Reductive evolution suggested from the complete genome sequence of a plant-pathogenic phytoplasma (original) (raw)

Nature Genetics volume 36, pages 27–29 (2004) Cite this article

Abstract

The minimal gene set essential for life has long been sought. We report the 860-kb genome of the obligate intracellular plant pathogen phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris, OY strain). The phytoplasma genome encodes even fewer metabolic functions than do mycoplasma genomes. It lacks the pentose phosphate cycle and, more unexpectedly, ATP-synthase subunits, which are thought to be essential for life. This may be the result of reductive evolution as a consequence of life as an intracellular parasite in a nutrient-rich environment.

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Figure 1: Schematic representation of the chromosome and metabolic pathways of phytoplasma.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. Shiomi, M. Tanaka, T. Usugi, M. Sato, H. Kawakita, N. Nishimura, T. Tsuchizaki and S. Nakajima for discussion. This work was supported partly by Grants-in-Aid of Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and a Grant-in-Aid of Scientific Research on Priority Areas (C) “Genome Biology” from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 202 Bioscience Building, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, 277-8562, Chiba, Japan
    Kenro Oshima, Shigeyuki Kakizawa, Hisashi Nishigawa, Hee-Young Jung, Shiho Suzuki, Ryo Arashida, Daisuke Nakata, Shin-ichi Miyata, Masashi Ugaki & Shigetou Namba
  2. Department of Agricultural and Environmental Biology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
    Wei Wei, Masashi Ugaki & Shigetou Namba

Authors

  1. Kenro Oshima
  2. Shigeyuki Kakizawa
  3. Hisashi Nishigawa
  4. Hee-Young Jung
  5. Wei Wei
  6. Shiho Suzuki
  7. Ryo Arashida
  8. Daisuke Nakata
  9. Shin-ichi Miyata
  10. Masashi Ugaki
  11. Shigetou Namba

Corresponding author

Correspondence toShigetou Namba.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Oshima, K., Kakizawa, S., Nishigawa, H. et al. Reductive evolution suggested from the complete genome sequence of a plant-pathogenic phytoplasma.Nat Genet 36, 27–29 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1277

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