Novel Small Repetitive Sequences in Bacterial Genomes
Jeff Elhai
Center for the Study of Biological Complexity
Virginia Commonwealth University

January 25 , 2008 3:00 PM
Schaap 1019

A surprising fraction of the human genome is made up of repeated sequences -- mostly transposons. Repeated sequences are much less abundant in bacterial genomes, but the genome of the cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme represents an extreme case. It contains families of small dispersed repeats, ranging from 21 to 28 nucleotides, that that occur hundreds of times in the genome. No known mechanism of dispersal appears capable of explaining the sometimes rapid propagation of these sequences, which appear to be the smallest mobile sequences yet described – 40 times smaller than typical transposons and arguably a new form of molecular life.

Equally interesting is the process by which these repeated sequences were found, a combination of chance and dogged pursuit. Chance has always played an important role in basic discoveries, but with the availability of massive data sets, biologists must retool to allow important accidents to be recognized and exploited. A new knowledge and programming environment will be described that may be usable by biologists without computational experience.

Biography

Jeff Elhai has been at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2001, helping to initiate its bioinformatics programs. He is currently director of VCU's Bioinformatics and Bioengineering Summer Institute (www.vcu.edu/csbc/bbsi), which invites undergraduates from all over the U.S. to participate in intense research experiences. Prior to coming to VCU, Jeff was on the faculty of University of Richmond and Florida International University, trying to understand the molecular basis of patterned differentiation by cyanobacteria and their symbiotic interactions with plants.

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