Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Bioinformatics tools used in agricultural research do not markedly differ from those
developed within the health sector, and the differences are due to the fact that genetic
modifications in plants and animals are legally allowed. There is a wealth of specific
databases among which those referring to the regulatory aspects of genetic modifications
and biodiversity are of special importance.
Table 1
. Some industrially important microbial species whose genome sequence has
been determined.
Biotechnological
products
Genome
(Mb)
Microorganisms
References
Saccharomyces
cerevisiae
Beer, bread, ethanol, yeast biomass,
human recombinant proteins
12.1
[23]
Lactococcus
lactis
Cheese
and
other
dairy
2.4
[24]
fermentations
Lactobacillus
plantarum
See ref. in
[25]
Various fermentations
3.3
Corynebacterium
glutamicum
L-glutamic acid, L-phenylalanine
3.3
[26]
Aspergillus
niger
Citric
acid,
gluconic
acid,
See ref. in
[25]
30.0
glucoamylase
Bacillus
subtilis
Food enzymes
4.2
[27]
Escherichia
coli
Human recombinant proteins
4.6
[28]
Streptomyces
coelicolor
Model
species
of
antibiotic
8.6
[29]
producers
Streptomyces
avermitilis
Antiparasitic avermectin
9.0
[30]
3. Industrial Microorganisms
Apart from human pathogens, the sequencing of genomes of industrial micro-organisms is
also important from the point of view for their application in further breeding. Genome
sequencing of industrial micro-organisms, such as brewer's and baker's yeast
S. cerevisiae
or lactococci
lactis
and
plantarum
used in dairy industry, as well as genomes of some
micro-organisms whose products are used as food additives or for food processing have
also been completed. Secondary metabolites produced by
Streptomyces
species and related
genera are also important in industrial production. Among these, antibiotics like
Tetracycline and Erythromycin, antiphrastics like Avermectin, coccidiostatics like
Monensin, natural insecticides like Spinosyn, animal growth promotants and others are all
used in fighting infections in humans, animals, fishes and plants (Table 1) [22]. To explain
their application better two examples are used.
3.1 Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome sequencing
Since the industrial strains of the yeast
S. cerevisiae
have been used in a number of
biotechnological processes like baking bread as well as the production of beer, industrial
ethanol, yeast biomass and human recombinant proteins, and since these species have - as a
model eucaryote - a number of other possible applications, the knowledge about their
functional genomics will be brifely summarised as an example of industrial micro-
organism.
