title: The information transfer system of halophilic archaea.
abstract: Information transfer is fundamental to all life forms. In the third domain of life, the archaea, many of the genes functioning in these processes are similar to their eukaryotic counterparts, including DNA replication and repair, basal transcription, and translation genes, while many transcriptional regulators and the overall genome structure are more bacterial-like. Among halophilic (salt-loving) archaea, the genomes commonly include extrachromosomal elements, many of which are large megaplasmids or minichromosomes. With the sequencing of genomes representing ten different genera of halophilic archaea and the availability of genetic systems in two diverse models, Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 and Haloferax volcanii, a large number of genes have now been annotated, classified, and studied. Here, we review the comparative genomic, genetic, and biochemical work primarily aimed at the information transfer system of halophilic archaea, highlighting gene conservation and differences in the chromosomes and the large extrachromosomal elements among these organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Melinda D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Capes
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Coker
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gessler
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grinblat-Huse
authors.forename: Satyajit L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: DasSarma
authors.forename: Christopher G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Jong-Myoung
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: DasSarma
authors.forename: Shiladitya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: DasSarma
mesh_terms: D002843:Chromatin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004260:DNA Repair; D004261:DNA Replication; D019848:Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal; D020745:Genome, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D016931:Halobacteriales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D018741:Replication Origin; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin