Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Biodiversity

Microbial genomes multiply

  • News and Views Feature
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

It is seven years since the first bacterial genome was completely sequenced, and more than 60 others have now been determined. What has been the impact of these projects on pure science and public welfare?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Number of genes (ORFs) plotted against genome size for 44 fully sequenced genomes, including ten Archaea (squares) and 34 Bacteria.
Figure 2: Many routes to intracellular adaptation.

References

  1. Fleischmann, R. D. et al. Science 269, 496–512 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Doolittle, R. F. Nature 392, 339–342 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kaneko, T. et al. DNA Res. 6, 331–338 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Goffeau, A. et al. Science 274, 546–567 (1996).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Katlinka, M. D. et al. Nature 414, 450–453 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Andersson, S. G. E. et al. Nature 396, 133–140 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kawarabayashi, Y. et al. DNA Res. 6, 145–152 (1999).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cole, S. T. et al. Nature 393, 537–544 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Koski, L. B. & Golding, G. B. J. Mol. Evol. 52, 540–542 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Crawford, I. P. & Milkman, R. in Evolution at the Molecular Level (eds Selander, R. K., Clark, A. G. & Whittam, T. S.) 77–95 (Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 1991).

  11. Lawrence, J. G. & Roth, J. R. Genetics 143, 1843–1860 (1996).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Avery, O. T., MacLeod, C. M. & McCarty, M. J. Exp. Med. 79, 137–158 (1944).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Tettelin, H. et al. Science 293, 498–506 (2001).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Lee, C. A. Trends Microbiol. 5, 148–156 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Stephens, R. S. et al. Science 282, 754–759 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Hacker, J., Blum-Oehler, G., Muhldorfer, I. & Tschape, H. Mol. Microbiol. 23, 1089–1097 (1997).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Arora, S. K., Bangera, M., Lory, S. & Ramphal, R. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 98, 9342–9347 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Okinaka, R. T. et al. J. Bacteriol. 181, 6509–6515 (1999).

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Helgason, E. et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66, 2627–2630 (2000).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Galibert, F. et al. Science 293, 668–672 (2001).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Cole, S. T. et al. Nature 409, 1007–1011 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Fraser, C. M. et al. Nature 390, 580–586 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Mohlmann, T. et al. Eur. J. Biochem. 252, 353–359 (1998).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Shigenobu, S. et al. Nature 407, 81–86 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Weinstock, G. M., Smajs, D., Hardham, J. & Norris, S. J. Res. Microbiol. 151, 151–158 (2000).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Whitman, W. B., Coleman, D. C. & Wiebe, W. J. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 95, 6578–6583 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Macilwain, C. Nature 413, 5 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Center for Molecular Genetics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0634, California, USA

    Russell F. Doolittle

Authors
  1. Russell F. Doolittle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Russell F. Doolittle.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Doolittle, R. Microbial genomes multiply. Nature 416, 697–700 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/416697a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/416697a

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation