Team:Alberta/References/Publications/The replication-related organization of bacterial genomes

Eduardo P. C. Rocha

Microbiology (2004), 150, 1609–1627


'''Abstract:''' The replication of the chromosome is among the most essential functions of the bacterial cell
and influences many other cellular mechanisms, from gene expression to cell division. Yet the
way it impacts on the bacterial chromosome was not fully acknowledged until the availability of
complete genomes allowed one to look upon genomes as more than bags of genes. Chromosomal
replication includes a set of asymmetric mechanisms, among which are a division in a lagging
and a leading strand and a gradient between early and late replicating regions. These differences
are the causes of many of the organizational features observed in bacterial genomes, in terms
of both gene distribution and sequence composition along the chromosome. When asymmetries
or gradients increase in some genomes, e.g. due to a different composition of the DNA
polymerase or to a higher growth rate, so do the corresponding biases. As some of the features
of the chromosome structure seem to be under strong selection, understanding such biases
is important for the understanding of chromosome organization and adaptation. Inversely,
understanding chromosome organization may shed further light on questions relating to
replication and cell division. Ultimately, the understanding of the interplay between these
different elements will allow a better understanding of bacterial genetics and evolution.


'''Link:''' [http://mic.sgmjournals.org/cgi/reprint/150/6/1609.pdf Microbiology]