Genome sequence and gene compaction of the eukaryote parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi

Michaël D. Katinka, Simone Duprat, Emmanuel Cornillot, Guy Méténier, Fabienne Thomarat, Gérard Prensier, Valérie Barbe, Eric Peyretaillade, Philippe Brottier, Patrick Wincker, Frédéric Delbac, Hicham El Alaoui, Pierre Peyret, William Saurin, Manolo Gouy, Jean Weissenbach and Christian P. Vivarès ()
Additional contact information
Michaël D. Katinka: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Simone Duprat: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Emmanuel Cornillot: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Guy Méténier: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Fabienne Thomarat: Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université Lyon I
Gérard Prensier: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Valérie Barbe: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Eric Peyretaillade: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Philippe Brottier: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Patrick Wincker: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Frédéric Delbac: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Hicham El Alaoui: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
Pierre Peyret: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal
William Saurin: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Manolo Gouy: Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR CNRS 5558, Université Lyon I
Jean Weissenbach: Genoscope, UMR CNRS 8030, CP 5706
Christian P. Vivarès: Parasitologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Laboratoire de Biologie des Protistes, UMR CNRS 6023, Université Blaise Pascal

Nature, 2001, vol. 414, issue 6862, 450-453

Abstract: Abstract Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites infesting many animal groups1. Lacking mitochondria and peroxysomes, these unicellular eukaryotes were first considered a deeply branching protist lineage2 that diverged before the endosymbiotic event that led to mitochondria. The discovery of a gene for a mitochondrial-type chaperone3,4,5 combined with molecular phylogenetic data6,7,8,9 later implied that microsporidia are atypical fungi that lost mitochondria during evolution. Here we report the DNA sequences of the 11 chromosomes of the ∼2.9-megabase (Mb) genome of Encephalitozoon cuniculi (1,997 potential protein-coding genes). Genome compaction is reflected by reduced intergenic spacers and by the shortness of most putative proteins relative to their eukaryote orthologues. The strong host dependence is illustrated by the lack of genes for some biosynthetic pathways and for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Phylogenetic analysis lends substantial credit to the fungal affiliation of microsporidia. Because the E. cuniculi genome contains genes related to some mitochondrial functions (for example, Fe–S cluster assembly), we hypothesize that microsporidia have retained a mitochondrion-derived organelle.

Date: 2001
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DOI: 10.1038/35106579

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