is still poorly understood. Budding has been observed in both radial symmetric cells, such as bacteria in the species P. limnophila, and axially symmetric cells. During cell division in members of P. limnophila, the daughter cells originate from the region opposite to the pole with the holdfast or stalk. Considerable diversity has been observed in cell division among bacteria in the Planctomycetota. During cell division in Fuerstia marisgermanicae, a tubular structure is connected from the bud to the mother cell. The species Kolteria novifilia forms a distinct clade of Planctomycetota, and is the only known species to divide by lateral budding at the middle of the cell. Lastly, members of the clade Saltatorellus are capable of switching between both binary fission and budding. Genetic characteristics Molecular signatures Planctomycetota are known for their unusual cellular characteristics, and their distinctness from all other bacteria is additionally supported by the shared presence of two conserved signature indels (CSIs). These CSIs demarcate the group from neighboring phyla within the PVC group. An additional CSI has been found that is shared by all Planctomycetota species, with the exception of Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. This supports the idea that K. stuttgartiensis forms a deep branch within the Planctomycetota phylum. A CSI has also been found to be shared by the entire PVC superphylum, including the Planctomycetota. Planctomycetota also contain an important conserved signature protein that has been characterized to play an important housekeeping function that is exclusive to members belonging to the PVC superphylum. General characteristics The genome size of Rhodopirellula baltica has been estimated to be over 7 million bases, making it one of the largest prokaryotic genomes sequenced. Extensive genome duplication takes up about 25% of the genome sequence. This may be a way for the organism to adapt to mutations, allowing for redundancy if a part of the genome is damaged. The polymerase chain reaction primer used often mismatches with the genes, creating difficulty when sequencing the genome. When comparing under a microscope, a defining characteristic for some Planctomycetota is that a single unlinked rRNA operon can be identified near the origin. The changes of genetic material is through internal chromosomal inversion, and not through lateral gene transfer. This creates a way of diversification in the Planctomycetota variants as multiple transposon genes in these regions have reverse orientation that transfers to rearrangements. Some Planctomycetota thrive in regions containing highly concentrated nitrate, and have genes that