Microbial Genome Sequencing: Sequencing and Analysis of the Syntrophus Aciditrophicus Genome

加州大学洛杉矶分校的罗伯特·P·冈萨卢斯博士和俄克拉何马大学的迈克尔·J·麦金纳尼博士获得了一项赠款，用于获得和分析这种细菌--Syntrous aciditrophicus的基因组序列。这种微生物代表了一类研究不足的厌氧细菌(只有在没有氧气的情况下才能茁壮成长的微生物)，它们在自然和人造环境中的厌氧食物链中扮演着重要的角色。它与其他厌氧微生物形成共生伙伴关系，将多种芳香族和脂肪族化合物降解为无机物质，从而完成地球上的碳氮循环。该项目的目标包括四个部分。第一种是使用最先进的DNA测序方法来产生一个大致组装的嗜酸链霉菌基因组序列。然后，序列中的空白将被弥合，以提供完整的DNA分子。将使用自动化和手动编辑相结合的方法来识别和注释其中包含的基因的功能(S)。最后，将对基因组信息进行进一步分析，最终目的是重建编码在嗜酸链球菌基因组中的代谢途径。将向科学界和公众提供嗜酸葡萄球菌基因组序列和相关基因注释，以帮助解决各种具有社会重要性的问题，并在此过程中，还将用于培训研究生进行微生物基因组分析。预计这将包括确定与环境中天然和人造化合物的厌氧分解有关的微生物生物化学和生理学的新的和新的方面的能力。这些信息将揭示这些微生物以前未知的途径，以及它们如何在基本和复杂的厌氧生态系统中使用。由于这些信息应该对我们理解这些微生物如何发挥作用有广泛的影响，它应该允许我们提高农业、工业和自然资源的生产力和可持续性。最后，嗜酸葡萄球菌基因组分析应该为这类重要微生物的内容和进化提供独特的洞察力。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Robert P. Gunsalus, University of California, Los Angeles and Michael J. McInerney, University of Oklahoma to obtain and analyze the genome sequence the bacterium, Syntrophus aciditrophicus. This microorganism represents an understudied class of anaerobic bacteria (microbes that thrive only in the absence of oxygen) that serve essential roles in the anaerobic food chains in natural and man-made environments. It functions in symbiotic partnership with other anaerobic microorganisms to degrade a variety of aromatic and aliphatic compounds to inorganic materials, thus completing the carbon and nitrogen cycles on earth. The goals of this project consist of four parts. The first is to generate a roughly assembled genome sequence of S. aciditrophicus using state of the art DNA sequencing methods. Gaps in sequences will then be closed to provide a completed DNA molecule. The genes contained therein will be identified and annotated for their function(s) using a combination of automated and hand-editing methods. Finally, the genomic information will be further analyzed with the final aim to reconstruct the metabolic pathways encoded in the S. aciditrophicus genome. The S. aciditrophicus genome sequence and associated gene annotations will be made available to the scientific community and general public to help address a variety of issues of societal importance, and in the process, will also be used to train graduate students in microbial genome analysis. It is anticipated that these will include the ability to identify new and novel aspects of microbial biochemistry and physiology related to anaerobic decomposition of natural as well as man-made compounds in the environment. The information will reveal previously unknown pathways in these microorganisms and how they are used in essential and complex anaerobic ecosystems. Since this information should have a wide impact on our understanding how these microbes function, it should allow us to improve the productivity and sustainability of agricultural, industrial, and natural resources. Lastly, the S. aciditrophicus genome analysis should provide unique insight into the content and evolution of this essential class of microorganisms.