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Li L, Hu Z, Tan G, Fan J, Chen Y, Xiao Y, Wu S, Zhi Q, Liu T, Yin H, Tang Q. Enhancing plant growth in biofertilizer-amended soil through nitrogen-transforming microbial communities. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1259853. [PMID: 38034579 PMCID: PMC10683058 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1259853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Biofertilizers have immense potential for enhancing agricultural productivity. However, there is still a need for clarification regarding the specific mechanisms through which these biofertilizers improve soil properties and stimulate plant growth. In this research, a bacterial agent was utilized to enhance plant growth and investigate the microbial modulation mechanism of soil nutrient turnover using metagenomic technology. The results demonstrated a significant increase in soil fast-acting nitrogen (by 46.7%) and fast-acting phosphorus (by 88.6%) upon application of the bacterial agent. This finding suggests that stimulated soil microbes contribute to enhanced nutrient transformation, ultimately leading to improved plant growth. Furthermore, the application of the bacterial agent had a notable impact on the accumulation of key genes involved in nitrogen cycling. Notably, it enhanced nitrification genes (amo, hao, and nar), while denitrification genes (nir and nor) showed a slight decrease. This indicates that ammonium oxidation may be the primary pathway for increasing fast-acting nitrogen in soils. Additionally, the bacterial agent influenced the composition and functional structure of the soil microbial community. Moreover, the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) obtained from the soil microbial communities exhibited complementary metabolic processes, suggesting mutual nutrient exchange. These MAGs contained widely distributed and highly abundant genes encoding plant growth promotion (PGP) traits. These findings emphasize how soil microbial communities can enhance vegetation growth by increasing nutrient availability and regulating plant hormone production. This effect can be further enhanced by introducing inoculated microbial agents. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of biofertilizers on soil properties and plant growth. The significant increase in nutrient availability, modulation of key genes involved in nitrogen cycling, and the presence of MAGs encoding PGP traits highlight the potential of biofertilizers to improve agricultural practices. These findings have important implications for enhancing agricultural sustainability and productivity, with positive societal and environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangzhi Li
- College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhengrong Hu
- Hunan Tobacco Research Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Tan
- China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd., Changsha, China
| | - Jianqiang Fan
- Technology Center, China Tobacco Fujian Industrial Co., Ltd., Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yiqiang Chen
- Technology Center, China Tobacco Fujian Industrial Co., Ltd., Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yansong Xiao
- Chenzhou Tobacco Company of Hunan Province, Chenzhou, China
| | - Shaolong Wu
- Hunan Tobacco Research Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Qiqi Zhi
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tianbo Liu
- Hunan Tobacco Research Institute, Changsha, China
| | - Huaqun Yin
- School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qianjun Tang
- College of Plant Protection, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, China
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Mageeney CM, Lau BY, Wagner JM, Hudson CM, Schoeniger JS, Krishnakumar R, Williams KP. New candidates for regulated gene integrity revealed through precise mapping of integrative genetic elements. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:4052-4065. [PMID: 32182341 PMCID: PMC7192596 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrative genetic elements (IGEs) are mobile multigene DNA units that integrate into and excise from host bacterial genomes. Each IGE usually targets a specific site within a conserved host gene, integrating in a manner that preserves target gene function. However, a small number of bacterial genes are known to be inactivated upon IGE integration and reactivated upon excision, regulating phenotypes of virulence, mutation rate, and terminal differentiation in multicellular bacteria. The list of regulated gene integrity (RGI) cases has been slow-growing because IGEs have been challenging to precisely and comprehensively locate in genomes. We present software (TIGER) that maps IGEs with unprecedented precision and without attB site bias. TIGER uses a comparative genomic, ping-pong BLAST approach, based on the principle that the IGE integration module (i.e. its int-attP region) is cohesive. The resultant IGEs from 2168 genomes, along with integrase phylogenetic analysis and gene inactivation tests, revealed 19 new cases of genes whose integrity is regulated by IGEs (including dut, eccCa1, gntT, hrpB, merA, ompN, prkA, tqsA, traG, yifB, yfaT and ynfE), as well as recovering previously known cases (in sigK, spsM, comK, mlrA and hlb genes). It also recovered known clades of site-promiscuous integrases and identified possible new ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Mageeney
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Britney Y Lau
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Julian M Wagner
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Corey M Hudson
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Joseph S Schoeniger
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Raga Krishnakumar
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
| | - Kelly P Williams
- Sandia National Laboratories, Systems Biology Department, Livermore, CA 94551-0969, USA
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Harrison E, Brockhurst MA. Ecological and Evolutionary Benefits of Temperate Phage: What Does or Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger. Bioessays 2017; 39. [PMID: 28983932 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201700112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Infection by a temperate phage can lead to death of the bacterial cell, but sometimes these phages integrate into the bacterial chromosome, offering the potential for a more long-lasting relationship to be established. Here we define three major ecological and evolutionary benefits of temperate phage for bacteria: as agents of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), as sources of genetic variation for evolutionary innovation, and as weapons of bacterial competition. We suggest that a coevolutionary perspective is required to understand the roles of temperate phages in bacterial populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie Harrison
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Arthur Willis Environment Centre, Sheffield, UK
| | - Michael A Brockhurst
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Sheffield, UK
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Hilton JA, Meeks JC, Zehr JP. Surveying DNA Elements within Functional Genes of Heterocyst-Forming Cyanobacteria. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156034. [PMID: 27206019 PMCID: PMC4874684 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Some cyanobacteria are capable of differentiating a variety of cell types in response to environmental factors. For instance, in low nitrogen conditions, some cyanobacteria form heterocysts, which are specialized for N2 fixation. Many heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria have DNA elements interrupting key N2 fixation genes, elements that are excised during heterocyst differentiation. While the mechanism for the excision of the element has been well-studied, many questions remain regarding the introduction of the elements into the cyanobacterial lineage and whether they have been retained ever since or have been lost and reintroduced. To examine the evolutionary relationships and possible function of DNA sequences that interrupt genes of heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria, we identified and compared 101 interruption element sequences within genes from 38 heterocyst-forming cyanobacterial genomes. The interruption element lengths ranged from about 1 kb (the minimum able to encode the recombinase responsible for element excision), up to nearly 1 Mb. The recombinase gene sequences served as genetic markers that were common across the interruption elements and were used to track element evolution. Elements were found that interrupted 22 different orthologs, only five of which had been previously observed to be interrupted by an element. Most of the newly identified interrupted orthologs encode proteins that have been shown to have heterocyst-specific activity. However, the presence of interruption elements within genes with no known role in N2 fixation, as well as in three non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria, indicates that the processes that trigger the excision of elements may not be limited to heterocyst development or that the elements move randomly within genomes. This comprehensive analysis provides the framework to study the history and behavior of these unique sequences, and offers new insight regarding the frequency and persistence of interruption elements in heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Hilton
- University of California Department of Ocean Sciences, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - John C. Meeks
- University of California Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jonathan P. Zehr
- University of California Department of Ocean Sciences, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
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Feiner R, Argov T, Rabinovich L, Sigal N, Borovok I, Herskovits AA. A new perspective on lysogeny: prophages as active regulatory switches of bacteria. Nat Rev Microbiol 2016; 13:641-50. [PMID: 26373372 DOI: 10.1038/nrmicro3527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 269] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Unlike lytic phages, temperate phages that enter lysogeny maintain a long-term association with their bacterial host. In this context, mutually beneficial interactions can evolve that support efficient reproduction of both phages and bacteria. Temperate phages are integrated into the bacterial chromosome as large DNA insertions that can disrupt gene expression, and they may pose a fitness burden on the cell. However, they have also been shown to benefit their bacterial hosts by providing new functions in a bacterium-phage symbiotic interaction termed lysogenic conversion. In this Opinion article, we discuss another type of bacterium-phage interaction, active lysogeny, in which phages or phage-like elements are integrated into the bacterial chromosome within critical genes or operons and serve as switches that regulate bacterial genes via genome excision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Feiner
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Tal Argov
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Lev Rabinovich
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nadejda Sigal
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ilya Borovok
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Anat A Herskovits
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Piccin-Santos V, Brandão MM, Bittencourt-Oliveira MDC. Phylogenetic study of Geitlerinema and Microcystis (Cyanobacteria) using PC-IGS and 16S-23S ITS as markers: investigation of horizontal gene transfer. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2014; 50:736-743. [PMID: 26988457 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.12204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Selection of genes that have not been horizontally transferred for prokaryote phylogenetic inferences is regarded as a challenging task. The markers internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal genes (16S-23S ITS) and phycocyanin intergenic spacer (PC-IGS), based on the operons of ribosomal and phycocyanin genes respectively, are among the most used markers in cyanobacteria. The region of the ribosomal genes has been considered stable, whereas the phycocyanin operon may have undergone horizontal transfer. To investigate the occurrence of horizontal transfer of PC-IGS, phylogenetic trees of Geitlerinema and Microcystis strains were generated using PC-IGS and 16S-23S ITS and compared. Phylogenetic trees based on the two markers were mostly congruent for Geitlerinema and Microcystis, indicating a common evolutionary history among ribosomal and phycocyanin genes with no evidence for horizontal transfer of PC-IGS. Thus, PC-IGS is a suitable marker, along with 16S-23S ITS for phylogenetic studies of cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Piccin-Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil
- Institute of Biological Sciences, São Paulo State University, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-900, Brazil
- Microbial Resources Division, Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA - UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, 13081-970, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Mendes Brandão
- Department of Genetics, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Do Carmo Bittencourt-Oliveira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil
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7
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Greening C, Cook GM. Integration of hydrogenase expression and hydrogen sensing in bacterial cell physiology. Curr Opin Microbiol 2014; 18:30-8. [PMID: 24607643 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogenases are ubiquitous in ecosystems and widespread in microorganisms. In bacteria, hydrogen metabolism is a facultative trait that is tightly regulated in response to both external factors (e.g. gas concentrations) and internal factors (e.g. redox state). Here we consider how environmental and pathogenic bacteria regulate [NiFe]-hydrogenases to adapt to chemical changes and meet physiological needs. We introduce this concept by exploring how Ralstonia eutropha switches between heterotrophic and lithotrophic growth modes by sensing hydrogen and electron availability. The regulation and integration of hydrogen metabolism in the virulence of Salmonella enterica and Helicobacter pylori, persistence of mycobacteria and streptomycetes, and differentiation of filamentous cyanobacteria are subsequently discussed. We also consider how these findings are extendable to other systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Greening
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
| | - Gregory M Cook
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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Voß B, Bolhuis H, Fewer DP, Kopf M, Möke F, Haas F, El-Shehawy R, Hayes P, Bergman B, Sivonen K, Dittmann E, Scanlan DJ, Hagemann M, Stal LJ, Hess WR. Insights into the physiology and ecology of the brackish-water-adapted Cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena CCY9414 based on a genome-transcriptome analysis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60224. [PMID: 23555932 PMCID: PMC3610870 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nodularia spumigena is a filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacterium that dominates the annual late summer cyanobacterial blooms in the Baltic Sea. But N. spumigena also is common in brackish water bodies worldwide, suggesting special adaptation allowing it to thrive at moderate salinities. A draft genome analysis of N. spumigena sp. CCY9414 yielded a single scaffold of 5,462,271 nucleotides in length on which genes for 5,294 proteins were annotated. A subsequent strand-specific transcriptome analysis identified more than 6,000 putative transcriptional start sites (TSS). Orphan TSSs located in intergenic regions led us to predict 764 non-coding RNAs, among them 70 copies of a possible retrotransposon and several potential RNA regulators, some of which are also present in other N2-fixing cyanobacteria. Approximately 4% of the total coding capacity is devoted to the production of secondary metabolites, among them the potent hepatotoxin nodularin, the linear spumigin and the cyclic nodulapeptin. The transcriptional complexity associated with genes involved in nitrogen fixation and heterocyst differentiation is considerably smaller compared to other Nostocales. In contrast, sophisticated systems exist for the uptake and assimilation of iron and phosphorus compounds, for the synthesis of compatible solutes, and for the formation of gas vesicles, required for the active control of buoyancy. Hence, the annotation and interpretation of this sequence provides a vast array of clues into the genomic underpinnings of the physiology of this cyanobacterium and indicates in particular a competitive edge of N. spumigena in nutrient-limited brackish water ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Voß
- Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics Group, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Henk Bolhuis
- Department of Marine Microbiology, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Yerseke, The Netherlands
| | - David P. Fewer
- Food and Environmental Sciences, Division of Microbiology, Viikki Biocenter, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matthias Kopf
- Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics Group, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Fred Möke
- Plant Physiology, Institute Biosciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Fabian Haas
- Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics Group, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Paul Hayes
- Faculty of Science, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kaarina Sivonen
- Food and Environmental Sciences, Division of Microbiology, Viikki Biocenter, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elke Dittmann
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Golm, Germany
| | - Dave J. Scanlan
- School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Hagemann
- Plant Physiology, Institute Biosciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Lucas J. Stal
- Department of Marine Microbiology, Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research, Yerseke, The Netherlands
- Department of Aquatic Microbiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wolfgang R. Hess
- Genetics and Experimental Bioinformatics Group, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Wang H, Sivonen K, Rouhiainen L, Fewer DP, Lyra C, Rantala-Ylinen A, Vestola J, Jokela J, Rantasärkkä K, Li Z, Liu B. Genome-derived insights into the biology of the hepatotoxic bloom-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain 90. BMC Genomics 2012; 13:613. [PMID: 23148582 PMCID: PMC3542288 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-13-613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cyanobacteria can form massive toxic blooms in fresh and brackish bodies of water and are frequently responsible for the poisoning of animals and pose a health risk for humans. Anabaena is a genus of filamentous diazotrophic cyanobacteria commonly implicated as a toxin producer in blooms in aquatic ecosystems throughout the world. The biology of bloom-forming cyanobacteria is poorly understood at the genome level. Results Here, we report the complete sequence and comprehensive annotation of the bloom-forming Anabaena sp. strain 90 genome. It comprises two circular chromosomes and three plasmids with a total size of 5.3 Mb, encoding a total of 4,738 genes. The genome is replete with mobile genetic elements. Detailed manual annotation demonstrated that almost 5% of the gene repertoire consists of pseudogenes. A further 5% of the genome is dedicated to the synthesis of small peptides that are the products of both ribosomal and nonribosomal biosynthetic pathways. Inactivation of the hassallidin (an antifungal cyclic peptide) biosynthetic gene cluster through a deletion event and a natural mutation of the buoyancy-permitting gvpG gas vesicle gene were documented. The genome contains a large number of genes encoding restriction-modification systems. Two novel excision elements were found in the nifH gene that is required for nitrogen fixation. Conclusions Genome analysis demonstrated that this strain invests heavily in the production of bioactive compounds and restriction-modification systems. This well-annotated genome provides a platform for future studies on the ecology and biology of these important bloom-forming cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland
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Muro-Pastor AM, Hess WR. Heterocyst differentiation: from single mutants to global approaches. Trends Microbiol 2012; 20:548-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 07/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/12/2012] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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