Physical mapping of the plastid genome from the chlorophyll c-containing alga, Cryptomonas ?

Distribution of Chromophytic Phytoplankton in the Eddy-Induced Upwelling Region of the West Pacific Ocean Revealed Using rbcL Genes

Marine chromophytic phytoplankton are a diverse group of algae and contribute significantly to the total oceanic primary production. However, the spatial distribution of chromophytic phytoplankton is understudied in the West Pacific Ocean (WPO). In this study, we have investigated the community structure and spatial distribution of chromophytic phytoplankton using RuBisCO genes (Form ID rbcL). Our results showed that Haptophyceae, Pelagophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Xanthophyceae, and Bacillariophyceae were the dominant groups. Further, chromophytic phytoplankton can be distinguished between upwelling and non-upwelling zones of the WPO. Surface and 75 m depths of a non-upwelling area were dominated by Prochlorococcus strains, whereas chromophytic phytoplankton were homogenously distributed at the surface layer in the upwelling zone. Meanwhile, Pelagomonas-like sequences were dominant at DCM (75 m) and 150 m depths of the upwelling zone. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis did not differentiate between chromophytic phytoplankton in the upwelling and non-upwelling areas, however, it showed clear trends of them at different depths. Further, redundancy analysis (RDA) showed the influence of physicochemical parameters on the distribution of chromophytic phytoplankton. Along with phosphate (p < 0.01), temperature and other dissolved nutrients were important in driving community structure. The upwelling zone was impacted by a decrease in temperature, salinity, and re-supplement of nutrients, where Pelagomonas-like sequences outnumbered other chromophytic groups presented.

Diversity and Spatial Distribution of Chromophytic Phytoplankton in the Bay of Bengal Revealed by RuBisCO Genes (rbcL)

Phytoplankton are the basis of primary production and play important roles in regulating energy export in marine ecosystems. Compared to other regions, chromophytic phytoplankton are considerably understudied in the Bay of Bengal (BOB). Here, we investigated community structure and spatial distribution of chromophytic phytoplankton in the BOB by using RuBisCO genes (Form ID rbcL). High throughput sequencing of rbcL genes revealed that diatoms, cyanobacteria (Cyanophyceae), Pelagophyceae, Haptophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Eustigamatophyceae, Xanthophyceae, Cryptophyceae, Dictyochophyceae, and Pinguiophyceae were the most abundant groups recovered in the BOB. Abundances and distribution of diatoms and Pelagophyceae were further verified using quantitative PCR analyses which showed the dominance of these groups near the Equator region (p < 0.01) where upwelling was likely the source of nutrients. Further, redundancy analysis demonstrated that temperature was an important environmental driver in structuring distributions of Cyanophyceae and dominant chromophytic phytoplankton. Morphological identification and quantification confirmed the dominance of diatoms, and also detected other cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates that were missing in our molecular characterizations. Pearson’s correlations of these morphologically identified phytoplankton with environmental gradients also indicated that nutrients and temperature were key variables shaping community structure. Combination of molecular characterization and morphological identification provided a comprehensive overview of chromophytic phytoplankton. This is the first molecular study of chromophytic phytoplankton accomplished in the BOB, and our results highlight a combination of molecular analysis targeting rbcL genes and microscopic detection in examining phytoplankton composition and diversity.

Novel nucleomorph genome architecture in the cryptomonad genus hemiselmis

Cryptomonads are ubiquitous aquatic unicellular eukaryotes that acquired photosynthesis through the uptake and retention of a red algal endosymbiont. The nuclear genome of the red alga persists in a highly reduced form termed a nucleomorph. The nucleomorph genome of the model cryptomonad Guillardia theta has been completely sequenced and is a mere 551 kilobases (kb) in size, spread over three chromosomes. The presence of three chromosomes appears to be a universal characteristic of nucleomorph genomes in cryptomonad algae as well as in the chlorarachniophytes, an unrelated algal lineage with a nucleomorph and plastid genome derived from a green algal endosymbiont. Another feature of nucleomorph genomes in all cryptomonads and chlorarachniophytes examined thus far is the presence of subtelomeric ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeats at the ends of each chromosome. Here we describe the first exception to this canonical nucleomorph genome architecture in the cryptomonad Hemiselmis rufescens CCMP644. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), we estimate the size of the H. rufescens nucleomorph genome to be approximately 580 kb, slightly larger than the G. theta genome. Unlike the situation in G. theta and all other known cryptomonads, sub-telomeric repeats of the rDNA cistron appear to be absent on both ends of the second largest chromosome in H. rufescens and two other members of this genus. Southern hybridizations using a variety of nucleomorph protein gene probes against PFGE-separated H. rufescens chromosomes indicate that recombination has been a major factor in shaping the karyotype and genomic structure of cryptomonad nucleomorphs.

The highly reduced genome of an enslaved algal nucleus

Chromophyte algae differ fundamentally from plants in possessing chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll c and that have a more complex bounding-membrane topology. Although chromophytes are known to be evolutionary chimaeras of a red alga and a non-photosynthetic host, which gave rise to their exceptional membrane complexity, their cell biology is poorly understood. Cryptomonads are the only chromophytes that still retain the enslaved red algal nucleus as a minute nucleomorph. Here we report complete sequences for all three nucleomorph chromosomes from the cryptomonad Guillardia theta. This tiny 551-kilobase eukaryotic genome is the most gene-dense known, with only 17 diminutive spliceosomal introns and 44 overlapping genes. Marked evolutionary compaction hundreds of millions of years ago eliminated nearly all the nucleomorph genes for metabolic functions, but left 30 for chloroplast-located proteins. To allow expression of these proteins, nucleomorphs retain hundreds of genetic-housekeeping genes. Nucleomorph DNA replication and periplastid protein synthesis require the import of many nuclear gene products across endoplasmic reticulum and periplastid membranes. The chromosomes have centromeres, but possibly only one loop domain, offering a means for studying eukaryotic chromosome replication, segregation and evolution.

Identification and characterization of a eukaryotically encoded rubredoxin in a cryptomonad alga

We have identified an open reading frame with homology to prokaryotic rubredoxins (rds) on a nucleomorph chromosome of the cryptomonad alga Guillardia theta. cDNA analysis let us propose that the rd preprotein has an NH(2)-terminal extension that functions as a transit peptide for import into the plastid. Compared to rds found in non-photosynthetic prokaryotes or found in bacteria that exhibit an anoxigenic photosynthesis apparatus, nucleomorph rd has a COOH-terminal extension, which shows high homology exclusively to the COOH-termini of cyanobacterial rds as well as to a hypothetical rd in the Arabidopsis genome. This extension can be divided into a putative membrane anchor and a stretch of about 20 amino acids with unknown function linking the common rd fold to this anchor. Overexpression of nucleomorph rd in Escherichia coli using a T7 RNA polymerase/promotor system resulted in a mixture of iron-containing holorubredoxin and zinc-substituted protein. Preliminary spectroscopic studies of the iron form of nucleomorph rd suggest the existence of a native rd-type iron site. One-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of recombinant Zn-rd suggests the presence of a stable tertiary fold similar to that of other rd structures determined previously.

The heme oxygenase gene (pbsA) in the red alga Rhodella violacea is discontinuous and transcriptionally activated during iron limitation

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the opening of the heme ring with the release of iron in both plants and animals. In cyanobacteria, red algae, and cryptophyceae, HO is a key enzyme in the synthesis of the chromophoric part of the photosynthetic antennae. In an attempt to study the regulation of this key metabolic step, we cloned and sequenced the pbsA gene encoding this enzyme from the red alga Rhodella violacea. The gene is located on the chloroplast genome, split into three distant exons, and is presumably expressed by a trans-splicing mechanism. The deduced polypeptide sequence is homologous to other reported HOs from organisms containing phycobilisomes (Porphyra purpurea and Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803) and, to a lesser extent, to vertebrate enzymes. The expression is transcriptionally activated under iron deprivation, a stress condition frequently encountered by algae, suggesting a second role for HO as an iron-mobilizing agent in photosynthetic organisms.

The photosynthetic endosymbiont in cryptomonad cells produces both chloroplast and cytoplasmic-type ribosomes

Cryptomonad algae contain a photosynthetic, eukaryotic endosymbiont. The endosymbiont is much reduced but retains a small nucleus. DNA from this endosymbiont nucleus encodes rRNAs, and it is presumed that these rRNAs are incorporated into ribosomes. Surrounding the endosymbiont nucleus is a small volume of cytoplasm proposed to be the vestigial cytoplasm of the endosymbiont. If this compartment is indeed the endosymbiont's cytoplasm, it would be expected to contain ribosomes with components encoded by the endosymbiont nucleus. In this paper, we used in situ hybridization to localize rRNAs encoded by the endosymbiont nucleus of the cryptomonad alga, Cryptomonas phi. Transcripts of the endosymbiont rRNA gene were observed within the endosymbiont nucleus, and in the compartment thought to represent the endosymbiont's cytoplasm. These results indicate that the endosymbiont produces its own set of cytoplasmic translation machinery. We also localized transcripts of the host nucleus rRNA gene. These transcripts were found in the nucleolus of the host nucleus, and throughout the host cytoplasm, but never in the endosymbiont compartment. Our rRNA localizations indicate that the cryptomonad cell produces two different of sets of cytoplasmic-type ribosomes in two separate subcellular compartments. The results suggest that there is no exchange of rRNAs between these compartments. We also used the probe specific for the endosymbiont rRNA gene to identify chromosomes from the endosymbiont nucleus in pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Like other cryptomonads, the endosymbiont nucleus of Cryptomonas phi contains three small chromosomes.

cDNA cloning and characterization of the nuclear gene encoding chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from the marine red alga Gracilaria verrucosa

Using a PCR-generated homologous probe, we have recovered a cDNA (GapA cDNA) encoding the complete 338 amino-acid chloroplast GAPDH of the marine red alga Gracilaria verrucosa, together with its 78 amino-acid transit peptide. This cDNA was readily aligned with chloroplast-localized GAPDH genes (GapA and GapB) of green plants. The proline residue which contributes to the specificity of NAD+ binding to cytosolic GAPDHs is absent from the deduced polypeptide chain of G. verrucosa GapA as is also the case in the chloroplast GAPDHs of plants. The transit peptide shows a high proportion of random coil, an amino-terminal Met-Ala dipeptide, a high content of hydroxylamino acids, and a net positive charge. The polyadenylation signal appears to be AGTAAA. Genomic Southern-hybridization data indicate that only one chloroplast-GAPDH gene may occur in G. verrucosa. Bootstrapped parsimony trees indicate that the G. verrucosa GapA gene is a sister group to plant chloroplast-GAPDH genes, and are most readily interpreted as showing that red algal and plant chloroplast-localized GAPDHs arose in a single endosymbiotic event.

Two amino-acid biosynthetic genes are encoded on the plastid genome of the red alga Porphyra umbilicalis

To isolate the gene encoding the amino-acid biosynthetic enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS) from the red alga Porphyra umbilicalis, PCR experiments were carried out using P. umbilicalis DNA as the template and degenerate oligonucleotides representing conserved regions of ALS amino-acid sequences. Interestingly, the PCR product (0.9 kb) hybridized exclusively to the plastid DNA of this red alga. DNA sequencing of two contiguous EcoRI plastid DNA clones revealed a 590 amino-acid open reading frame with 55 to 61% identity to cyanobacterial ALS sequences. A second gene (argB) encoding another amino-acid biosynthetic enzyme, N-acetylglutamate kinase, was identified upstream of, and on the opposite strand to the gene encoding ALS (ilvB). This is the first molecular characterization of a gene for an arginine biosynthetic enzyme from any plant. In addition, two tRNA genes, trnT(GGU) and trnY(GUA), were detected downstream from ilvB while four tRNA genes, trnfM(CAU), trnA(GGC), trnA(GGC), trnS(-GCU) and trnD(GUC), were found downstream from argB. trnA(GGC) is not found in the chloroplast genomes of land plants.

Large ATP synthase operon of the red alga Antithamnion sp. resembles the corresponding operon in cyanobacteria

The large plastid ATP synthase operon of the multicellular red alga Antithamnion sp. was cloned and the sequence of six ATPase genes determined. The operon resembles more the one from cyanobacteria than the ATP synthase operon of the chloroplast genome. The gene order is atpI, H, G, F, D and A, coding for the ATPase subunits a, c, b', b, delta and alpha, respectively. In green plants, the genes atpG and atpD are located in the nucleus. Unlike the situation in three published cyanobacterial ATP synthase operons, atpC, coding for the gamma subunit, is not a part of the rhodoplast operon. A single 4.5 kb transcript was detected with atpG, F, D and A gene probes that could span the whole operon, but no transcript could be detected with atpI and atpH probes. The end of an open reading frame preceding the atp genes shows remarkable homology to elongation factor TS from Escherichia coli. Behind the ATPase cluster, two open reading frames were detected that are not homologous to any known chloroplast gene. One of them may code for a transport protein of unknown specificity. Gene arrangement and sequence comparisons support the hypothesis of a polyphyletic origin of rhodoplasts and chloroplasts.

Structure and expression of a plastid-encoded groEL homologous heat-shock gene in a thermophilic unicellular red alga

A gene homologous to the E. coli groEL locus was identified on the plastid genome of the unicellular red alga Cyanidium caldarium strain 14-1-1 (synonym: Galdieria sulphuraria). The complete nucleotide sequence was determined and compared to bacterial- and nuclear-encoded counterparts of higher plants. At the amino-acid level the C. caldarium gene shows 70% homology to the corresponding gene of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus and 52% homology to nuclear-encoded counterparts of higher plants, respectively. Northern and Western blot experiments were used to investigate the dependence of the transcript- and protein-level on culture temperature and heat shock.

Structure and organization of rhodophyte and chromophyte plastid genomes: implications for the ancestry of plastids

Plastid genomes of two rhodophytes (Porphyra yezoensis and Griffithsia pacifica) and two chromophytes (Olisthodiscus luteus and Ochromonas danica) were compared with one another and with green plants in terms of overall structure, gene complement and organization. The rhodophyte genomes are moderately colinear in terms of gene organization, and are distinguished by three rearrangements that can most simply be explained by transpositions and a large (approximately 40 kb) inversion. Porphyra contains two loci for ppcBA and Griffithsia has two loci for rpoA. Although there is little similarity in gene organization between the rhodophytes and consensus green plant genome, certain gene clusters found in green plants appear to be conserved in the rhodophytes. The chromophytes Olisthodiscus and Ochromonas contain relatively large plastid inverted repeats that encode several photosynthetic genes in addition to the rRNA genes. With the exception of rbcS, the plastid gene complement in Olisthodiscus is similar to that of green plants, at least for the subset of genes tested. The Ochromonas genome, in contrast, appears unusual in that several of the green plant gene probes hybridizing to Olisthodiscus DNA did not detect similar sequences in Ochromonas DNA. Gene organization within the chromophytes is scrambled relative to each other and to green plants, despite the presence of putatively stabilizing inverted repeats. However, some gene clusters conserved in green plants and rhodophytes are also present in the chromophytes. Comparison of the entire rhodophyte, chromophyte and green plant plastid genomes suggests that despite differences in gene organization, there remain overall similarities in architecture, gene content, and gene sequences among in three lineages. These similarities are discussed with reference to the ancestry of the different plastid types.

A secY homologue is found in the plastid genome of Cryptomonas phi

An open reading frame with significant similarity to the secY gene of Escherichia coli has been found within a ribosomal protein operon on the plastid genome of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi. The gene encodes a protein of 420 amino acids (molecular weight 46,906 daltons) and contains ten potential membrane-spanning domains, as in the E. coli homologue. This report of a secY homologue in a plastid genome provides preliminary evidence that a prokaryotic-like protein export system may be operating in plastids.

Plastid DNA from Pyrenomonas salina (Cryptophyceae): physical map, genes, and evolutionary implications

Cryptomonads are thought to have arisen from a symbiotic association between a eukaryotic flagellated host and a eukaryotic algal symbiont, presumably related to red algae. As organellar DNAs have proven to be useful tools in elucidating phylogenetic relationships, the plastid (pt) DNA of the cryptomonad alga Pyrenomonas salina has been characterized in some detail. A restriction map of the circular 127 kb ptDNA from Pyrenomonas salina was established. An inverted repeat (IR) region of about 5 kb separates two single-copy regions of 15 and 102 kb, respectively. It contains the genes for the small and large subunit of rRNA. Ten protein genes, coding for the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, the 47 kDa, 43 kDa and 32 kDa proteins of photosystem II, the ribosomal proteins L2, S7 and S11, the elongation factor Tu, as well as the alpha- and beta-subunits of ATP synthase, have been localized on the restriction map either by hybridization of heterologous gene probes or by sequence homologies. The gene for the plastidal small subunit (SSUr) RNA has been sequenced and compared to homologous SSU regions from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans and plastids from rhodophytes, chromophytes, euglenoids, chlorophytes, and land plants. A phylogenetic tree constructed with the neighborliness method and indicating a relationship of cryptomonad plastids with those of red algae is presented.

Eukaryote-eukaryote endosymbioses: insights from studies of a cryptomonad alga

It has been proposed that those plants which contain photosynthetic plastids surrounded by more than two membranes have arisen through secondary endosymbiotic events. Molecular evidence confirms this proposal, but the nature of the endosymbiont(s) and the number of endosymbioses remain unresolved. Whether plastids arose from one type of prokaryotic ancestor or multiple types is the subject of some controversy. In order to try to resolve this question, the plastid gene content and arrangement has been studied from a cryptomonad alga. Most of the gene clusters common to photosynthetic prokaryotes and plastids are preserved and seventeen genes which are not found on the plastid genomes of land plants have been found. Together with previously published phylogenetic analyses of plastid genes, the present data support the notion that the type of prokaryote involved in the initial endosymbiosis was from within the cyanobacterial assemblage and that an early divergence giving rise to the green plant lineage and the rhodophyte lineage resulted in the differences in plastid gene content and sequence between these two groups. Multiple secondary endosymbiotic events involving a eukaryotic (probably rhodophytic alga) and different hosts are hypothesized to have occurred subsequently, giving rise to the chromophyte, cryptophyte and euglenophyte lineages.

An hsp70 homolog is encoded on the plastid genome of the red alga, Porphyra umbilicalis

A PCR experiment using Porphyra umbilicalis DNA as the template and degenerate oligonucleotides representing conserved regions of hsp70 amino acid sequences generated a 1 kb product that hybridized exclusively to the plastid DNA of this red alga. DNA sequencing of two contiguous EcoRI plastid DNA clones revealed a 620 amino acid open reading frame with 71% identity to the dnaK gene of the cyanobacterium, Synechocystis 6803. Northern hybridization experiments detected a 2.3 kb transcript that is present in control (15 degrees C) cultures and increases approximately 7-fold upon heat shock (75 minutes at 30 degrees C).

Beta-tubulins are encoded by at least four genes in the brown alga Ectocarpus variabilis

Complementary DNA clones of two mRNA species that encode beta-tubulin in the brown alga Ectocarpus variabilis have been isolated. Sequence analysis revealed that the encoded proteins are very similar in primary structure to homologues in other eukaryotes, and differ from each other at six of 447 amino acid residues. The beta 6 message shows a preference for C- or G-terminated codons, using only 49 codons. The beta 5 message has a lesser codon bias, and makes a minor contribution to the beta-tubulin mRNA pool. Southern analysis of E. variabilis DNA demonstrated a beta-tubulin gene family of at least four members.

Molecular evidence for the origin of plastids from a cyanobacterium-like ancestor

The origin of plastids by either a single or multiple endosymbiotic event(s) and the nature of the progenitor(s) of plastids have been the subjects of much controversy. The sequence of the small subunit rRNA (Ssu rRNA) from the plastid of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi is presented, allowing for the first time a comparison of this molecule from all of the major land plant and algal lineages. Using a distance matrix method, the phylogenetic relationships among representatives of these lineages have been inferred and the results indicate a common origin of plastids from a cyanobacterium-like ancestor. Within the plastid line of descent, there is a deep dichotomy between the chlorophyte/land plant lineage and the rhodophyte/chromophyte lineage, with the cyanelle of Cyanophora paradoxa forming the deepest branch in the latter group. Interestingly, Euglena gracilis and its colorless relative Astasia longa are more related to the chromophytes than to the chlorophytes, raising once again the question of the origin of the euglenoid plastids.

Unusual organization of a ribosomal protein operon in the plastid genome of Cryptomonas phi: evolutionary considerations

The region of the plastid genome containing the genes for ribosomal proteins S12 and S7 and the elongation factor Tu (corresponding to three of the four str operon genes of Escherichia coli) was investigated in the unicellular marine alga Cryptomonas. Sequence analysis shows the gene organization to be rps12-60 bp spacer-rps7-68 bp spacer-tufA. No introns are present in any of the genes. Comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequence of these genes with homologues from other organisms show rps12 to be very highly conserved, except at the amino terminus, and rps7 and tufA to be less well-conserved. Transcript analysis suggests that these genes are co-transcribed along with several up and/or down-stream genes. The evolutionary significance of this unique gene organization is discussed.

Cryptomonad algae are evolutionary chimaeras of two phylogenetically distinct unicellular eukaryotes

Although it is widely accepted that the plastids of plants and algae originated as endosymbionts, the details of this evolutionary process are unclear. It has been proposed that in organisms whose plastids are surrounded by more than two membranes, the endosymbiont was a eukaryotic alga rather than a photosynthetic prokaryote. The DNA-containing nucleomorph of cryptomonad algae appears to be the vestigial nucleus of such an algal endosymbiont. Eukaryotic-type ribosomal RNA sequences have been localized to a nucleolus-like structure in the nucleomorph. In support of the hypothesis that cryptomonads are evolutionary chimaeras of two distinct eukaryotic cells, we show here that Cryptomonas phi contains two phylogenetically separate, nuclear-type small-subunit rRNA genes, both of which are transcriptionally active. We incorporate our rRNA sequence data into phylogenetic trees, from which we infer the evolutionary ancestry of the host and symbiont components of Cryptomonas phi. Such trees do not support the thesis that chromophyte algae evolved directly from a cryptomonad-like ancestor.

Repetitive sequence-mediated rearrangements in Chlorella ellipsoidea chloroplast DNA: completion of nucleotide sequence of the large inverted repeat

A 3454 base pair (bp) sequence of the large inverted repeat (IR) of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) from the unicellular green alga Chlorella ellipsoidea has been determined. The sequence includes: (1) the boundaries between the IR and the large single copy (LSC) and the small single copy (SSC) regions, (2) the gene for psbA and (3) an approximately 1.0 kbp region between psbA and the rRNA genes which contains a variety of short dispersed repeats. The total size of the Chlorella IR was determined to be 15243 bp. The junction between the IR and the small single copy region is located close to the putative promoter of the rRNA operon (906 bp upstream of the -35 sequence on each IR). The junction between the IR and the large single copy region is also just upstream of the putative psbA promoter, 218 bp upstream from the ATG initiation codon. A few sets of unique sequences were found repeatedly around both junctions. Some of the sequences flanking the IR-LSC junction suggest a unidirectional and serial expansion of the IR within the genome. The psbA gene is located close to the LSC-side junction and codes for a protein of 352 amino acid residues. A highly conserved C-terminal Gly is absent Unlike the psbA of Chlamydomonas species, which contains 2-4 large introns, the gene of Chlorella has no introns.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in algae: synthesis, enzymology and evolution

Studies demonstrating differences in chloroplast structure and biochemistry have been used to formulate hypotheses concerning the origin of algal plastids. Genetic and biochemical experiments indicate that significant variation occurs in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) when supertaxa of eukaryotic algae are compared. These differences include variations in the organelle location of the genes and their arrangement, mechanism of Rubisco synthesis, polypeptide immunological reactivity and sequence, as well as efficacy of substrate (ribulose bisphosphate and CO2) binding and inhibitor (6-phosphogluconate) action. The structure-function relationships observed among chromophytic, rhodophytic, chlorophytic and prokaryotic Rubisco demonstrate that: (a) similarities among chromophytic and rhodophytic Rubisco exist in substrate/inhibitor binding and polypeptide sequence, (b) characteristic differences in enzyme kinetics and subunit polypeptide structure occur among chlorophytes, prokaryotes and chromophytes/rhodophytes, and (c) there is structural variability among chlorophytic plant small subunit polypeptides, in contrast to the conservation of this polypeptide in chromophytes and rhodophytes. Taxa-specific differences among algal Rubisco enzymes most likely reflect the evolutionary history of the plastid, the functional requirements of each polypeptide, and the consequences of encoding the large and small subunit genes in the same or different organelles.

Sequence analysis of the plastid rDNA spacer region of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi

A 0.8 kb AvaI/SmaI fragment of the plastid genome of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Cryptomonas phi encompassing the rRNA spacer region and flanking genes has been cloned and sequenced. The spacer region between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes is 275 base pairs long, one of the shortest yet reported, and it contains uninterrupted genes for tRNA(Ile) and tRNA(Ala) separated by only two base pairs. The coding regions for tRNAs and rRNAs have been compared with those from cyanobacteria, land plants and other algae and the possible evolutionary relationships discussed.