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Mycoplasma genitalium

Mycoplasma genitalium G-37
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Bacteria
Division:Firmicutes
Class:Mollicutes
Family:Mycoplasmataceae
Genus:Mycoplasma
Species:M. genitalium
Strain:G-37

Mycoplasm genitalium is a parasitic bacterium which lives in the primate genital and respiratory tracts. It is of special interest for biologists because it is considered to be the organism with the smallest genome, aside from viruses and the recently discovered Nanoarchaeum. The genome of Mycoplasma genitalium consists of 580 kbp (kilo base pairs). It was sequenced by Fraser et al. (Science 270:397-403 (1995)).