NSF Award
0221798
ABSTRACT<br/><br/>At 80 by 600 microns, Epulopiscium is the largest heterotrophic bacterium that has been identified to date. It also has the unusual ability to produce multiple live offspring internally. This project takes an aggressive approach to increase our understanding of the biology of this organism by determining the complete genome sequence, and identifying the unique features of Epulopiscium that have allowed these exceptional bacteria to attain cellular sizes that are orders of magnitude larger than most bacteria. These analyses will identify genomic and cellular modifications that may have been employed in the progenitor of all eukaryotes as a first step toward the development of the contemporary eukaryotic cell. Comparative analyses with the complete genome sequences of endospore-forming bacteria will identify sporulation gene homologues in the Epulopiscium genome that can serve as targets of future analyses to determine the role of these genes in intracellular offspring production. Finally, this project will generate a physiological profile of Epulopiscium sp. based on the complete genome sequence. This component will address how the normal environment of this species (the guts of surgeonfish) may have enabled the evolution of these life-style novelties, and serve as a framework for developing culture media to grow Epulopiscium in the laboratory so that more detailed experiments on this species can be conducted. <br/><br/>Collaborations, discussions, and data exchange with both domestic and international groups that are studying Epulopiscium biology, spore-forming bacteria, and extremely large bacteria will be encouraged. Training and educational workshops will be held at The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) in Rockville, Maryland for these biologists. The project team will make every attempt to ensure that underrepresented groups are included in the students and post-doctoral candidates who will be involved for the duration of the proposed study. Sequence and microarray data will be continuously posted and updated on our public web site (www.tigr.org).
