title: The composite genome of the legume symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.
abstract: The scarcity of usable nitrogen frequently limits plant growth. A tight metabolic association with rhizobial bacteria allows legumes to obtain nitrogen compounds by bacterial reduction of dinitrogen (N2) to ammonium (NH4+). We present here the annotated DNA sequence of the alpha-proteobacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti, the symbiont of alfalfa. The tripartite 6.7-megabase (Mb) genome comprises a 3.65-Mb chromosome, and 1.35-Mb pSymA and 1.68-Mb pSymB megaplasmids. Genome sequence analysis indicates that all three elements contribute, in varying degrees, to symbiosis and reveals how this genome may have emerged during evolution. The genome sequence will be useful in understanding the dynamics of interkingdom associations and of life in soil environments.
authors.affiliation: UMR6061-CNRS, Laboratoire de Génétique et Développement, Faculté de Médecine, 2 avenue du Pr. Léon Bernard, F-35043 Rennes cedex, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galibert
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Finan
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puhler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abola
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ampe
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barloy-Hubler
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boistard
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bothe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boutry
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bowser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buhrmester
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cadieu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Capela
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chain
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cowie
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dreano
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Federspiel
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gloux
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Godrie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goffeau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gouzy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gurjal
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernandez-Lucas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huizar
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalman
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Komp
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lelaure
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masuy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Palm
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Peck
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Portetelle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Purnelle
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ramsperger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Surzycki
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thebault
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vandenbol
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Vorholter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weidner
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Batut
mesh_terms: D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020043:Genes, Essential; D005809:Genes, Regulator; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D000455:Medicago sativa / Q000382:microbiology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012093:Replicon; D012230:Rhizobiaceae / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016962:Sinorhizobium meliloti / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D009584:Nitrogen