The bacterial chromosome.
Bacteria represent the vast majority of biological diversity found on Earth. In this review, we focus on selected aspects of their genetic material, those providing insight into structural, functional, dynamic, and evolutionary aspects of their genomes. Bacterial chromosomes are far more dynamic than previously realized, and dozens of mechanisms giving rise to genomic plasticity are now understood. Maturation of the genomics era has provided the tools for unraveling the interwoven details of DNA structure/function relationships that provide a basis for organismal diversity. Some of the most throughly understood processes that underlie the dynamics of genomic structure and function in prokaryotes are examined.
Saier
Milton H
MH
Division of Biological Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0116, USA. msaier@ucsd.edu
D001483:Base Sequence; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004278:DNA, Superhelical / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics*; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004278:DNA, Superhelical