Genetic map of Mycoplasma genitalium

Humble microbes are assuming great importance in genetic studies, thanks to the Office of Science's Microbial Genome Program, launched in 1994. The program goal is to sequence microorganisms of interest to DOE's energy and environmental cleanup programs. The first genome completed was that of Mycoplasma genitalium, a tiny pathogen. When the entire 580,000-unit DNA sequence was completed, this free-living microbe was discovered to have only 470 genes that code for proteins. The human genome, by comparison, recently was estimated to contain some 30,000 genes (less than one-third of previous estimates but still a relatively large number). The tiny genome of M. genitalium is the smallest known for a self-replicating, free-living organism, although even smaller ones may exist. Mycoplasmas are parasites for a wide range of hosts, including humans, animals, insects, and plants.

Scientific Impact: : M. genitalium provides researchers with a model for the minimum number of genes and protein products necessary for independent (host-free) existence. Microbial genomics, now one of the hottest fields in science, may reverse the traditional paradigm of biology, which until recently has relied on deductions about a single organism's genetic controls from observations of behavior and inheritance.

Social Impact: Knowing the minimum complement of genes an organism needs to be free-living is an essential step toward engineering microbes for a wide range of practical uses. These uses could support DOE missions such as energy production and environmental cleanup.

Reference: "The minimal gene complement of Mycoplasma genitalium," Fraser, C.M., Gocayne, J.D., White, O., Adams, M.D., Clayton, R.A., Fleischmann, R.D., Bult, C.J., Kerlavage, A.R., Sutton, G., Kelley, J.M., et al., Science 270:397-403 (1995).

URL: http://www.tigr.org/tigr-scripts/CMR2/GenomePage3.spl?database=gmg

Technical Contact: Dr. Dan Drell, Life Sciences Division, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, 301-903-4742

Press Contact: Jeff Sherwood, DOE Office of Public Affairs, 202-586-5806

SC-Funding Office: Office of Biological and Environmental Research