Evolution of an endofungal Lifestyle: Deductions from the Burkholderia rhizoxinica Genome
2011

Genome Analysis of Burkholderia rhizoxinica

publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Gerald Lackner, Nadine Moebius, Laila P. Partida-Martinez, Sebastian Boland, Christian Hertweck

Primary Institution: Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI)

Hypothesis

How do endobacteria exchange metabolites with their fungal host and are they producers or consumers of certain nutrients and cofactors?

Conclusion

B. rhizoxinica is the first endofungal bacterium whose genome has been sequenced, revealing insights into its evolution and metabolic capabilities.

Supporting Evidence

  • The genome of B. rhizoxinica is the smallest Burkholderia genome published so far.
  • B. rhizoxinica lacks common genes dedicated to quorum sensing systems.
  • The genome shows evolutionary traces of horizontal gene transfer.
  • B. rhizoxinica has a considerable biosynthetic potential for secondary metabolite production.

Takeaway

Scientists studied a special bacterium that lives inside a fungus and found out how it might help the fungus grow and survive.

Methodology

Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis.

Limitations

The exact number of pseudogenes is difficult to estimate due to lack of well-studied reference organisms.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2164-12-210

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