Beyond genomics in Patescibacteria: A trove of unexplored biology packed into ultrasmall bacteria

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Srinivas, Pooja; Peterson, S. Brook; Gallagher, Larry A.; Wang, Yaxi; Mougous, Joseph D.
• 署名单位: University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-13410
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2419369121
• 发表日期: 2024-12-09
• 关键词: microbial diversity; division tm7; dark-matter; insights

摘要

Patescibacteria, also known as the Candidate Phyla Radiation, are a diverse clade of largely uncultivated, small bacteria that comprise a significant proportion of all bacterial diversity. The few members that have been cultivated exhibit a fascinating life cycle in which they grow as obligate epibionts on the surface of host bacteria. In this Perspective, we make the case that the study of these unique, divergent, and poorly characterized organisms represents an exciting frontier in microbiology. This burgeoning field has already achieved several critical breakthroughs, including metagenomic sequence- based reconstructions of the metabolic and biosynthetic capabilities of diverse Patescibacteria and the development of generalizable strategies for their cultivation and genetic manipulation. We argue these that advances, among others, should pave the way toward a molecular understanding of the complex interactions that undoubtedly underpin the relationship between Patescibacteria and their hosts.