Publications by authors named "Michael L Cui"
Bacteriophages constitute one of the largest reservoirs of genes of unknown function in the biosphere. Even in well-characterized phages, the functions of most genes remain unknown. Experimental approaches to study phage gene fitness and function at genome scale are lacking, partly because phages subvert many modern functional genomics tools.
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- Asgard archaea, key ancestors of Eukaryotes, have mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that are not well understood, and this study investigates two complete genomes from the Atabeyarchaeia lineage to explore these elements.
- The research identifies 18 MGEs in Atabeyarchaeia, including a notable 20.67 kbp circular plasmid and specific viruses that might influence their evolution through gene interactions.
- Differences in defense mechanisms, such as restriction-modification systems, between Atabeyarchaeia and another Asgard archaea, Freyarchaeia, highlight how these systems can affect the relationship with MGEs and contribute to genetic diversity in these organisms.*