisms with ~800 genes to endosymbiotic bacteria with as few as ~140 genes.
  • Comparative genomics is crucial for understanding the evolutionary pathways leading to these compact genomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent genomic discoveries concerning prokaryotes with small gene sets.
  • To discuss the evolutionary mechanisms driving genome reduction in prokaryotes.
  • To explore the potential applications of these organisms in artificial minimal cell design.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing and comparative genomics analyses.
  • Review of experimental data on endosymbiotic prokaryotes.
  • Analysis of evolutionary trends in reduced genomes.

Main Results:

  • Genome reduction in free-living prokaryotes is primarily driven by natural selection, while neutral processes play a larger role in endosymbiotic prokaryotes.
  • Endosymbiotic prokaryotes employ strategies like host-function utilization, metabolic complementation, and consortium formation to survive with reduced gene sets.
  • Universal trends like reduced G+C content and conserved genome synteny are not consistently observed in highly reduced genomes.

Conclusions:

  • The evolution of small genomes in prokaryotes is complex and involves both selective and neutral mechanisms.
  • Endosymbiotic prokaryotes exhibit diverse adaptations for life within a host.
  • The study of minimal genomes provides a foundation for engineering artificial cells.