The minimum cell GENOMIC – ADVANCED GENETICS
AUTHOR: I. ODEI BARREÑADA Overview
The Concept
Small genomes
Minimal gene set
Approache theories
Minimal genome proyect
Future insight The concept
“MINIMUN CELL“
The smallest size (of genetic The smallest unit of life that can information) replicate autonomously = minimum genome Small genomes
Circovirus (1.800 base pairs / 3 gens) Virus
Carsonella ruddi (159 kb /182 genes) Symbiont
Nanoarchaeum equitans (490 kb/ 553 genes) Parasite
Mycoplasma genitalium (582 kb/ 521 genes ) Parasite
Pelagibacter ubique (1,3 Mb/ 1,370 genes) Free-living Smallest genomes
Circovirus (1.800 base pairs / 3 gens) Virus
Carsonella ruddi (159 kb /182 genes) Symbiont
Nanoarchaeum equitans (490 kb/ 553 genes) Parasite
Mycoplasma genitalium (582 kb/ 521 genes ) Parasite
Pelagibacter ubique (1,3 Mb/ 1,370 genes) Free-living
(Giovannoni et al., 2005) “MINIMAL GENE SET”
By genome comparison Ubiquitous genes:
Replication of DNA
Variable genes:
Depends of environment
(Koonin, 2003) Theories for reach the minimum cell
Two approaches
Top – Down knock-down known organism
Bottom-up --> build from synthetics DNA Minimal genome project J. Craig Venter Institute
Search of essential genes
Gene disruption by transposons
Seq the survivors organisms
Detect the disrupted gene
Declare this genes as NON-ESENTIAL
In M. genitalium only 382 of 521 genes are essential (Gibson et al., 2011)
Build de novo M. genitalium genome Future insight - Cell design
Create artificial cells for:
Generation of hydrogen for fuel
Capturing excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
Drug delivery directly into the body
As Enzyme therapy
Artificial blood cells
… And all you can think References
Koonin E V. Comparative genomics, minimal gene-sets and the last universal common ancestor. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2003;1(2):127-136. Glass JI, Assad-Garcia N, Alperovich N, et al. Essential genes of a minimal bacterium. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006;103(2):425-430. doi:10.1073/pnas.0510013103. Hutchison CA, Smith HO, Venter JC. Global Transposon Mutagenesis and a Minimal Mycoplasma Genome. 1999;2165(1999):2165-2170. Gibson DG, Glass JI, Lartigue C, et al. CREATION OF A BACTERIAL CELL CONTROLLED BY A CHEMICALLY SYNTHESIZED GENOME. 2011. Tamames J, Gil R, Latorre A, Peretó J, Silva FJ, Moya A. The frontier between cell and organelle: genome analysis of Candidatus Carsonella ruddii. BMC Evol Biol. 2007;7:181. Waters E, Hohn MJ, Ahel I, et al. The genome of Nanoarchaeum equitans: insights into early archaeal evolution and derived parasitism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003;100(22):12984-12988. THE END