1
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Tan S, Liu L, Jiao JY, Li MM, Hu CJ, Lv AP, Qi YL, Li YX, Rao YZ, Qu YN, Jiang HC, Soo RM, Evans PN, Hua ZS, Li WJ. Exploring the Origins and Evolution of Oxygenic and Anoxygenic Photosynthesis in Deeply Branched Cyanobacteriota. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae151. [PMID: 39041196 PMCID: PMC11304991 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteriota, the sole prokaryotes capable of oxygenic photosynthesis (OxyP), occupy a unique and pivotal role in Earth's history. While the notion that OxyP may have originated from Cyanobacteriota is widely accepted, its early evolution remains elusive. Here, by using both metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, we explore 36 metagenome-assembled genomes from hot spring ecosystems, belonging to two deep-branching cyanobacterial orders: Thermostichales and Gloeomargaritales. Functional investigation reveals that Thermostichales encode the crucial thylakoid membrane biogenesis protein, vesicle-inducing protein in plastids 1 (Vipp1). Based on the phylogenetic results, we infer that the evolution of the thylakoid membrane predates the divergence of Thermostichales from other cyanobacterial groups and that Thermostichales may be the most ancient lineage known to date to have inherited this feature from their common ancestor. Apart from OxyP, both lineages are potentially capable of sulfide-driven AnoxyP by linking sulfide oxidation to the photosynthetic electron transport chain. Unexpectedly, this AnoxyP capacity appears to be an acquired feature, as the key gene sqr was horizontally transferred from later-evolved cyanobacterial lineages. The presence of two D1 protein variants in Thermostichales suggests the functional flexibility of photosystems, ensuring their survival in fluctuating redox environments. Furthermore, all MAGs feature streamlined phycobilisomes with a preference for capturing longer-wavelength light, implying a unique evolutionary trajectory. Collectively, these results reveal the photosynthetic flexibility in these early-diverging cyanobacterial lineages, shedding new light on the early evolution of Cyanobacteriota and their photosynthetic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Lan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Jian-Yu Jiao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Meng-Meng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Chao-Jian Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Ai-Ping Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
| | - Yan-Ling Qi
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Yu-Xian Li
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Yang-Zhi Rao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Yan-Ni Qu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Hong-Chen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Rochelle M Soo
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Paul N Evans
- The University of Queensland, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Zheng-Shuang Hua
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, PR China
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2
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Rockwell NC, Lagarias JC. Cyanobacteriochromes from Gloeobacterales Provide New Insight into the Diversification of Cyanobacterial Photoreceptors. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168313. [PMID: 37839679 PMCID: PMC11218821 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The phytochrome superfamily comprises three groups of photoreceptors sharing a conserved GAF (cGMP-specific phosphodiesterases, cyanobacterial adenylate cyclases, and formate hydrogen lyase transcription activator FhlA) domain that uses a covalently attached linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophore to sense light. Knotted red/far-red phytochromes are widespread in both bacteria and eukaryotes, but cyanobacteria also contain knotless red/far-red phytochromes and cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs). Unlike typical phytochromes, CBCRs require only the GAF domain for bilin binding, chromophore ligation, and full, reversible photoconversion. CBCRs can sense a wide range of wavelengths (ca. 330-750 nm) and can regulate phototaxis, second messenger metabolism, and optimization of the cyanobacterial light-harvesting apparatus. However, the origins of CBCRs are not well understood: we do not know when or why CBCRs evolved, or what selective advantages led to retention of early CBCRs in cyanobacterial genomes. In the current work, we use the increasing availability of genomes and metagenome-assembled-genomes from early-branching cyanobacteria to explore the origins of CBCRs. We reaffirm the earliest branches in CBCR evolution. We also show that early-branching cyanobacteria contain late-branching CBCRs, implicating early appearance of CBCRs during cyanobacterial evolution. Moreover, we show that early-branching CBCRs behave as integrators of light and pH, providing a potential unique function for early CBCRs that led to their retention and subsequent diversification. Our results thus provide new insight into the origins of these diverse cyanobacterial photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Rockwell
- 31 Briggs Hall, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, One Shields Avenue, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - J Clark Lagarias
- 31 Briggs Hall, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, One Shields Avenue, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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3
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Jiang HW, Wu HY, Wang CH, Yang CH, Ko JT, Ho HC, Tsai MD, Bryant DA, Li FW, Ho MC, Ho MY. A structure of the relict phycobilisome from a thylakoid-free cyanobacterium. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8009. [PMID: 38049400 PMCID: PMC10696076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43646-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phycobilisomes (PBS) are antenna megacomplexes that transfer energy to photosystems II and I in thylakoids. PBS likely evolved from a basic, inefficient form into the predominant hemidiscoidal shape with radiating peripheral rods. However, it has been challenging to test this hypothesis because ancestral species are generally inaccessible. Here we use spectroscopy and cryo-electron microscopy to reveal a structure of a "paddle-shaped" PBS from a thylakoid-free cyanobacterium that likely retains ancestral traits. This PBS lacks rods and specialized ApcD and ApcF subunits, indicating relict characteristics. Other features include linkers connecting two chains of five phycocyanin hexamers (CpcN) and two core subdomains (ApcH), resulting in a paddle-shaped configuration. Energy transfer calculations demonstrate that chains are less efficient than rods. These features may nevertheless have increased light absorption by elongating PBS before multilayered thylakoids with hemidiscoidal PBS evolved. Our results provide insights into the evolution and diversification of light-harvesting strategies before the origin of thylakoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han-Wei Jiang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Yi Wu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsiung Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Han Yang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Tse Ko
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Han-Chen Ho
- Department of Anatomy, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Daw Tsai
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Fay-Wei Li
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Meng-Chiao Ho
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ming-Yang Ho
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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4
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Pessi IS, Popin RV, Durieu B, Lara Y, Tytgat B, Savaglia V, Roncero-Ramos B, Hultman J, Verleyen E, Vyverman W, Wilmotte A. Novel diversity of polar Cyanobacteria revealed by genome-resolved metagenomics. Microb Genom 2023; 9:mgen001056. [PMID: 37417735 PMCID: PMC10438808 DOI: 10.1099/mgen.0.001056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Benthic microbial mats dominated by Cyanobacteria are important features of polar lakes. Although culture-independent studies have provided important insights into the diversity of polar Cyanobacteria, only a handful of genomes have been sequenced to date. Here, we applied a genome-resolved metagenomics approach to data obtained from Arctic, sub-Antarctic and Antarctic microbial mats. We recovered 37 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Cyanobacteria representing 17 distinct species, most of which are only distantly related to genomes that have been sequenced so far. These include (i) lineages that are common in polar microbial mats such as the filamentous taxa Pseudanabaena, Leptolyngbya, Microcoleus/Tychonema and Phormidium; (ii) the less common taxa Crinalium and Chamaesiphon; (iii) an enigmatic Chroococcales lineage only distantly related to Microcystis; and (iv) an early branching lineage in the order Gloeobacterales that is distributed across the cold biosphere, for which we propose the name Candidatus Sivonenia alaskensis. Our results show that genome-resolved metagenomics is a powerful tool for expanding our understanding of the diversity of Cyanobacteria, especially in understudied remote and extreme environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor S. Pessi
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rafael V. Popin
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Benoit Durieu
- InBioS – Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Yannick Lara
- Early Life Traces & Evolution-Astrobiology, UR-Astrobiology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Bjorn Tytgat
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Valentina Savaglia
- InBioS – Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Beatriz Roncero-Ramos
- InBioS – Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jenni Hultman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Helsinki, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elie Verleyen
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Vyverman
- Laboratory of Protistology & Aquatic Ecology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annick Wilmotte
- InBioS – Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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5
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Rockwell NC, Lagarias JC. GUN4 appeared early in cyanobacterial evolution. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad131. [PMID: 37152672 PMCID: PMC10156173 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis relies on chlorophylls, which are synthesized via a common tetrapyrrole trunk pathway also leading to heme, vitamin B12, and other pigmented cofactors. The first committed step for chlorophyll biosynthesis is insertion of magnesium into protoporphyrin IX by magnesium chelatase. Magnesium chelatase is composed of H-, I-, and D-subunits, with the tetrapyrrole substrate binding to the H-subunit. This subunit is rapidly inactivated in the presence of substrate, light, and oxygen, so oxygenic photosynthetic organisms require mechanisms to protect magnesium chelatase from similar loss of function. An additional protein, GUN4, binds to the H-subunit and to tetrapyrroles. GUN4 has been proposed to serve this protective role via its ability to bind linear tetrapyrroles (bilins). In the current work, we probe the origins of bilin binding by GUN4 via comparative phylogenetic analysis and biochemical validation of a conserved bilin-binding motif. Based on our results, we propose that bilin-binding GUN4 proteins arose early in cyanobacterial evolution and that this early acquisition represents an ancient adaptation for maintaining chlorophyll biosynthesis in the presence of light and oxygen.
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6
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Strunecký O, Ivanova AP, Mareš J. An updated classification of cyanobacterial orders and families based on phylogenomic and polyphasic analysis. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:12-51. [PMID: 36443823 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial taxonomy is facing a period of rapid changes thanks to the ease of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and established workflows for description of new taxa. Since the last comprehensive review of the cyanobacterial system in 2014 until 2021, at least 273 species in 140 genera were newly described. These taxa were mainly placed into previously defined orders and families although several new families were proposed. However, the classification of most taxa still relied on hierarchical relationships inherited from the classical morphological taxonomy. Similarly, the obviously polyphyletic orders such as Synechococcales and Oscillatoriales were left unchanged. In this study, the rising number of genomic sequences of cyanobacteria and well-described reference strains allowed us to reconstruct a robust phylogenomic tree for taxonomic purposes. A less robust but better sampled 16S rRNA gene phylogeny was mapped to the phylogenomic backbone. Based on both these phylogenies, a polyphasic classification throughout the whole phylum of Cyanobacteria was created, with ten new orders and fifteen new families. The proposed system of cyanobacterial orders and families relied on a phylogenomic tree but still employed phenotypic apomorphies where possible to make it useful for professionals in the field. It was, however, confirmed that morphological convergence of phylogenetically distant taxa was a frequent phenomenon in cyanobacteria. Moreover, the limited phylogenetic informativeness of the 16S rRNA gene, resulting in ambiguous phylogenies above the genus level, emphasized the integration of genomic data as a prerequisite for the conclusive taxonomic placement of a vast number of cyanobacterial genera in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otakar Strunecký
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Pavlovna Ivanova
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, CENAKVA, Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Na Sádkách 1780, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Mareš
- Biology Centre of the CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 702/7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Science, Department of Botany, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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7
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Slonimskiy YB, Zupnik AO, Varfolomeeva LA, Boyko KM, Maksimov EG, Sluchanko NN. A primordial Orange Carotenoid Protein: Structure, photoswitching activity and evolutionary aspects. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:167-180. [PMID: 36165868 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are photosynthesizing prokaryotes responsible for the Great Oxygenation Event on Earth ~2.5 Ga years ago. They use a specific photoprotective mechanism based on the 35-kDa photoactive Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP), a promising target for developing novel optogenetic tools and for biomass engineering. The two-domain OCP presumably stems from domain fusion, yet the primitive thylakoid-less cyanobacteria Gloeobacter encodes a complete OCP. Its photosynthesis regulation lacks the so-called Fluorescence Recovery Protein (FRP), which in Synechocystis inhibits OCP-mediated phycobilisome fluorescence quenching, and Gloeobacter OCP belongs to the recently defined, heterogeneous clade OCPX (GlOCPX), the least characterized compared to OCP2 and especially OCP1 clades. Here, we describe the first crystal structure of OCPX, which explains unique functional adaptations of Gloeobacter OCPX compared to OCP1 from Synechocystis. We show that monomeric GlOCPX exploits a remarkable intramolecular locking mechanism stabilizing its dark-adapted state and exhibits drastically accelerated, less temperature-dependent recovery after photoactivation. While GlOCPX quenches Synechocystis phycobilisomes similar to Synechocystis OCP1, it evades interaction with and regulation by FRP from other species and likely uses alternative mechanisms for fluorescence recovery. This analysis of a primordial OCPX sheds light on its evolution, rationalizing renaming and subdivision of the OCPX clade into subclades - OCP3a, OCP3b, OCP3c.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yury B Slonimskiy
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Andrei O Zupnik
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Larisa A Varfolomeeva
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Konstantin M Boyko
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Eugene G Maksimov
- M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nikolai N Sluchanko
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071 Moscow, Russian Federation.
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8
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Burnim AA, Spence MA, Xu D, Jackson CJ, Ando N. Comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the ribonucleotide reductase family reveals an ancestral clade. eLife 2022; 11:79790. [PMID: 36047668 PMCID: PMC9531940 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are used by all free-living organisms and many viruses to catalyze an essential step in the de novo biosynthesis of DNA precursors. RNRs are remarkably diverse by primary sequence and cofactor requirement, while sharing a conserved fold and radical-based mechanism for nucleotide reduction. Here, we structurally aligned the diverse RNR family by the conserved catalytic barrel to reconstruct the first large-scale phylogeny consisting of 6779 sequences that unites all extant classes of the RNR family and performed evo-velocity analysis to independently validate our evolutionary model. With a robust phylogeny in-hand, we uncovered a novel, phylogenetically distinct clade that is placed as ancestral to the classes I and II RNRs, which we have termed clade Ø. We employed small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and AlphaFold2 to investigate a member of this clade from Synechococcus phage S-CBP4 and report the most minimal RNR architecture to-date. Based on our analyses, we propose an evolutionary model of diversification in the RNR family and delineate how our phylogeny can be used as a roadmap for targeted future study. Billions of years ago, the Earth’s atmosphere had very little oxygen. It was only after some bacteria and early plants evolved to harness energy from sunlight that oxygen began to fill the Earth’s environment. Oxygen is highly reactive and can interfere with enzymes and other molecules that are essential to life. Organisms living at this point in history therefore had to adapt to survive in this new oxygen-rich world. An ancient family of enzymes known as ribonucleotide reductases are used by all free-living organisms and many viruses to repair and replicate their DNA. Because of their essential role in managing DNA, these enzymes have been around on Earth for billions of years. Understanding how they evolved could therefore shed light on how nature adapted to increasing oxygen levels and other environmental changes at the molecular level. One approach to study how proteins evolved is to use computational analysis to construct a phylogenetic tree. This reveals how existing members of a family are related to one another based on the chain of molecules (known as amino acids) that make up each protein. Despite having similar structures and all having the same function, ribonucleotide reductases have remarkably diverse sequences of amino acids. This makes it computationally very demanding to build a phylogenetic tree. To overcome this, Burnim, Spence, Xu et al. created a phylogenetic tree using structural information from a part of the enzyme that is relatively similar in many modern-day ribonucleotide reductases. The final result took seven continuous months on a supercomputer to generate, and includes over 6,000 members of the enzyme family. The phylogenetic tree revealed a new distinct group of ribonucleotide reductases that may explain how one adaptation to increasing levels of oxygen emerged in some family members, while another adaptation emerged in others. The approach used in this work also opens up a new way to study how other highly diverse enzymes and other protein families evolved, potentially revealing new insights about our planet’s past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A Burnim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - Matthew A Spence
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Da Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | - Colin J Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
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9
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Prescott RD, Zamkovaya T, Donachie SP, Northup DE, Medley JJ, Monsalve N, Saw JH, Decho AW, Chain PSG, Boston PJ. Islands Within Islands: Bacterial Phylogenetic Structure and Consortia in Hawaiian Lava Caves and Fumaroles. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:934708. [PMID: 35935195 PMCID: PMC9349362 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.934708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lava caves, tubes, and fumaroles in Hawai‘i present a range of volcanic, oligotrophic environments from different lava flows and host unexpectedly high levels of bacterial diversity. These features provide an opportunity to study the ecological drivers that structure bacterial community diversity and assemblies in volcanic ecosystems and compare the older, more stable environments of lava tubes, to the more variable and extreme conditions of younger, geothermally active caves and fumaroles. Using 16S rRNA amplicon-based sequencing methods, we investigated the phylogenetic distinctness and diversity and identified microbial interactions and consortia through co-occurrence networks in 70 samples from lava tubes, geothermal lava caves, and fumaroles on the island of Hawai‘i. Our data illustrate that lava caves and geothermal sites harbor unique microbial communities, with very little overlap between caves or sites. We also found that older lava tubes (500–800 yrs old) hosted greater phylogenetic diversity (Faith's PD) than sites that were either geothermally active or younger (<400 yrs old). Geothermally active sites had a greater number of interactions and complexity than lava tubes. Average phylogenetic distinctness, a measure of the phylogenetic relatedness of a community, was higher than would be expected if communities were structured at random. This suggests that bacterial communities of Hawaiian volcanic environments are phylogenetically over-dispersed and that competitive exclusion is the main driver in structuring these communities. This was supported by network analyses that found that taxa (Class level) co-occurred with more distantly related organisms than close relatives, particularly in geothermal sites. Network “hubs” (taxa of potentially higher ecological importance) were not the most abundant taxa in either geothermal sites or lava tubes and were identified as unknown families or genera of the phyla, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteria. These results highlight the need for further study on the ecological role of microbes in caves through targeted culturing methods, metagenomics, and long-read sequence technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca D. Prescott
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
- *Correspondence: Rebecca D. Prescott
| | - Tatyana Zamkovaya
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Stuart P. Donachie
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Diana E. Northup
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Joseph J. Medley
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Natalia Monsalve
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jimmy H. Saw
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Alan W. Decho
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Patrick S. G. Chain
- Biosciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Penelope J. Boston
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, United States
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10
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Saw JH, Cardona T, Montejano G. Complete Genome Sequencing of a Novel Gloeobacter Species from a Waterfall Cave in Mexico. Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6446517. [PMID: 34850891 PMCID: PMC8691054 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Only two complete genomes of the cyanobacterial genus Gloeobacter from two very different regions of the world currently exist. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a third member of the genus isolated from a waterfall cave in Mexico. Analysis of the average nucleotide identities (ANIs) between published Gloeobacter genomes revealed that the complete genome of this new member is only 92.7% similar to Gloeobacter violaceus and therefore we determined it to be a new species. We propose to name this new species Gloeobacter morelensis after the location in Mexico where it was isolated. The complete genome consists of one circular chromosome (4,921,229 bp), one linear plasmid (172,328 bp), and one circular plasmid (8,839 bp). Its genome is the largest of all completely sequenced genomes of Gloeobacter species. Pangenomic comparisons revealed that G. morelensis encodes 759 genes not shared with other Gloeobacter species. Despite being more closely related to G. violaceus, it features an extremely divergent psbA gene encoding an atypical D1 core subunit of Photosystem II previously only found within the genome of Gloeobacter kilaueensis. In addition, we detected evidence of concerted evolution of psbA genes encoding identical D1 in all three Gloeobacter genomes, a characteristic that seems widespread in cyanobacteria and may therefore be traced back to their last common ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy H Saw
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Tanai Cardona
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Gustavo Montejano
- Facultad de Ciencias, Laboratorio de Ficología, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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11
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Masasa M, Kushmaro A, Kramarsky-Winter E, Shpigel M, Barkan R, Golberg A, Kribus A, Shashar N, Guttman L. Mono-specific algal diets shape microbial networking in the gut of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla elatensis. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:79. [PMID: 34782025 PMCID: PMC8594234 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Algivorous sea urchins can obtain energy from a diet of a single algal species, which may result in consequent changes in their gut microbe assemblies and association networks. METHODS To ascertain whether such changes are led by specific microbes or limited to a specific region in the gut, we compared the microbial assembly in the three major gut regions of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla elatensis when fed a mono-specific algal diet of either Ulva fasciata or Gracilaria conferta, or an algal-free diet. DNA extracts from 5 to 7 individuals from each diet treatment were used for Illumina MiSeq based 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 region). Niche breadth of each microbe in the assembly was calculated for identification of core, generalist, specialist, or unique microbes. Network analyzers were used to measure the connectivity of the entire assembly and of each of the microbes within it and whether it altered with a given diet or gut region. Lastly, the predicted metabolic functions of key microbes in the gut were analyzed to evaluate their potential contribution to decomposition of dietary algal polysaccharides. RESULTS Sea urchins fed with U. fasciata grew faster and their gut microbiome network was rich in bacterial associations (edges) and networking clusters. Bacteroidetes was the keystone microbe phylum in the gut, with core, generalist, and specialist representatives. A few microbes of this phylum were central hub nodes that maintained community connectivity, while others were driver microbes that led the rewiring of the assembly network based on diet type through changes in their associations and centrality. Niche breadth agreed with microbes' richness in genes for carbohydrate active enzymes and correlated Bacteroidetes specialists to decomposition of specific polysaccharides in the algal diets. CONCLUSIONS The dense and well-connected microbial network in the gut of Ulva-fed sea urchins, together with animal's rapid growth, may suggest that this alga was most nutritious among the experimental diets. Our findings expand the knowledge on the gut microbial assembly in T. gratilla elatensis and strengthen the correlation between microbes' generalism or specialism in terms of occurrence in different niches and their metabolic arsenal which may aid host nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matan Masasa
- Marine Biology and Biotechnology Program, Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat Campus, Eilat, Israel.,Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, The National Center for Mariculture, P.O. Box 1212, 8811201, Eilat, Israel
| | - Ariel Kushmaro
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren, Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 8410501, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Esti Kramarsky-Winter
- Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren, Department of Biotechnology Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 8410501, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Muki Shpigel
- Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, 3498838, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roy Barkan
- Marine Biology and Biotechnology Program, Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat Campus, Eilat, Israel.,Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, The National Center for Mariculture, P.O. Box 1212, 8811201, Eilat, Israel
| | - Alex Golberg
- Department of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Abraham Kribus
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nadav Shashar
- Marine Biology and Biotechnology Program, Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat Campus, Eilat, Israel
| | - Lior Guttman
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, The National Center for Mariculture, P.O. Box 1212, 8811201, Eilat, Israel.
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12
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Characterizing the Uncultivated Microbial Minority: towards Understanding the Roles of the Rare Biosphere in Microbial Communities. mSystems 2021; 6:e0077321. [PMID: 34427533 PMCID: PMC8407377 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00773-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities are frequently numerically dominated by just a few species. Often, the long “tail” of the rank-abundance plots of microbial communities constitutes the so-called “rare biosphere,” microorganisms that are highly diverse but are typically found in low abundance in these communities. Their presence in microbial communities has only recently become apparent with advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies. Despite their low numbers, they are thought to play important roles in their communities and may function as potential members to keep the communities intact and resilient. Their phylogenetic diversity also means that they are important subjects for better understanding the interplay between microbial diversity and evolution. I propose that more efforts should be put into characterizing these poorly understood and mostly unknown microbial lineages that hold vast potentials for our understanding of microbial diversity, ecology, and evolution of life on this planet.
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13
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Abstract
Photosynthetic Cyanobacteria and their descendants are the only known organisms capable of oxygenic photosynthesis. Their metabolism permanently changed the Earth’s surface and the evolutionary trajectory of life, but little is known about their evolutionary history. Genomes of the Gloeobacterales, an order of deeply divergent photosynthetic Cyanobacteria, may hold clues about the evolutionary process. However, there are only three published genomes within this order, and it is difficult to make broad inferences based on such little data. Here, I describe five species within the Gloeobacterales retrieved from publicly available databases and examine their photosynthetic gene content and the environments in which Gloeobacterales genomes and 16S rRNA gene sequences are found. The Gloeobacterales contain reduced photosystems and inhabit cold, wet-rock, and low-light environments. They are likely present in low abundances due to their low growth rate. Future searches for Gloeobacterales should target these environments, and samples should be deeply sequenced to capture the low-abundance taxa. Publicly available databases contain undescribed taxa within the Gloeobacterales. However, searching through all available data with current methods is computationally expensive. Therefore, new methods must be developed to search for these and other evolutionarily important taxa. Once identified, these novel photosynthetic Cyanobacteria will help illuminate the origin and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. IMPORTANCE Early branching photosynthetic Cyanobacteria such as the Gloeobacterales may provide clues into the evolutionary history of oxygenic photosynthesis, but there are few genomes or cultured taxa from this order. Five new metagenome-assembled genomes suggest that members of the Gloeobacterales all contain reduced photosystems and lack genes associated with thylakoids and circadian rhythms. Their distribution suggests that they may thrive in environments that are marginal for other species, including wet-rock and cold environments. These traits may aid in the discovery and cultivation of novel species in this clade.
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14
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Rahmatpour N, Hauser DA, Nelson JM, Chen PY, Villarreal A JC, Ho MY, Li FW. A novel thylakoid-less isolate fills a billion-year gap in the evolution of Cyanobacteria. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2857-2867.e4. [PMID: 33989529 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have played pivotal roles in Earth's geological history, especially during the rise of atmospheric oxygen. However, our ability to infer the early transitions in Cyanobacteria evolution has been limited by their extremely lopsided tree of life-the vast majority of extant diversity belongs to Phycobacteria (or "crown Cyanobacteria"), while its sister lineage, Gloeobacteria, is depauperate and contains only two closely related species of Gloeobacter and a metagenome-assembled genome. Here, we describe a new cultured member of Gloeobacteria, Anthocerotibacter panamensis, isolated from a tropical hornwort. Anthocerotibacter diverged from Gloeobacter over 1.4 Ga ago and has low 16S rDNA identities with environmental samples. Our ultrastructural, physiological, and genomic analyses revealed that this species possesses a unique combination of traits that are exclusively shared with either Gloeobacteria or Phycobacteria. For example, similar to Gloeobacter, it lacks thylakoids and circadian clock genes, but the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway is typical of Phycobacteria. Furthermore, Anthocerotibacter has one of the most reduced gene sets for photosystems and phycobilisomes among Cyanobacteria. Despite this, Anthocerotibacter is capable of oxygenic photosynthesis under a wide range of light intensities, albeit with much less efficiency. Given its key phylogenetic position, distinct trait combination, and availability as a culture, Anthocerotibacter opens a new window to further illuminate the dawn of oxygenic photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pa Yu Chen
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Juan Carlos Villarreal A
- Department of Biology, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Ming-Yang Ho
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Fay-Wei Li
- Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA; Plant Biology Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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15
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Current knowledge and recent advances in understanding metabolism of the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Biosci Rep 2021; 40:222317. [PMID: 32149336 PMCID: PMC7133116 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20193325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are key organisms in the global ecosystem, useful models for studying metabolic and physiological processes conserved in photosynthetic organisms, and potential renewable platforms for production of chemicals. Characterizing cyanobacterial metabolism and physiology is key to understanding their role in the environment and unlocking their potential for biotechnology applications. Many aspects of cyanobacterial biology differ from heterotrophic bacteria. For example, most cyanobacteria incorporate a series of internal thylakoid membranes where both oxygenic photosynthesis and respiration occur, while CO2 fixation takes place in specialized compartments termed carboxysomes. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of our knowledge on cyanobacterial physiology and the pathways in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis) involved in biosynthesis of sugar-based metabolites, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, cofactors, vitamins, isoprenoids, pigments and cell wall components, in addition to the proteins involved in metabolite transport. While some pathways are conserved between model cyanobacteria, such as Synechocystis, and model heterotrophic bacteria like Escherichia coli, many enzymes and/or pathways involved in the biosynthesis of key metabolites in cyanobacteria have not been completely characterized. These include pathways required for biosynthesis of chorismate and membrane lipids, nucleotides, several amino acids, vitamins and cofactors, and isoprenoids such as plastoquinone, carotenoids, and tocopherols. Moreover, our understanding of photorespiration, lipopolysaccharide assembly and transport, and degradation of lipids, sucrose, most vitamins and amino acids, and haem, is incomplete. We discuss tools that may aid our understanding of cyanobacterial metabolism, notably CyanoSource, a barcoded library of targeted Synechocystis mutants, which will significantly accelerate characterization of individual proteins.
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16
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Cyanobacteria and Algae in Clouds and Rain in the Area of puy de Dôme, Central France. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 87:AEM.01850-20. [PMID: 33097513 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01850-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The atmosphere contains diverse living microbes, of which the heterotrophic community has been the best studied. Microbes with other trophic modes, such as photoautotrophy, have received much less attention. In this study, culture-independent and dependent methods were used to examine the presence and diversity of oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes in clouds and rain collected at or around puy de Dôme Mountain, central France. Cloud water was collected from the summit of puy de Dôme (1,465 m above sea level [a.s.l.]) for cultivation and metagenomic analysis. Cyanobacteria, diatoms, green algae, and other oxygenic photoautotrophs were found to be recurrent members of clouds, while green algae affiliated with the Chlorellaceae were successfully cultured from three different clouds. Additionally, rain samples were collected below the mountain from Opme meteorological station (680 m a.s.l.). The abundance of chlorophyll a-containing cells and the diversity of cyanobacteria and green algae in rain were assessed by flow cytometry and amplicon sequencing. The corresponding downward flux of chlorophyll a-containing organisms to the ground, entering surface ecosystems with rain, varied with time and was estimated to be between ∼1 and >300 cells cm-2 day-1 during the sampling period. Besides abundant pollen from Pinales and Rosales, cyanobacteria of the Chroococcidiopsidales and green algae of the Trebouxiales were dominant in rain samples. Certain members of these taxa are known to be ubiquitous and stress tolerant and could use the atmosphere for dispersal. Overall, our results indicate that the atmosphere carries diverse, viable oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes and acts as a dispersal vector for this microbial guild.IMPORTANCE Information regarding the diversity and abundance of oxygenic photoautotrophs in the atmosphere is limited. More information from diverse locations is needed. These airborne organisms could have important impacts upon atmospheric processes and on the ecosystems they enter after deposition. Oxygenic photoautotrophic microbes are integral to ecosystem functioning, and some have the potential to affect human health. A better understanding of the diversity and the movements of these aeolian dispersed organisms is needed to understand their ecology, as well as how they could affect ecosystems and human health.
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17
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Shaw C, Brooke C, Hawley E, Connolly MP, Garcia JA, Harmon-Smith M, Shapiro N, Barton M, Tringe SG, Glavina del Rio T, Culley DE, Castenholz R, Hess M. Phototrophic Co-cultures From Extreme Environments: Community Structure and Potential Value for Fundamental and Applied Research. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:572131. [PMID: 33240229 PMCID: PMC7677454 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.572131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are found in most illuminated environments and are key players in global carbon and nitrogen cycling. Although significant efforts have been made to advance our understanding of this important phylum, still little is known about how members of the cyanobacteria affect and respond to changes in complex biological systems. This lack of knowledge is in part due to our dependence on pure cultures when determining the metabolism and function of a microorganism. We took advantage of the Culture Collection of Microorganisms from Extreme Environments (CCMEE), a collection of more than 1,000 publicly available photosynthetic co-cultures maintained at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and assessed via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing if samples readily available from public culture collection could be used in the future to generate new insights into the role of microbial communities in global and local carbon and nitrogen cycling. Results from this work support the existing notion that culture depositories in general hold the potential to advance fundamental and applied research. Although it remains to be seen if co-cultures can be used at large scale to infer roles of individual organisms, samples that are publicly available from existing co-cultures depositories, such as the CCMEE, might be an economical starting point for such studies. Access to archived biological samples, without the need for costly field work, might in some circumstances be one of the few remaining ways to advance the field and to generate new insights into the biology of ecosystems that are not easily accessible. The current COVID-19 pandemic, which makes sampling expeditions almost impossible without putting the health of the participating scientists on the line, is a very timely example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Shaw
- Systems Microbiology and Natural Products Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Charles Brooke
- Systems Microbiology and Natural Products Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Morgan P. Connolly
- Microbiology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Javier A. Garcia
- Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Nicole Shapiro
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Michael Barton
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Susannah G. Tringe
- Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Matthias Hess
- Systems Microbiology and Natural Products Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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18
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Miles JA, Davies TA, Hayman RD, Lorenzen G, Taylor J, Anjarwalla M, Allen SJR, Graham JWD, Taylor PC. A Case Study of Eukaryogenesis: The Evolution of Photoreception by Photolyase/Cryptochrome Proteins. J Mol Evol 2020; 88:662-673. [PMID: 32979052 PMCID: PMC7560933 DOI: 10.1007/s00239-020-09965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Eukaryogenesis, the origin of the eukaryotes, is still poorly understood. Herein, we show how a detailed all-kingdom phylogenetic analysis overlaid with a map of key biochemical features can provide valuable clues. The photolyase/cryptochrome family of proteins are well known to repair DNA in response to potentially harmful effects of sunlight and to entrain circadian rhythms. Phylogenetic analysis of photolyase/cryptochrome protein sequences from a wide range of prokaryotes and eukaryotes points to a number of horizontal gene transfer events between ancestral bacteria and ancestral eukaryotes. Previous experimental research has characterised patterns of tryptophan residues in these proteins that are important for photoreception, specifically a tryptophan dyad, a canonical tryptophan triad, an alternative tryptophan triad, a tryptophan tetrad and an alternative tetrad. Our results suggest that the spread of the different triad and tetrad motifs across the kingdoms of life accompanied the putative horizontal gene transfers and is consistent with multiple bacterial contributions to eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Miles
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Thomas A Davies
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Robert D Hayman
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Georgia Lorenzen
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jamie Taylor
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Mubeena Anjarwalla
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sammie J R Allen
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - John W D Graham
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Paul C Taylor
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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19
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Sheridan KJ, Duncan EJ, Eaton-Rye JJ, Summerfield TC. The diversity and distribution of D1 proteins in cyanobacteria. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2020; 145:111-128. [PMID: 32556852 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-020-00762-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The psbA gene family in cyanobacteria encodes different forms of the D1 protein that is part of the Photosystem II reaction centre. We have identified a phylogenetically distinct D1 group that is intermediate between previously identified G3-D1 and G4-D1 proteins (Cardona et al. Mol Biol Evol 32:1310-1328, 2015). This new group contained two subgroups: D1INT, which was frequently in the genomes of heterocystous cyanobacteria and D1FR that was part of the far-red light photoacclimation gene cluster of cyanobacteria. In addition, we have identified subgroups within G3, the micro-aerobically expressed D1 protein. There are amino acid changes associated with each of the subgroups that might affect the function of Photosystem II. We show a phylogenetically broad range of cyanobacteria have these D1 types, as well as the genes encoding the G2 protein and chlorophyll f synthase. We suggest identification of additional D1 isoforms and the presence of multiple D1 isoforms in phylogenetically diverse cyanobacteria supports the role of these proteins in conferring a selective advantage under specific conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Sheridan
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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20
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Raven JA. Chloride involvement in the synthesis, functioning and repair of the photosynthetic apparatus in vivo. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:334-342. [PMID: 32170958 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Cl- has long been known as a micronutrient for oxygenic photosynthetic resulting from its role an essential cofactor for photosystem II (PSII). Evidence on the in vivo Cl- distribution in Spinacia oleracea leaves and chloroplasts shows that sufficient Cl- is present for the involvement in PSII function, as indicated by in vitro studies on, among other organisms, S. oleracea PsII. There is also sufficient Cl- to function, with K+ , in parsing the H+ electrochemical potential difference (proton motive force) across the illuminated thylakoid membrane into electrical potential difference and pH difference components. However, recent in vitro work on PSII from S. oleracea shows that oxygen evolving complex (OEC) synthesis, and resynthesis after photodamage, requires significantly higher Cl- concentrations than would satisfy the function of assembled PSII O2 evolution of the synthesised PSII with the OEC. The low Cl- affinity of OEC (re-)assembly could be a component limiting the rate of OEC (re-)assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- School of Biological Science, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
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21
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A phylogenetically novel cyanobacterium most closely related to Gloeobacter. ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:2142-2152. [PMID: 32424249 PMCID: PMC7368068 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0668-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Clues to the evolutionary steps producing innovations in oxygenic photosynthesis may be preserved in the genomes of organisms phylogenetically placed between non-photosynthetic Vampirovibrionia (formerly Melainabacteria) and the thylakoid-containing Cyanobacteria. However, only two species with published genomes are known to occupy this phylogenetic space, both within the genus Gloeobacter. Here, we describe nearly complete, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of an uncultured organism phylogenetically placed near Gloeobacter, for which we propose the name Candidatus Aurora vandensis {Au’ro.ra. L. fem. n. aurora, the goddess of the dawn in Roman mythology; van.de’nsis. N.L. fem. adj. vandensis of Lake Vanda, Antarctica}. The MAG of A. vandensis contains homologs of most genes necessary for oxygenic photosynthesis including key reaction center proteins. Many accessory subunits associated with the photosystems in other species either are missing from the MAG or are poorly conserved. The MAG also lacks homologs of genes associated with the pigments phycocyanoerethrin, phycoeretherin and several structural parts of the phycobilisome. Additional characterization of this organism is expected to inform models of the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis.
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22
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Revealing the potential of cyanobacteria in cosmetics and cosmeceuticals — A new bioactive approach. ALGAL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2019.101541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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23
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Herrmann AJ, Gehringer MM. An investigation into the effects of increasing salinity on photosynthesis in freshwater unicellular cyanobacteria during the late Archaean. GEOBIOLOGY 2019; 17:343-359. [PMID: 30874335 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The oldest species of bacteria capable of oxygenic photosynthesis today are the freshwater Cyanobacteria Gloeobacter spp., belonging to the class Oxyphotobacteria. Several modern molecular evolutionary studies support the freshwater origin of cyanobacteria during the Archaean and their subsequent acquisition of salt tolerance mechanisms necessary for their expansion into the marine environment. This study investigated the effect of a sudden washout event from a freshwater location into either a brackish or marine environment on the photosynthetic efficiency of two unicellular freshwater cyanobacteria: the salt-tolerant Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC7203 and the cyanobacterial phylogenetic root species, Gloeobacter violaceus PCC7421. Strains were cultured under present atmospheric levels (PAL) of CO2 or an atmosphere containing elevated levels of CO2 and reduced O2 (eCO2 rO2 ) in simulated shallow water or terrestrial environmental conditions. Both strains exhibited a reduction in growth rates and gross photosynthesis, accompanied by significant reductions in chlorophyll a content, in brackish water, with only C. thermalis able to grow at marine salinity levels. While the experimental atmosphere caused a significant increase in gross photosynthesis rates in both strains, it did not increase their growth rates, nor the amount of O2 released. The differences in growth responses to increasing salinities could be attributed to genetic differences, with C. thermalis carrying additional genes for trehalose synthesis. This study demonstrates that, if cyanobacteria did evolve in a freshwater environment, they would have been capable of withstanding a sudden washout into increasingly saline environments. Both C. thermalis and G. violaceus continued to grow and photosynthesise, albeit at diminished rates, in brackish water, thereby providing a route for the evolution of open ocean-dwelling strains, necessary for the oxygenation of the Earth's atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achim J Herrmann
- Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Michelle M Gehringer
- Department of Microbiology, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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24
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Phototrophic biofilm communities and adaptation to growth on ancient archaeological surfaces. ANN MICROBIOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-019-01471-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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25
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Pessi IS, Pushkareva E, Lara Y, Borderie F, Wilmotte A, Elster J. Marked Succession of Cyanobacterial Communities Following Glacier Retreat in the High Arctic. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2019; 77:136-147. [PMID: 29796758 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-018-1203-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are important colonizers of recently deglaciated proglacial soil but an in-depth investigation of cyanobacterial succession following glacier retreat has not yet been carried out. Here, we report on the successional trajectories of cyanobacterial communities in biological soil crusts (BSCs) along a 100-year deglaciation gradient in three glacier forefields in central Svalbard, High Arctic. Distance from the glacier terminus was used as a proxy for soil age (years since deglaciation), and cyanobacterial abundance and community composition were evaluated by epifluorescence microscopy and pyrosequencing of partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, respectively. Succession was characterized by a decrease in phylotype richness and a marked shift in community structure, resulting in a clear separation between early (10-20 years since deglaciation), mid (30-50 years), and late (80-100 years) communities. Changes in cyanobacterial community structure were mainly connected with soil age and associated shifts in soil chemical composition (mainly moisture, SOC, SMN, K, and Na concentrations). Phylotypes associated with early communities were related either to potentially novel lineages (< 97.5% similar to sequences currently available in GenBank) or lineages predominantly restricted to polar and alpine biotopes, suggesting that the initial colonization of proglacial soil is accomplished by cyanobacteria transported from nearby glacial environments. Late communities, on the other hand, included more widely distributed genotypes, which appear to establish only after the microenvironment has been modified by the pioneering taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor S Pessi
- InBioS - Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, B6a, Quartier Agora, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
- Department of Microbiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 56 (Viikinkaari 9), 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ekaterina Pushkareva
- Centre for Polar Ecology, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté Stoce 3, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Yannick Lara
- InBioS - Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, B6a, Quartier Agora, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- UR Geology - Palaeobiogeology-Palaeobotany-Palaeopalynology, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août14, B18, Quartier Agora, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fabien Borderie
- InBioS - Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, B6a, Quartier Agora, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249 CNRS Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté UsC INRA, Campus La Bouloie, Route de Gray 16, 25030, Besançon, France
| | - Annick Wilmotte
- InBioS - Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, B6a, Quartier Agora, Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Josef Elster
- Centre for Polar Ecology, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté Stoce 3, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dukelská 135, 37982, Třeboň, Czech Republic
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Will SE, Henke P, Boedeker C, Huang S, Brinkmann H, Rohde M, Jarek M, Friedl T, Seufert S, Schumacher M, Overmann J, Neumann-Schaal M, Petersen J. Day and Night: Metabolic Profiles and Evolutionary Relationships of Six Axenic Non-Marine Cyanobacteria. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:270-294. [PMID: 30590650 PMCID: PMC6349668 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are dominant primary producers of various ecosystems and they colonize marine as well as freshwater and terrestrial habitats. On the basis of their oxygenic photosynthesis they are known to synthesize a high number of secondary metabolites, which makes them promising for biotechnological applications. State-of-the-art sequencing and analytical techniques and the availability of several axenic strains offer new opportunities for the understanding of the hidden metabolic potential of cyanobacteria beyond those of single model organisms. Here, we report comprehensive genomic and metabolic analyses of five non-marine cyanobacteria, that is, Nostoc sp. DSM 107007, Anabaena variabilis DSM 107003, Calothrix desertica DSM 106972, Chroococcidiopsis cubana DSM 107010, Chlorogloeopsis sp. PCC 6912, and the reference strain Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Five strains that are prevalently belonging to the order Nostocales represent the phylogenetic depth of clade B1, a morphologically highly diverse sister lineage of clade B2 that includes strain PCC 6803. Genome sequencing, light and scanning electron microscopy revealed the characteristics and axenicity of the analyzed strains. Phylogenetic comparisons showed the limits of the 16S rRNA gene for the classification of cyanobacteria, but documented the applicability of a multilocus sequence alignment analysis based on 43 conserved protein markers. The analysis of metabolites of the core carbon metabolism showed parts of highly conserved metabolic pathways as well as lineage specific pathways such as the glyoxylate shunt, which was acquired by cyanobacteria at least twice via horizontal gene transfer. Major metabolic changes were observed when we compared alterations between day and night samples. Furthermore, our results showed metabolic potential of cyanobacteria beyond Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 as model organism and may encourage the cyanobacterial community to broaden their research to related organisms with higher metabolic activity in the desired pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Eva Will
- Nachwuchsgruppe Bakterielle Metabolomik, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Petra Henke
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Christian Boedeker
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Sixing Huang
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Henner Brinkmann
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Manfred Rohde
- Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Jarek
- Helmholtz-Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Thomas Friedl
- Sammlung von Algenkulturen der Universität Göttingen (SAG), Germany
| | - Steph Seufert
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Martin Schumacher
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Abteilung Mikrobielle Ökologie und Diversität, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Meina Neumann-Schaal
- Nachwuchsgruppe Bakterielle Metabolomik, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörn Petersen
- Abteilung Protisten und Cyanobakterien, Leibniz-Institut DSMZ - Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
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27
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Chen L, Chen WF, Xu ZL, Li W, Zhang XY, Li WJ, Wang L. Sphingomonas oleivorans sp. nov., isolated from oil-contaminated soil. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018; 68:3720-3725. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Chen
- 1Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Wen-Feng Chen
- 1Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Zhi-Ling Xu
- 1Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Wei Li
- 1Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Xin-Yu Zhang
- 2Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- 3State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, PR China
| | - Lei Wang
- 1Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology , Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Elhai J, Khudyakov I. Ancient association of cyanobacterial multicellularity with the regulator HetR and an RGSGR pentapeptide-containing protein (PatX). Mol Microbiol 2018; 110:931-954. [PMID: 29885033 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
One simple model to explain biological pattern postulates the existence of a stationary regulator of differentiation that positively affects its own expression, coupled with a diffusible suppressor of differentiation that inhibits the regulator's expression. The first has been identified in the filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium, Anabaena PCC 7120 as the transcriptional regulator, HetR and the second as the small protein, PatS, which contains a critical RGSGR motif that binds to HetR. HetR is present in almost all filamentous cyanobacteria, but only a subset of heterocyst-forming strains carry proteins similar to PatS. We identified a third protein, PatX that also carries the RGSGR motif and is coextensive with HetR. Amino acid sequences of PatX contain two conserved regions: the RGSGR motif and a hydrophobic N-terminus. Within 69 nt upstream from all instances of the gene is a DIF1 motif correlated in Anabaena with promoter induction in developing heterocysts, preceded in heterocyst-forming strains by an apparent NtcA-binding site, associated with regulation by nitrogen-status. Consistent with a role in the simple model, PatX is expressed dependent on HetR and acts to inhibit differentiation. The acquisition of the PatX/HetR pair preceded the appearance of both PatS and heterocysts, dating back to the beginnings of multicellularity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Elhai
- Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Ivan Khudyakov
- All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology, Saint-Petersburg, 196608, Russia
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29
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Li Y, Zhou M, Wang F, Wang ET, Du Z, Wu C, Zhang Z, Liu W, Xie Z. Photobacterium proteolyticum sp. nov., a protease-producing bacterium isolated from ocean sediments of Laizhou Bay. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:1835-1840. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, PR China
| | - Mingyang Zhou
- School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan 250353, PR China
| | - Fengqing Wang
- College of Marine Science, Shandong University at Weihai, Weihai 264209, PR China
| | - En Tao Wang
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 11340 Mexico City D.F, México
| | - Zongjun Du
- College of Marine Science, Shandong University at Weihai, Weihai 264209, PR China
| | - Chaoya Wu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, PR China
| | - Zhenpeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, PR China
| | - Zhihong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264003, PR China
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30
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Raven JA, Beardall J, Sánchez-Baracaldo P. The possible evolution and future of CO2-concentrating mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:3701-3716. [PMID: 28505361 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
CO2-concentrating mechanisms (CCMs), based either on active transport of inorganic carbon (biophysical CCMs) or on biochemistry involving supplementary carbon fixation into C4 acids (C4 and CAM), play a major role in global primary productivity. However, the ubiquitous CO2-fixing enzyme in autotrophs, Rubisco, evolved at a time when atmospheric CO2 levels were very much higher than today and O2 was very low and, as CO2 and O2 approached (by no means monotonically), today's levels, at some time subsequently many organisms evolved a CCM that increased the supply of CO2 and decreased Rubisco oxygenase activity. Given that CO2 levels and other environmental factors have altered considerably between when autotrophs evolved and the present day, and are predicted to continue to change into the future, we here examine the drivers for, and possible timing of, evolution of CCMs. CCMs probably evolved when CO2 fell to 2-16 times the present atmospheric level, depending on Rubisco kinetics. We also assess the effects of other key environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient levels on CCM activity and examine the evidence for evolutionary changes in CCM activity and related cellular processes as well as limitations on continuity of CCMs through environmental variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Raven
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
- Functional Plant Biology and Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - John Beardall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Building 18, Clayton Campus, Vic 3800, Australia
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31
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Yan J, Li Y, Han XZ, Chen WF, Zou WX, Xie Z, Li M. Agrobacterium deltaense sp. nov., an endophytic bacteria isolated from nodule of Sesbania cannabina. Arch Microbiol 2017; 199:1003-1009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-017-1367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Revised: 03/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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32
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Moreira D, Tavera R, Benzerara K, Skouri-Panet F, Couradeau E, Gérard E, Fonta CL, Novelo E, Zivanovic Y, López-García P. Description of Gloeomargarita lithophora gen. nov., sp. nov., a thylakoid-bearing, basal-branching cyanobacterium with intracellular carbonates, and proposal for Gloeomargaritales ord. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2017; 67:653-658. [PMID: 27902306 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A unicellular cyanobacterium, strain Alchichica-D10, was isolated from microbialites of the alkaline Lake Alchichica, Mexico. The cells were short rods (3.9±0.6 µm in length and 1.1±0.1 µm in width) forming biofilms of intense emerald green colour. They exhibited red autofluorescence under UV light excitation. UV-visible absorption spectra revealed that they contain chlorophyll a and phycocyanin, and electron microscopy showed the presence of thylakoids. The strain grew within a temperature range of 15-30 °C. Genomic DNA G+C content was 52.2 mol%. The most remarkable feature of this species was its granular cytoplasm, due to the presence of numerous intracellular spherical granules (16-26 per cell) with an average diameter of 270 nm. These granules, easily visible under scanning electron microscopy, were composed of amorphous carbonate containing Ca, Mg, Ba and Sr. A multi-gene phylogeny based on the analysis of 59 conserved protein markers supported robustly that this strain occupies a deep position in the cyanobacterial tree. Based on its phenotypic characters and phylogenetic position, strain Alchichica-D10 is considered to represent a new genus and novel species of cyanobacteria for which the name Gloeomargarita lithophora gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Alchichica-D10 (Culture Collection of Algae and Protozoa CCAP strain 1437/1; Collections de Cyanobactéries et Microalgues Vivantes of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris strain PMC 919.15). Furthermore, a new family, Gloeomargaritaceae, and a new order, Gloeoemargaritales, are proposed to accommodate this species under the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moreira
- Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Rosaluz Tavera
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux, et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Universités-UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7590, MNHN, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Fériel Skouri-Panet
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux, et de Cosmochimie, Sorbonne Universités-UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7590, MNHN, IRD UMR 206, Paris, France
| | - Estelle Couradeau
- Present address: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico.,Unité d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Emmanuelle Gérard
- Géobiosphère Actuelle et Primitive, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS UMR 7154, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Céline Loussert Fonta
- Nestlé Research Center, Minerals and Imaging Group, P.O Box 44, Ch-1000 Lausanne 26, VD, Switzerland
| | - Eberto Novelo
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, CDMX, Mexico
| | - Yvan Zivanovic
- Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, CNRS UMR 8621, Université Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay, France
| | - Purificación López-García
- Nestlé Research Center, Minerals and Imaging Group, P.O Box 44, Ch-1000 Lausanne 26, VD, Switzerland
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Li Y, Yan J, Yu B, Wang ET, Li X, Yan H, Liu W, Xie Z. Ensifer alkalisoli sp. nov. isolated from root nodules of Sesbania cannabina grown in saline–alkaline soils. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2016; 66:5294-5300. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 264003 Yantai, PR China
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, PR China
| | - Bing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 264003 Yantai, PR China
| | - En Tao Wang
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 11340 Mexico City, D.F., México
| | - Xiangyue Li
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 264003 Yantai, PR China
| | - Hui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 264003 Yantai, PR China
| | - Zhihong Xie
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Biology and Utilization, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 264003 Yantai, PR China
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Lea-Smith DJ, Ortiz-Suarez ML, Lenn T, Nürnberg DJ, Baers LL, Davey MP, Parolini L, Huber RG, Cotton CAR, Mastroianni G, Bombelli P, Ungerer P, Stevens TJ, Smith AG, Bond PJ, Mullineaux CW, Howe CJ. Hydrocarbons Are Essential for Optimal Cell Size, Division, and Growth of Cyanobacteria. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 172:1928-1940. [PMID: 27707888 PMCID: PMC5100757 DOI: 10.1104/pp.16.01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are intricately organized, incorporating an array of internal thylakoid membranes, the site of photosynthesis, into cells no larger than other bacteria. They also synthesize C15-C19 alkanes and alkenes, which results in substantial production of hydrocarbons in the environment. All sequenced cyanobacteria encode hydrocarbon biosynthesis pathways, suggesting an important, undefined physiological role for these compounds. Here, we demonstrate that hydrocarbon-deficient mutants of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 exhibit significant phenotypic differences from wild type, including enlarged cell size, reduced growth, and increased division defects. Photosynthetic rates were similar between strains, although a minor reduction in energy transfer between the soluble light harvesting phycobilisome complex and membrane-bound photosystems was observed. Hydrocarbons were shown to accumulate in thylakoid and cytoplasmic membranes. Modeling of membranes suggests these compounds aggregate in the center of the lipid bilayer, potentially promoting membrane flexibility and facilitating curvature. In vivo measurements confirmed that Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 mutants lacking hydrocarbons exhibit reduced thylakoid membrane curvature compared to wild type. We propose that hydrocarbons may have a role in inducing the flexibility in membranes required for optimal cell division, size, and growth, and efficient association of soluble and membrane bound proteins. The recent identification of C15-C17 alkanes and alkenes in microalgal species suggests hydrocarbons may serve a similar function in a broad range of photosynthetic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Lea-Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.);
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.);
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.);
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.);
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.);
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.);
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Maite L Ortiz-Suarez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Tchern Lenn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Dennis J Nürnberg
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Laura L Baers
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Matthew P Davey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Lucia Parolini
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Roland G Huber
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Charles A R Cotton
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Giulia Mastroianni
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Paolo Bombelli
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Petra Ungerer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Tim J Stevens
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Alison G Smith
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Peter J Bond
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Conrad W Mullineaux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
| | - Christopher J Howe
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom (D.J.L.-S., L.L.B., C.A.R.C., P.B., C.J.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom (M.L.O.-S., P.J.B.)
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom (T.L., D.J.N., G.M., P.U., C.W.M.)
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom (M.P.D., A.G.S.)
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom (L.P.)
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore 138671 (R.G.H., P.J.B.)
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom (T.J.S.); and
- National University of Singapore, Department of Biological Sciences, Singapore 117543 (P.J.B.)
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Yan H, Yan J, Sui XH, Wang ET, Chen WX, Zhang XX, Chen WF. Ensifer glycinis sp. nov., a rhizobial species associated with species of the genus Glycine. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2016; 66:2910-2916. [PMID: 27125987 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.001120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhizobial strains from root nodules of Astragalus mongholicus and soybean (Glycine max) were characterized phylogenetically as members of the genus Ensifer (formerly named Sinorhizobium), based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. Results based upon concatenated sequence analysis of three housekeeping genes (recA, atpD and glnII, ≤ 93.8 % similarities to known species) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of whole genome sequence comparisons (ranging from 89.6 % to 83.4 % to Ensifer fredii and Ensifer saheli, respectively) indicated the distinct positions of these novel strains within the genus Ensifer. Phylogeny of symbiotic genes (nodC and nifH) of three novel strains clustered them with rhizobial species Ensifer fredii and Ensifer sojae, both isolated from nodules of Glycine max. Cross-nodulation tests showed that the representative strain CCBAU 23380T could form root nodules with nitrogen fixation capability on Glycine soja, Albizia julibrissin, Vigna unguiculata and Cajanus cajan, but failed to nodulate Astragalus mongholicus, its original host legume. Strain CCBAU 23380T formed inefficient nodules on G. max, and it did not contain 18 : 0, 18 : 1ω7c 11-methyl or summed feature 1 fatty acids, which differed from other related strains. Failure to utilize malonic acid as a carbon source distinguished strain CCBAU 23380T from the type strains of related species. The genome size of CCBAU 23380T was 6.0 Mbp, comprising 5624 predicted genes with DNA G+C content of 62.4 mol%. Based on the results above, a novel species, Ensifer glycinis sp. nov., is proposed, with CCBAU 23380T (=LMG 29231T =HAMBI 3645T) as the type strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Mollisols Agroecology, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin 150081, PR China
| | - Xin Hua Sui
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - En Tao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Beijing 100193, PR China
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D. F. 11340, Mexico
| | - Wen Xin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Xiao Xia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Collection and Preservation, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Wen Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agro-Biotechnology, College of Biological Sciences and Rhizobium Research Center, China Agricultural University; MOA Key Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Yan J, Yan H, Liu LX, Chen WF, Zhang XX, Verástegui-Valdés MM, Wang ET, Han XZ. Rhizobium hidalgonense sp. nov., a nodule endophytic bacterium of Phaseolus vulgaris in acid soil. Arch Microbiol 2016; 199:97-104. [DOI: 10.1007/s00203-016-1281-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Williams L, Loewen-Schneider K, Maier S, Büdel B. Cyanobacterial diversity of western European biological soil crusts along a latitudinal gradient. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw157. [PMID: 27411981 PMCID: PMC4970567 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria associated with biological soil crusts (BSCs) have important attributes, such as nitrogen fixation and soil stabilisation. However, research on these organisms has been minimal, and their diversity and distribution throughout temperate Europe is currently unknown. The SCIN (Soil Crust International) project is a multidisciplinary research initiative that aims to achieve improved understanding of the BSCs of Europe, one facet being an investigation into the cyanobacterial communities of BSCs across a latitudinal gradient. Cyanobacteria assemblages were analysed by both morphological and molecular analysis. Two treatments were applied prior to DNA extraction, continued sample wetting and a dry sample process, and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) amplicons were processed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The results reveal high and variable cyanobacterial diversity with each site showing a unique assemblage. Many common cyanobacterial genera, for example Nostoc and Microcoleus, were found in all sites but the abundances of different genera varied considerably. The polyphasic approach was found to be essential in recording the presence of important cyanobacteria that a single method itself did not highlight. The wet and dry treatments showed some differences in diversity, but mainly in abundance, this may suggest how cyanobacterial composition of BSCs changes with seasonal variability. Investigating the diversity and community composition of cyanobacteria associated with biological soil crusts in climatically different regions of Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Williams
- Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology Institute, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Katharina Loewen-Schneider
- Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology Institute, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Stefanie Maier
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Plant Ecology and Systematics, Biology Institute, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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38
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Warden JG, Casaburi G, Omelon CR, Bennett PC, Breecker DO, Foster JS. Characterization of Microbial Mat Microbiomes in the Modern Thrombolite Ecosystem of Lake Clifton, Western Australia Using Shotgun Metagenomics. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1064. [PMID: 27458453 PMCID: PMC4933708 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbialite-forming communities interact with the environment and influence the precipitation of calcium carbonate through their metabolic activity. The functional genes associated with these metabolic processes and their environmental interactions are therefore critical to microbialite formation. The microbiomes associated with microbialite-forming ecosystems are just now being elucidated and the extent of shared pathways and taxa across different environments is not fully known. In this study, we profiled the microbiome of microbial communities associated with lacustrine thrombolites located in Lake Clifton, Western Australia using metagenomic sequencing and compared it to the non-lithifying mats associated with surrounding sediments to determine whether differences in the mat microbiomes, particularly with respect to metabolic pathways and environmental interactions, may potentially contribute to thrombolite formation. Additionally, we used stable isotope biosignatures to delineate the dominant metabolism associated with calcium carbonate precipitation in the thrombolite build-ups. Results indicated that the microbial community associated with the Lake Clifton thrombolites was predominantly bacterial (98.4%) with Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria comprising the majority of annotated reads. Thrombolite-associated mats were enriched in photoautotrophic taxa and functional genes associated with photosynthesis. Observed δ13C values of thrombolite CaCO3 were enriched by at least 3.5‰ compared to theoretical values in equilibrium with lake water DIC, which is consistent with the occurrence of photoautotrophic activity in thrombolite-associated microbial mats. In contrast, the microbiomes of microbial communities found on the sandy non-lithifying sediments of Lake Clifton represented distinct microbial communities that varied in taxa and functional capability and were enriched in heterotrophic taxa compared to the thrombolite-associated mats. This study provides new insight into the taxa and functional capabilities that differentiate potentially lithifying mats from other non-lithifying types and suggests that thrombolites are actively accreting and growing in limited areas of Lake Clifton.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Warden
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, AustinTX, USA; Space Life Science Lab, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt IslandFL, USA
| | - Giorgio Casaburi
- Space Life Science Lab, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt Island FL, USA
| | - Christopher R Omelon
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Philip C Bennett
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Daniel O Breecker
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX, USA
| | - Jamie S Foster
- Space Life Science Lab, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Merritt Island FL, USA
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Mazard S, Penesyan A, Ostrowski M, Paulsen IT, Egan S. Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future. Mar Drugs 2016; 14:E97. [PMID: 27196915 PMCID: PMC4882571 DOI: 10.3390/md14050097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to have inhabited the Earth. Throughout the last few billion years, they have played a major role in shaping the Earth as the planet we live in, and they continue to play a significant role in our everyday lives. Besides being an essential source of atmospheric oxygen, marine cyanobacteria are prolific secondary metabolite producers, often despite the exceptionally small genomes. Secondary metabolites produced by these organisms are diverse and complex; these include compounds, such as pigments and fluorescent dyes, as well as biologically-active compounds with a particular interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Cyanobacteria are currently regarded as an important source of nutrients and biofuels and form an integral part of novel innovative energy-efficient designs. Being autotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria are well suited for large-scale biotechnological applications due to the low requirements for organic nutrients. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques have considerably enhanced the potential for industries to optimize the production of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites with desired functions. This manuscript reviews the environmental role of marine cyanobacteria with a particular focus on their secondary metabolites and discusses current and future developments in both the production of desired cyanobacterial metabolites and their potential uses in future innovative projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Mazard
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Anahit Penesyan
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Martin Ostrowski
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Ian T Paulsen
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - Suhelen Egan
- Centre for Marine Bio-Innovation and School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.
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Cardona T. Reconstructing the Origin of Oxygenic Photosynthesis: Do Assembly and Photoactivation Recapitulate Evolution? FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:257. [PMID: 26973693 PMCID: PMC4773611 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Due to the great abundance of genomes and protein structures that today span a broad diversity of organisms, now more than ever before, it is possible to reconstruct the molecular evolution of protein complexes at an incredible level of detail. Here, I recount the story of oxygenic photosynthesis or how an ancestral reaction center was transformed into a sophisticated photochemical machine capable of water oxidation. First, I review the evolution of all reaction center proteins in order to highlight that Photosystem II and Photosystem I, today only found in the phylum Cyanobacteria, branched out very early in the history of photosynthesis. Therefore, it is very unlikely that they were acquired via horizontal gene transfer from any of the described phyla of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. Second, I present a new evolutionary scenario for the origin of the CP43 and CP47 antenna of Photosystem II. I suggest that the antenna proteins originated from the remodeling of an entire Type I reaction center protein and not from the partial gene duplication of a Type I reaction center gene. Third, I highlight how Photosystem II and Photosystem I reaction center proteins interact with small peripheral subunits in remarkably similar patterns and hypothesize that some of this complexity may be traced back to the most ancestral reaction center. Fourth, I outline the sequence of events that led to the origin of the Mn4CaO5 cluster and show that the most ancestral Type II reaction center had some of the basic structural components that would become essential in the coordination of the water-oxidizing complex. Finally, I collect all these ideas, starting at the origin of the first reaction center proteins and ending with the emergence of the water-oxidizing cluster, to hypothesize that the complex and well-organized process of assembly and photoactivation of Photosystem II recapitulate evolutionary transitions in the path to oxygenic photosynthesis.
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Pushkareva E, Pessi IS, Wilmotte A, Elster J. Cyanobacterial community composition in Arctic soil crusts at different stages of development. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2015; 91:fiv143. [PMID: 26564957 PMCID: PMC4668365 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiv143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacterial diversity in soil crusts has been extensively studied in arid lands of temperate regions, particularly semi-arid steppes and warm deserts. Nevertheless, Arctic soil crusts have received far less attention than their temperate counterparts. Here, we describe the cyanobacterial communities from various types of soil crusts from Svalbard, High Arctic. Four soil crusts at different development stages (ranging from poorly-developed to well-developed soil crusts) were analysed using 454 pyrosequencing of the V3-V4 variable region of the cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene. Analyses of 95 660 cyanobacterial sequences revealed a dominance of OTUs belonging to the orders Synechococcales, Oscillatoriales and Nostocales. The most dominant OTUs in the four studied sites were related to the filamentous cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya sp. Phylotype richness estimates increased from poorly- to mid-developed soil crusts and decreased in the well-developed lichenized soil crust. Moreover, pH, ammonium and organic carbon concentrations appeared significantly correlated with the cyanobacterial community structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Pushkareva
- Centre for Polar Ecology, University of South Bohemia, 37005 ČeskéBudějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Igor S Pessi
- Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Annick Wilmotte
- Centre for Protein Engineering, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Josef Elster
- Centre for Polar Ecology, University of South Bohemia, 37005 ČeskéBudějovice, Czech Republic Institute of Botany, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, 37982 Třeboň, Czech Republic
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Cardona T. A fresh look at the evolution and diversification of photochemical reaction centers. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2015; 126:111-34. [PMID: 25512103 PMCID: PMC4582080 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-014-0065-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
In this review, I reexamine the origin and diversification of photochemical reaction centers based on the known phylogenetic relations of the core subunits, and with the aid of sequence and structural alignments. I show, for example, that the protein folds at the C-terminus of the D1 and D2 subunits of Photosystem II, which are essential for the coordination of the water-oxidizing complex, were already in place in the most ancestral Type II reaction center subunit. I then evaluate the evolution of reaction centers in the context of the rise and expansion of the different groups of bacteria based on recent large-scale phylogenetic analyses. I find that the Heliobacteriaceae family of Firmicutes appears to be the earliest branching of the known groups of phototrophic bacteria; however, the origin of photochemical reaction centers and chlorophyll synthesis cannot be placed in this group. Moreover, it becomes evident that the Acidobacteria and the Proteobacteria shared a more recent common phototrophic ancestor, and this is also likely for the Chloroflexi and the Cyanobacteria. Finally, I argue that the discrepancies among the phylogenies of the reaction center proteins, chlorophyll synthesis enzymes, and the species tree of bacteria are best explained if both types of photochemical reaction centers evolved before the diversification of the known phyla of phototrophic bacteria. The primordial phototrophic ancestor must have had both Type I and Type II reaction centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanai Cardona
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
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Kopf M, Hess WR. Regulatory RNAs in photosynthetic cyanobacteria. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2015; 39:301-15. [PMID: 25934122 PMCID: PMC6596454 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuv017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory RNAs play versatile roles in bacteria in the coordination of gene expression during various physiological processes, especially during stress adaptation. Photosynthetic bacteria use sunlight as their major energy source. Therefore, they are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of excess light or UV irradiation. In addition, like all bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria must adapt to limiting nutrient concentrations and abiotic and biotic stress factors. Transcriptome analyses have identified hundreds of potential regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) in model cyanobacteria such as Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 or Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, and in environmentally relevant genera such as Trichodesmium, Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. Some sRNAs have been shown to actually contain μORFs and encode short proteins. Examples include the 40-amino-acid product of the sml0013 gene, which encodes the NdhP subunit of the NDH1 complex. In contrast, the functional characterization of the non-coding sRNA PsrR1 revealed that the 131 nt long sRNA controls photosynthetic functions by targeting multiple mRNAs, providing a paradigm for sRNA functions in photosynthetic bacteria. We suggest that actuatons comprise a new class of genetic elements in which an sRNA gene is inserted upstream of a coding region to modify or enable transcription of that region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Kopf
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang R Hess
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany
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Whole-genome optical mapping and finished genome sequence of Sphingobacterium deserti sp. nov., a new species isolated from the Western Desert of China. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122254. [PMID: 25830331 PMCID: PMC4382152 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel Gram-negative bacterium, designated ZWT, was isolated from a soil sample of the Western Desert of China, and its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic position were investigated using a polyphasic approach. Growth occurred on TGY medium at 5-42°C with an optimum of 30°C, and at pH 7.0-11.0 with an optimum of pH 9.0. The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c/C16:1ω6c or C16:1ω6c/C16:1ω7c) (39.22%), iso-C15:0 (27.91%), iso-C17:0 3OH (15.21%), C16:0 (4.98%), iso-C15:0 3OH (3.03%), C16:0 3OH (5.39%) and C14:0 (1.74%). The major polar lipid of strain ZWT is phosphatidylethanolamine. The only menaquinone observed was MK-7. The GC content of the DNA of strain ZWT is 44.9 mol%. rDNA phylogeny, genome relatedness and chemotaxonomic characteristics all indicate that strain ZWT represents a novel species of the genus Sphingobacterium. We propose the name S. deserti sp. nov., with ZWT (= KCTC 32092T = ACCC 05744T) as the type strain. Whole genome optical mapping and next-generation sequencing was used to derive a finished genome sequence for strain ZWT, consisting of a circular chromosome of 4,615,818 bp in size. The genome of strain ZWT features 3,391 protein-encoding and 48 tRNA-encoding genes. Comparison of the predicted proteome of ZWT with those of other sphingobacteria identified 925 species-unique proteins that may contribute to the adaptation of ZWT to its native, extremely arid and inhospitable environment. As the first finished genome sequence for any Sphingobacterium, our work will serve as a useful reference for subsequent sequencing and mapping efforts for additional strains and species within this genus.
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Elhai J. Highly Iterated Palindromic Sequences (HIPs) and Their Relationship to DNA Methyltransferases. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:921-48. [PMID: 25789551 PMCID: PMC4390886 DOI: 10.3390/life5010921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The sequence GCGATCGC (Highly Iterated Palindrome, HIP1) is commonly found in high frequency in cyanobacterial genomes. An important clue to its function may be the presence of two orphan DNA methyltransferases that recognize internal sequences GATC and CGATCG. An examination of genomes from 97 cyanobacteria, both free-living and obligate symbionts, showed that there are exceptional cases in which HIP1 is at a low frequency or nearly absent. In some of these cases, it appears to have been replaced by a different GC-rich palindromic sequence, alternate HIPs. When HIP1 is at a high frequency, GATC- and CGATCG-specific methyltransferases are generally present in the genome. When an alternate HIP is at high frequency, a methyltransferase specific for that sequence is present. The pattern of 1-nt deviations from HIP1 sequences is biased towards the first and last nucleotides, i.e., those distinguish CGATCG from HIP1. Taken together, the results point to a role of DNA methylation in the creation or functioning of HIP sites. A model is presented that postulates the existence of a GmeC-dependent mismatch repair system whose activity creates and maintains HIP sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Elhai
- Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
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Cardona T, Murray JW, Rutherford AW. Origin and Evolution of Water Oxidation before the Last Common Ancestor of the Cyanobacteria. Mol Biol Evol 2015; 32:1310-28. [PMID: 25657330 PMCID: PMC4408414 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msv024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosystem II, the water oxidizing enzyme, altered the course of evolution by filling the atmosphere with oxygen. Here, we reconstruct the origin and evolution of water oxidation at an unprecedented level of detail by studying the phylogeny of all D1 subunits, the main protein coordinating the water oxidizing cluster (Mn4CaO5) of Photosystem II. We show that D1 exists in several forms making well-defined clades, some of which could have evolved before the origin of water oxidation and presenting many atypical characteristics. The most ancient form is found in the genome of Gloeobacter kilaueensis JS-1 and this has a C-terminus with a higher sequence identity to D2 than to any other D1. Two other groups of early evolving D1 correspond to those expressed under prolonged far-red illumination and in darkness. These atypical D1 forms are characterized by a dramatically different Mn4CaO5 binding site and a Photosystem II containing such a site may assemble an unconventional metal cluster. The first D1 forms with a full set of ligands to the Mn4CaO5 cluster are grouped with D1 proteins expressed only under low oxygen concentrations and the latest evolving form is the dominant type of D1 found in all cyanobacteria and plastids. In addition, we show that the plastid ancestor had a D1 more similar to those in early branching Synechococcus. We suggest each one of these forms of D1 originated from transitional forms at different stages toward the innovation and optimization of water oxidation before the last common ancestor of all known cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanai Cardona
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James W Murray
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Gan F, Shen G, Bryant DA. Occurrence of Far-Red Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP) in Diverse Cyanobacteria. Life (Basel) 2014; 5:4-24. [PMID: 25551681 PMCID: PMC4390838 DOI: 10.3390/life5010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria have evolved a number of acclimation strategies to sense and respond to changing nutrient and light conditions. Leptolyngbya sp. JSC-1 was recently shown to photoacclimate to far-red light by extensively remodeling its photosystem (PS) I, PS II and phycobilisome complexes, thereby gaining the ability to grow in far-red light. A 21-gene photosynthetic gene cluster (rfpA/B/C, apcA2/B2/D2/E2/D3, psbA3/D3/C2/B2/H2/A4, psaA2/B2/L2/I2/F2/J2) that is specifically expressed in far-red light encodes the core subunits of the three major photosynthetic complexes. The growth responses to far-red light were studied here for five additional cyanobacterial strains, each of which has a gene cluster similar to that in Leptolyngbya sp. JSC-1. After acclimation all five strains could grow continuously in far-red light. Under these growth conditions each strain synthesizes chlorophylls d, f and a after photoacclimation, and each strain produces modified forms of PS I, PS II (and phycobiliproteins) that absorb light between 700 and 800 nm. We conclude that these photosynthetic gene clusters are diagnostic of the capacity to photoacclimate to and grow in far-red light. Given the diversity of terrestrial environments from which these cyanobacteria were isolated, it is likely that FaRLiP plays an important role in optimizing photosynthesis in terrestrial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Whole-Genome Sequences of Five Oligotrophic Bacteria Isolated from Deep within Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2014; 2:2/6/e01133-14. [PMID: 25377711 PMCID: PMC4223462 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.01133-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Here, we report the whole-genome sequences and annotation of five oligotrophic bacteria from two sites within the Lechuguilla Cave in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM. Three of the five genomes contain an acyl-homoserine lactone signal synthase ortholog (luxI) that is involved in cell-to-cell communication via quorum sensing.
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