Anatomy of

Prokaryotic Genome

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 1

Physical features of Prokaryotic Genomes

Enzymes involved in supercoiling: DNA gyrase and DNA topoisomerases

Proteins involved: Protein HU, integration host factor (IHF)
Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 2
• Most of the bacteria have a single circular DNA molecule.

• But increasing numbers of bacteria having linear DNA molecule are being
found.
Examples: Borrelia burgdorferi, Streptomyces coelicolor, Agrobacterium
tumefaciens.

• The genomes of these bacteria require terminal structures similar to the

telomeres of eukaryotic chromosomes.

• Some prokaryotes have multipartite genome-genome that are divided into

two or more DNA molecules. Example: Vibrio cholerae – has two circular DNA
molecules with majority of genes located in the larger DNA molecule.

Smaller genomes in multipartite genomes- Megaplasmid??

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 3
Organization of genes in Prokaryotic Genomes

Bacterial genomes have a compact genetic organization with very little

space between genes.
Example: In E. coli the non-coding DNA is only 11% of the total.

Benefits of compact organization?

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 4

• Discontinuous genes are virtually absent in prokaryotes. Exceptions-
some archaea species.

• Most of the prokaryotic genomes do not have high-copy number genome-

wide repeat sequences that are found in eukaryotic genomes.

• Presence of operons are characteristic features of prokaryotic genomes.

An operon is a group of genes that are located adjacent to one another

in the genome, with perhaps just one or two nucleotides between the
end of one gene and the start of the next. All the genes in an operon
are expressed as a single unit.

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 5

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 6
Eukaryotic organelle
Genomes

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 7

Eukaryotic organelles having their own genome- Extrachromosomal genes

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 8

Endosymbiont theory
Mitochondria and chloroplast are the relics of free-living bacteria that
formed a symbiotic association with the precursor of the eukaryotic cell.
• Gene expression processes occurring in organelles are similar in many
respects to equivalent processes in bacteria.

• Organelle genes are found to be more similar to equivalent genes from

bacteria than they are to eukaryotic nuclear genes.

Promiscuous DNA: The sequence of DNA seen in more than one organelle.
DNA transfer from organelle to nucleus and between the organelles occurs.

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 9

• Chloroplast genomes in some species are split into many small circles each
containing just a single gene.

• Mitochondrial genome sizes are variable and are unrelated to the complexity of the
organism. Human mitochondrial genome is 16569 bp.

• Chloroplast genomes are less variable in their size.

• Mitochondrial genome contains genes for rRNA and at least some of the protein
components of the respiratory chain.

• Most chloroplast genomes appear to possess the same set of 200 or so genes, again
coding for rRNAs and tRNAs, as well as ribosomal proteins and proteins involved in
photosynthesis.

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 10

Dr. Chockalingam, NIT Warangal 11