Functions for orphan genes | Nature

Credit: ADAPTED FROM REF.5 BY JAY HINTON From the paper by Blattner _et al_.5, the proportion of genes in _Escherichia coli_ that are dedicated to known functions is estimated. Importantly,

30-40 per cent of genes have no known function, and are not obviously related to genes of known function. So what do they do? It is generally accepted that by conventional biochemistry and

genetics we have identified most (perhaps 80 per cent) of the genes that are required for the biochemical and regulatory pathways necessary for the normal life of the _E_. _coli_ cell: it

seems unlikely that all these ‘orphan’ genes will be required to fill in the ‘gaps’. Perhaps the unidentified genes serve complex functions, such as: • Survival in unusual environments, or

within host cells • Integrating and coordinating the known metabolic pathways • Organizing the chromosome, replication and transcription within the confined space of the cell • Creating

local environments within the cell • Memory or communication Finally, we should not discount the possibility that although these orphan genes may not encode a communication system with Alpha

Centauri, they may yet yield surprises. REFERENCES * Hale, T. L._et al._ _ Infect. Immun_. 40, 340–350 (1983). Google Scholar  * Riley, L. W._et al._ _ N. Engl. J. Med_. 308, 681–685

(1983). Google Scholar  * Cross, A. S._et al._ _ J. Infect. Dis_. 149, 184–193 (1984). Google Scholar  * Fleischmann, R. D. _ et al. Science_ 269, 496–512 (1995). Google Scholar  * Blattner,

F. R. _ et al. Science_ 277, 1453–1461 (1997). Google Scholar  * Schaechter, M. & Neidhardt, F. C. in Escherichia coli _and_ Salmonella typhimurium (eds Neidhardt, F. C. et al.) 1-2

(ASM, Washington, 1987). * Neidhardt, F. C. et al.(eds) Escherichia coli _ and_ Salmonella 2nd edn (ASM, Washington, 1996). * Cairns, J., Stent, G. S. & Watson, J. D. (eds) _ Phage and

the Origins of Molecular Biology_ (Cold Spring Harbor, New York, 1966). Download references Authors * E. Richard Moxon View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar * Christopher F. Higgins View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS

ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Moxon, E., Higgins, C. Functions for orphan genes. _Nature_ 389, 120 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/38110 Download citation * Issue Date: 11 September 1997 * DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1038/38110 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently

available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative