title: Emergent properties of reduced-genome Escherichia coli.
abstract: With the use of synthetic biology, we reduced the Escherichia coli K-12 genome by making planned, precise deletions. The multiple-deletion series (MDS) strains, with genome reductions up to 15%, were designed by identifying nonessential genes and sequences for elimination, including recombinogenic or mobile DNA and cryptic virulence genes, while preserving good growth profiles and protein production. Genome reduction also led to unanticipated beneficial properties: high electroporation efficiency and accurate propagation of recombinant genes and plasmids that were unstable in other strains. Eradication of stress-induced transposition evidently stabilized the MDS genomes and provided some of the new properties.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Center, H-6726 Szeged, Hungary. posfaigy@nucleus.szbk.u-szeged.hu
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pósfai
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Plunkett
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fehér
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frisch
authors.forename: Günther M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.forename: Kinga
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umenhoffer
authors.forename: Vitaliy
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kolisnychenko
authors.forename: Buffy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: Shamik S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Arruda
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burland
authors.forename: Sarah W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Harcum
authors.forename: Frederick R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Blattner
mesh_terms: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D048168:Escherichia coli K12 / Q000235:genetics*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016296:Mutagenesis; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D004269:DNA, Bacterial