High Confidence Prediction of Essential Genes in Burkholderia Cenocepacia

Mario Juhas, Manuel Stark, Christian von Mering, Puthapoom Lumjiaktase, Derrick W Crook, Miguel A Valvano, Leo Eberl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Citations (Scopus)
123 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background: Essential genes are absolutely required for the survival of an organism. The identification of essential genes, besides being one of the most fundamental questions in biology, is also of interest for the emerging science of synthetic biology and for the development of novel antimicrobials. New antimicrobial therapies are desperately needed to treat multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex. 
Methodology/Principal Findings: We hypothesize that essential genes may be highly conserved within a group of evolutionary closely related organisms. Using a bioinformatics approach we determined that the core genome of the order Burkholderiales consists of 649 genes. All but two of these identified genes were located on chromosome 1 of Burkholderia cenocepacia. Although many of the 649 core genes of Burkholderiales have been shown to be essential in other bacteria, we were also able to identify a number of novel essential genes present mainly, or exclusively, within this order. The essentiality of some of the core genes, including the known essential genes infB, gyrB, ubiB, and valS, as well as the so far uncharacterized genes BCAL1882, BCAL2769, BCAL3142 and BCAL3369 has been confirmed experimentally in B. cenocepacia. 
Conclusions/Significance: We report on the identification of essential genes using a novel bioinformatics strategy and provide bioinformatics and experimental evidence that the large majority of the identified genes are indeed essential. The essential genes identified here may represent valuable targets for the development of novel antimicrobials and their detailed study may shed new light on the functions required to support life.
Original languageEnglish
Article numbere40064
Number of pages11
JournalPLoS ONE
Volume7
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 Jun 2012
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
  • General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'High Confidence Prediction of Essential Genes in Burkholderia Cenocepacia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this