title: The complexity of simplicity.
abstract: What is the minimum number of genes or functions necessary to support cellular life? The concept of a 'minimal genome' has become popular, but is it a useful concept, and if so, what might a minimal genome encode? We argue that the concept may be useful, even though the goal of defining a general minimal genome may never be attained.
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA. scottp@tigr.org
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Fraser
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D009174:Mycoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development