Article
Genomics-informed isolation and characterization of a symbiotic Nanoarchaeota system from a terrestrial geothermal environment
Nature Communications
(2016)
Abstract
Biological features can be inferred, based on genomic data, for many microbial lineages that
remain uncultured. However, cultivation is important for characterizing an organism’s
physiology and testing its genome-encoded potential. Here we use single-cell genomics to
infer cultivation conditions for the isolation of an ectosymbiotic Nanoarchaeota (‘Nanopusillus
acidilobi’) and its host (Acidilobus, a crenarchaeote) from a terrestrial geothermal environment.
The cells of ‘Nanopusillus’ are among the smallest known cellular organisms (100–
300 nm). They appear to have a complete genetic information processing machinery, but lack
almost all primary biosynthetic functions as well as respiration and ATP synthesis. Genomic
and proteomic comparison with its distant relative, the marine Nanoarchaeum equitans
illustrate an ancient, common evolutionary history of adaptation of the Nanoarchaeota to
ectosymbiosis, so far unique among the Archaea.
Disciplines
Publication Date
July, 2016
Citation Information
Louie Wurch, Richard J. Giannone, Bernard S Belisle, Carolyn Swift, et al.. "Genomics-informed isolation and characterization of a symbiotic Nanoarchaeota system from a terrestrial geothermal environment" Nature Communications (2016) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/anna-louise_reysenbach/16/