Every Gene Identified in Bacterium That Causes Stomach Ulcers, Cancer
From Times staff and wire reports
U.S. researchers have identified every gene in the microbe that causes stomach ulcers and cancer, calling it “fundamental” information that will be used by scientists for centuries. Craig Venter and his team at the Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Md., report today in the journal Nature that they have completely sequenced the genome of Helicobacter pylori, which infects more than half the world’s population.
The bacterium has 1,590 genes arranged on a single, circular chromosome, the team reported. Humans have 100,000 genes on 23 pairs of chromosomes. Analysis of the bacterium’s genes shows it is similar to other bacteria, such as its cousin Escherichia coli, and probably eats glucose, as well as amino acids.
