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

(490 kb/ 553 genes)  Parasite

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

(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