This genome was sequenced by the Genoscope.
Encephalitozoon cuniculi infects various mammals,
including humans, and can cause digestive and nervous clinical
syndromes in HIV-infected or cyclosporine-treated people. Its
reproduction proceeds as a sequence of two major stages: merogony,
involving the multiplication of large, wall-lacking cells
(meronts); and sporogony, leading to small, thick-walled spores.
The sporal invasive apparatus is characterized by a long polar tube
that can be quickly extruded then used for transferring the
sporoplasm into the target cell. Consisting of 11 linear
chromosomes ranging from 217 to 315 kb, the E.
cuniculi genome is remarkably reduced (~2.9 Mb). The
nucleotide sequence of the smallest chromosome has been recently
reported. The full sequencing of this minimal genome among
eukaryotes was expected to provide insight into the metabolism and
general biology of microsporidia and to help in the understanding
of the evolutionary history of amitochondriate eukaryotes currently
considered ‘curious fungi'.
Genome Reference(s)
Peyretaillade E, Gonçalves O, Terrat S, Dugat-Bony E, Wincker P, Cornman RS, Evans JD, Delbac F, Peyret P
Identification of transcriptional signals in Encephalitozoon cuniculi widespread among Microsporidia phylum: support for accurate structural genome annotation.
BMC Genomics. 2009 Dec 15;10():607. doi: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-607
Katinka MD, Duprat S, Cornillot E, Méténier G, Thomarat F, Prensier G, Barbe V, Peyretaillade E, Brottier P, Wincker P, Delbac F, El Alaoui H, Peyret P, Saurin W, Gouy M, Weissenbach J, Vivarès CP
Genome sequence and gene compaction of the eukaryote parasite Encephalitozoon cuniculi.
Nature. 2001 Nov 22;414(6862):450-3. doi: 10.1038/35106579