Re: Lecture of the Week: Part X: Astrobiology


"Wirt Atmar" <atmar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:ea60n4$orf$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In this talk, Harald Huber introduces a nano-sized symbiont/parasite,
obtained from a submarine hydrothermal system, representing a new
kingdom of Archaea, the "Nanoarchaeota." These organisms are only 400
nm in diameter (in the range of large viruses). "N. equitans" exhibits
a genome size of only 490 kb, one of the smallest genomes known so far,
thus it offers the possibility of providing extraordinary insights into
the evolution of thermophily, of the minimal genetic equipment of
cells, and of inter-species communications. Almost no genes for
metabolism or biosynthesis could be detected within its genome, which
further argues for its status as a symbiont or parasite.

Very interesting. Thx Wirt.
Here are a few links to online published papers about the
Nanoarchaeota:
http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/100/22/12984
http://genomebiology.com/2005/6/5/R42
http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/22/1/85


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