title: What is the minimum number of dedicated functions required for a basic cell cycle?
abstract: The genome of Escherichia coli has a coding capacity for about 4500 proteins but only a small number of these appear to be specific for the periodic events (initiation of DNA replication, chromosome partitioning and cell division) that punctuate the cell-duplication cycle: furthermore, many of these cell cycle dedicated functions are dispensible under certain conditions, although their presence undoubtedly increases the fitness of the organism to survive in a competitive environment. A simplified but effective cell replication cycle can probably operate with only a few cycle-dedicated proteins, in addition to those required for cell growth itself.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Donachie
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004261:DNA Replication; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D015003:Yeasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins