Search PubMed⌕ Search

PubMed · 12793527

Genomes and evolution.

Abstract

Genomics today involves the study of many genes at a time in order to gain an integrated picture of the cell or organism as a whole. This review considers the architecture and evolution of bacterial genomes. The many facets of large-scale functional investigation in a variety of bacteria and the search to find common rules in their dynamic and structural organization are discussed. Such rules could aid the understanding of common properties and essential differences corresponding to elusive functions, or of still unknown bacterial biotopes.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Antoine Danchin. 2003. Genomes and evolution.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12793527/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

A simulation study of the dynamics of a driven filament in an Aristotelian fluid.

We describe a method, based on techniques used in molecular dynamics, for simulating the inertialess dynamics of an elastic filament immersed in a fluid. The model is used to study the "one-armed swimmer". That is, a flexible appendage externally perturbed at one extremity. For small-amplitude motion our simulations confirm theoretical predictions that, for a filament of given length and stiffness, there is a driving frequency that is optimal for both speed and efficiency. However, we find that to calculate absolute values of the swimming speed we need to slightly modify existing theoretical approaches. For the more relevant case of large-amplitude motion we find that while the basic picture remains the same, the dependence of the swimming speed on both frequency and amplitude is substantially modified. For large-amplitudes we show that the one-armed swimmer is comparatively neither inefficient nor slow. This begs the question, why are there little or no one-armed swimmers in nature?

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena↗

Chemical communication among bacteria.

Cell-cell communication in bacteria is accomplished through the exchange of chemical signal molecules called autoinducers. This process, called quorum sensing, allows bacteria to monitor their environment for the presence of other bacteria and to respond to fluctuations in the number and/or species present by altering particular behaviors. Most quorum-sensing systems are species- or group-specific, which presumably prevents confusion in mixed-species environments. However, some quorum-sensing circuits control behaviors that involve interactions among bacterial species. These quorum-sensing circuits can involve both intra- and interspecies communication mechanisms. Finally, anti-quorumsensing strategies are present in both bacteria and eukaryotes, and these are apparently designed to combat bacteria that rely on cell-cell communication for the successful adaptation to particular niches.

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena↗