Candidatus Carsonella ruddii

Candidatus Carsonella ruddii is a bacterium with a genome of only about 182 genes, making it the organism with the smallest known genome. While the bacterium from 160,000 genetic blocks or 182 genes is, a person has more than three billion building blocks and 30,000 genes. This Carsonella ruddii omitted even to genes that researchers had previously classified as essential.

The bacterium lives endosymbiontisch in specialized cells of psyllids, whose metabolism is benefiting it. On the contrary, it provides the fleas with amino acids. Through this symbiosis the bacteria may waive many genes.

This bacterium was found to be Candidatus Carsonella ruddii without further classification of the gamma proteobacteria. A culture in the laboratory is not possible because of the specialized metabolic endosymbiont as in other living cells. A position to an order or family is still open.

A publication devoted to the question of boundary between cell and organelle based genomic analysis of Carsonella ruddii and is freely available before.