Warning: The NCBI web site requires JavaScript to function. more...
Generate a file for use with external citation management software.
Clermont Université, Université d'Auvergne, Laboratoire Microorganismes Génome et Environnement, BP 10448, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France. erpeyret@iut.u-clermont1.fr
Microsporidia are fungi-related obligate intracellular parasites with a highly reduced and compact genome, as for Encephalitozoon species which harbor a genome smaller than 3 Mbp. Genome compaction is reflected by high gene density and, for larger microsporidian genomes, size variation is due to repeat elements that do not drastically affect gene density. Furthermore, these pathogens present strong host dependency illustrated by extensive gene loss. Such adaptations associated with genome compaction induced gene size reduction but also simplification of cellular processes such as transcription. Thus, microsporidia are excellent models for eukaryotic genome evolution and gene expression in the context of host-pathogen relationships.
Copyright © 2011 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.
Your browsing activity is empty.
Activity recording is turned off.
Turn recording back on