10.1073/pnas.0730515100
Crossref journal-article
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (341)
Abstract

To estimate the minimal gene set required to sustain bacterial life in nutritious conditions, we carried out a systematic inactivation of Bacillus subtilis genes. Among ≈4,100 genes of the organism, only 192 were shown to be indispensable by this or previous work. Another 79 genes were predicted to be essential. The vast majority of essential genes were categorized in relatively few domains of cell metabolism, with about half involved in information processing, one-fifth involved in the synthesis of cell envelope and the determination of cell shape and division, and one-tenth related to cell energetics. Only 4% of essential genes encode unknown functions. Most essential genes are present throughout a wide range of Bacteria, and almost 70% can also be found in Archaea and Eucarya. However, essential genes related to cell envelope, shape, division, and respiration tend to be lost from bacteria with small genomes. Unexpectedly, most genes involved in the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway are essential. Identification of unknown and unexpected essential genes opens research avenues to better understanding of processes that sustain bacterial life.

Bibliography

Kobayashi, K., Ehrlich, S. D., Albertini, A., Amati, G., Andersen, K. K., Arnaud, M., Asai, K., Ashikaga, S., Aymerich, S., Bessieres, P., Boland, F., Brignell, S. C., Bron, S., Bunai, K., Chapuis, J., Christiansen, L. C., Danchin, A., Débarbouillé, M., Dervyn, E., … Ogasawara, N. (2003). Essential Bacillus subtilis genes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(8), 4678–4683.

Authors 99
  1. K. Kobayashi (first)
  2. S. D. Ehrlich (additional)
  3. A. Albertini (additional)
  4. G. Amati (additional)
  5. K. K. Andersen (additional)
  6. M. Arnaud (additional)
  7. K. Asai (additional)
  8. S. Ashikaga (additional)
  9. S. Aymerich (additional)
  10. P. Bessieres (additional)
  11. F. Boland (additional)
  12. S. C. Brignell (additional)
  13. S. Bron (additional)
  14. K. Bunai (additional)
  15. J. Chapuis (additional)
  16. L. C. Christiansen (additional)
  17. A. Danchin (additional)
  18. M. Débarbouillé (additional)
  19. E. Dervyn (additional)
  20. E. Deuerling (additional)
  21. K. Devine (additional)
  22. S. K. Devine (additional)
  23. O. Dreesen (additional)
  24. J. Errington (additional)
  25. S. Fillinger (additional)
  26. S. J. Foster (additional)
  27. Y. Fujita (additional)
  28. A. Galizzi (additional)
  29. R. Gardan (additional)
  30. C. Eschevins (additional)
  31. T. Fukushima (additional)
  32. K. Haga (additional)
  33. C. R. Harwood (additional)
  34. M. Hecker (additional)
  35. D. Hosoya (additional)
  36. M. F. Hullo (additional)
  37. H. Kakeshita (additional)
  38. D. Karamata (additional)
  39. Y. Kasahara (additional)
  40. F. Kawamura (additional)
  41. K. Koga (additional)
  42. P. Koski (additional)
  43. R. Kuwana (additional)
  44. D. Imamura (additional)
  45. M. Ishimaru (additional)
  46. S. Ishikawa (additional)
  47. I. Ishio (additional)
  48. D. Le Coq (additional)
  49. A. Masson (additional)
  50. C. Mauël (additional)
  51. R. Meima (additional)
  52. R. P. Mellado (additional)
  53. A. Moir (additional)
  54. S. Moriya (additional)
  55. E. Nagakawa (additional)
  56. H. Nanamiya (additional)
  57. S. Nakai (additional)
  58. P. Nygaard (additional)
  59. M. Ogura (additional)
  60. T. Ohanan (additional)
  61. M. O'Reilly (additional)
  62. M. O'Rourke (additional)
  63. Z. Pragai (additional)
  64. H. M. Pooley (additional)
  65. G. Rapoport (additional)
  66. J. P. Rawlins (additional)
  67. L. A. Rivas (additional)
  68. C. Rivolta (additional)
  69. A. Sadaie (additional)
  70. Y. Sadaie (additional)
  71. M. Sarvas (additional)
  72. T. Sato (additional)
  73. H. H. Saxild (additional)
  74. E. Scanlan (additional)
  75. W. Schumann (additional)
  76. J. F. M. L. Seegers (additional)
  77. J. Sekiguchi (additional)
  78. A. Sekowska (additional)
  79. S. J. Séror (additional)
  80. M. Simon (additional)
  81. P. Stragier (additional)
  82. R. Studer (additional)
  83. H. Takamatsu (additional)
  84. T. Tanaka (additional)
  85. M. Takeuchi (additional)
  86. H. B. Thomaides (additional)
  87. V. Vagner (additional)
  88. J. M. van Dijl (additional)
  89. K. Watabe (additional)
  90. A. Wipat (additional)
  91. H. Yamamoto (additional)
  92. M. Yamamoto (additional)
  93. Y. Yamamoto (additional)
  94. K. Yamane (additional)
  95. K. Yata (additional)
  96. K. Yoshida (additional)
  97. H. Yoshikawa (additional)
  98. U. Zuber (additional)
  99. N. Ogasawara (additional)
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Dates
Type When
Created 22 years, 4 months ago (April 15, 2003, 6:56 p.m.)
Deposited 3 years, 4 months ago (April 25, 2022, 10:05 p.m.)
Indexed 1 week, 6 days ago (Aug. 19, 2025, 6:23 a.m.)
Issued 22 years, 4 months ago (April 7, 2003)
Published 22 years, 4 months ago (April 7, 2003)
Published Online 22 years, 4 months ago (April 7, 2003)
Published Print 22 years, 4 months ago (April 15, 2003)
Funders 0

None

@article{Kobayashi_2003, title={Essential Bacillus subtilis genes}, volume={100}, ISSN={1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0730515100}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.0730515100}, number={8}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Kobayashi, K. and Ehrlich, S. D. and Albertini, A. and Amati, G. and Andersen, K. K. and Arnaud, M. and Asai, K. and Ashikaga, S. and Aymerich, S. and Bessieres, P. and Boland, F. and Brignell, S. C. and Bron, S. and Bunai, K. and Chapuis, J. and Christiansen, L. C. and Danchin, A. and Débarbouillé, M. and Dervyn, E. and Deuerling, E. and Devine, K. and Devine, S. K. and Dreesen, O. and Errington, J. and Fillinger, S. and Foster, S. J. and Fujita, Y. and Galizzi, A. and Gardan, R. and Eschevins, C. and Fukushima, T. and Haga, K. and Harwood, C. R. and Hecker, M. and Hosoya, D. and Hullo, M. F. and Kakeshita, H. and Karamata, D. and Kasahara, Y. and Kawamura, F. and Koga, K. and Koski, P. and Kuwana, R. and Imamura, D. and Ishimaru, M. and Ishikawa, S. and Ishio, I. and Le Coq, D. and Masson, A. and Mauël, C. and Meima, R. and Mellado, R. P. and Moir, A. and Moriya, S. and Nagakawa, E. and Nanamiya, H. and Nakai, S. and Nygaard, P. and Ogura, M. and Ohanan, T. and O’Reilly, M. and O’Rourke, M. and Pragai, Z. and Pooley, H. M. and Rapoport, G. and Rawlins, J. P. and Rivas, L. A. and Rivolta, C. and Sadaie, A. and Sadaie, Y. and Sarvas, M. and Sato, T. and Saxild, H. H. and Scanlan, E. and Schumann, W. and Seegers, J. F. M. L. and Sekiguchi, J. and Sekowska, A. and Séror, S. J. and Simon, M. and Stragier, P. and Studer, R. and Takamatsu, H. and Tanaka, T. and Takeuchi, M. and Thomaides, H. B. and Vagner, V. and van Dijl, J. M. and Watabe, K. and Wipat, A. and Yamamoto, H. and Yamamoto, M. and Yamamoto, Y. and Yamane, K. and Yata, K. and Yoshida, K. and Yoshikawa, H. and Zuber, U. and Ogasawara, N.}, year={2003}, month=apr, pages={4678–4683} }