Nanoarchaeum equitans
| Nanoarchaeum equitans | |
|---|---|
| |
| Two Nanoarchaeum equitans cells (and its larger host Ignicoccus) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Archaea |
| Superphylum: | DPANN |
| Phylum: | Nanoarchaeota |
| Class: | Nanoarchaeia |
| Order: | Nanoarchaeales |
| Family: | Nanoarchaeaceae |
| Genus: | Nanoarchaeum |
| Species: | N. equitans
|
| Binomial name | |
| Nanoarchaeum equitans Huber et al. 2002
| |
Nanoarchaeum equitans is a species of
N. equitans' genome consists of a single
N. equitans has small appendages that come out of its circular structure. The cell surface is covered by a thin, lattice-shaped S-layer, which provides structure and protection for the entire cell.
Genome
Mycoplasma genitalium (580 Kbp in size, with 515 protein-coding genes) was regarded as a cellular unit with the smallest genome size until 2003 when Nanoarchaeum was sequenced (491 Kbp, with 536 protein-coding genes).
Genetically, Nanoarchaeum is peculiar in that its
The sequencing of the Nanoarchaeum genome has revealed a wealth of information about the organism's biology. The genes for several vital metabolic pathways appear to be missing. Nanoarchaeum cannot synthesize most
The organism's ability to produce its own ATP is also in question.
Nanoarchaeum lacks the ability to metabolize hydrogen and sulfur for energy, as many thermophiles do. It does have five subunits of an ATP synthase as well as pathways for oxidative deamination. Whether it obtains energy from biological molecules imported from Ignicoccus, or whether it receives ATP directly is currently unknown. The genome and proteome composition of N. equitans are marked with the signatures of dual adaptation – one to high temperature and the other to obligate parasitism (or symbiosis).
See also
- Archaea
- "Candidatus Carsonella ruddii", Rickettsia, and other Pseudomonadota
- Ignicoccus
- Mycoplasma
- Smallest organisms
References
- ^ Waters E, Hohn MJ, Ahel I, Graham DE, Adams MD, Barnstead M, Beeson KY, Bibbs L, Bolanos R, Keller M, Kretz K, Lin X, Mathur E, Ni J, Podar M, Richardson T, Sutton GG, Simon M, Soll D, Stetter KO, Short JM, Noordewier M. The genome of Nanoarchaeum equitans: insights into early archaeal evolution and derived parasitism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Oct 28;100(22):12984-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1735403100. Epub 2003 Oct 17. PMID: 14566062; PMCID: PMC240731
- PMID 15892870.
- ^ Brown AM, Hoopes SL, White RH, Sarisky CA. Purine biosynthesis in archaea: variations on a theme. Biol Direct. 2011 Dec 14;6:63. doi: 10.1186/1745-6150-6-63. PMID: 22168471; PMCID: PMC3261824
- Huber, Harald; et al. (2002). "A new phylum of Archaea represented by a nanosized hyperthermophilic symbiont". S2CID 4395094. (This paper represents the first discovery of Nanoarchaeum.)
- Waters, Elizabeth; et al. (2003). "The genome of Nanoarchaeum equitans: insights into early archaeal evolution and derived parasitism". PMID 14566062. (This paper describes the genome sequence of Nanoarchaeum.)
- Brochier, Celine; Gribaldo, S; Zivanovic, Y; Confalonieri, F; et al. (2005). "Nanoarchaea: representatives of a novel archaeal phylum or a fast-evolving euryarchaeal lineage related to Thermococcales?". Genome Biology. 6 (5): R42. PMID 15892870. (Recent work suggesting that Nanoarchaeum is not a new phylum of archaea, but is a type of euryarchaeon.)
- Das, Sabyasachi; et al. (2006). "Analysis of Nanoarchaeum equitans genome and proteome composition: indications for hyperthermophilic and parasitic adaptation". BMC Genomics. 7: 186. PMID 16869956. (This paper describes the genome and proteome analysis of Nanoarchaeum.)
Further reading
Di Giulio, Massimo (January 1, 2013). "Is Nanoarchaeum equitans a paleokaryote?". Journal of Biological Research.