Title - Human and Bacterial Genome Differ in Many Ways

Name - Noor-E-Khadiza Shama

ID – 1921168

Genome refers to the genetic material, DNA and RNA of an organism. It is the blueprint of life.

While the human genome consist of 46 linear chromosomes with approximately 3000

megabases, the genome of bacteria like E.coli comprises of circular chromosome with around 4.6

megabases. Humans being called eukaryotes have a fully developed nucleus to house their

chromosome, while bacteria are prokaryotes as they lack a nucleus and their DNA is found in the

cytoplasm. The genome of human and bacteria can be differentiated based on a variety of

factors, which are:-

1. Ploidy: Bacteria are haploid have a single set of unpaired chromosomes, though they

show conjugation hence they are at times considered as merozygote (partial diploid). On

the other hand, humans are diploid and so have two sets of chromosomes, each from one

parent, only their gametes are haploid.

2. Nucleoproteins: In human, large amount of DNA must be packed in a small space. To

do so, DNA is supercoiled around numerous histone proteins (histone octamer). In

bacteria, histones are absent so DNA is coiled around certain histone like proteins.

3. Introns: The non-coding regions of DNA are called introns which is present in human at

intervals between exons which is the coding region. But as transcription and translation is
 coupled in bacteria, there is no post-transcriptional modification or intron splicing, that is

why introns are absent in bacteria.

4. Alternative splicing: During post transcriptional modification in human, alternative

splicing may take place, which means multiple proteins may result from one gene. Unlike

human, bacterial transcription and translation occurs simultaneously so there is no

splicing and so multiple proteins cannot result from one gene.

5. Operons: Bacterial genome is a single continuous sequence where linked genes coding

for functionally related proteins are clustered along the DNA and arranged in a regulatory

system called operon. On the other hand, eukaryotes have continuous coding sequence

called exons interrupted by cluster of non-coding introns.

6. Extra Chromosomal DNA: Other than chromosomal DNA, bacteria have small circular

double-stranded DNA called plasmid which is absent in human. But unlike bacteria,

humans have DNA inside organelles like mitochondria.

7. Number of genes: Human genome project has identified that human genome consist

roughly about 25000 genes while bacterial genome contains approximately 1000 genes

8. Reading Frame: Bacteria have polycistronic DNA, which means their codons are

overlapping and there are multiple reading frames in a single part of DNA. Humans have

monocistronic DNA, which means their codons are non-overlapping so there are single

reaading frames in their DNA

9. Insertion sequence: Bacteria and human both has transposons but only bacterial genome

consists of insertion sequence (IS).

Apart from all the structural differences, the genome of bacteria and human vary significantly

based on how their genes are expressed to carry out a particular function.

Gene regulation

In bacteria, genes are found in operons where there is a single promoter for all the genes in one

operon. They also having regulatory sequence to which regulatory proteins may bind to promote

or inhibit transcription. Operons can be inducible that is they must be turned on, others are

repressible which means they are switched on by default. Unlike human, pre-mRNA is formed in

bacteria as no RNA splicing takes place.

In human, gene regulation involves several factors. Unlike bacteria, humans have a large

proportion of non-coding DNA which plays a role in gene expression. During gene expression,

chromatin accessibility is the primary factor where transcription is allowed only in euchromatin

state.. Then transcription factor binds to either promoter or repressor region of DNA. Binding to

the promoter will result in transcription forming mRNA. RNA processing that is splicing,

capping and tailing takes place and then translation occurs which results into protein.