• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.3
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2007

Anoxygenic photosynthesis, performed primarily by anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (APB), has been supposed to arise on Earth more than 3 billion years ago. The long established APB are distributed in almost every corner where light can reach. However, the relationship between APB phylogeny and source environments has been largely unexplored. Here we retrieved the pufM sequences and related source information of 89 pufM containing species from the public database. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that horizontal gene transfer (HGT) most likely occurred within 11 out of a total 21 pufM subgroups, not only among species within the same class but also among species of different phyla or subphyla. A clear source environment feature related phylogenetic distribution pattern was observed, with all species from oxic habitats and those from anoxic habitats clustering into independent subgroups, respectively. HGT among ancient APB and subsequent long term evolution and adaptation to separated niches may have contributed to the coupling of environment and pufM phylogeny.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.171-176
• /
• 2006

A strictly aerobic, non-motile, ovoid-shaped Alphaproteobacteria, designated strain $JC2049^T$ was isolated from a tidal flat sediment sample. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that this isolate belonged to the genus Thalassobius, with a sequence similarity of 96.9-97.3% to other valid Thalassobius spp. The cells required 1-7% NaCl for growth (optimum 2%) and accumulated $poly-\beta-hydroxybutyrate$. Nitrite was reduced to nitrogen, but nitrate was not reduced to nitrite. No genetic potential for aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis was detected. The primary isoprenoid quinone (Ubiquinone-10), predominant cellular fatty acids $(C_{18:1}{\omega}7c,\;11\;methyl\;C_{18:1}\omega7c\;and\;C_{16:0})$ and DNA G+C content (61 mol %) were all consistent with the assignment of this isolate to the genus Thalassobius. Several phenotypic characteristics clearly distinguished our isolate from other Thalassobius species. The degree of genomic relatedness between strain $JC2049^T$ and other Thalassobius species was in a range of 20-43 %. The polyphasic data presented in this study indicates that our isolate should be classified as a novel species within the genus Thalassobius. The name Thalassobius aestuarii sp. novo is therefore proposed for this isolate; the type strain is $JC2049^T(=IMSNU\;14011^T=KCTC\;12049^T=DSM\;15283^T)$.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.3 s.76
• /
• pp.485-492
• /
• 2006

The PrrBA two-component system is one of the major regulatory systems that control expression of photosynthesis genes in response to changes in oxygen tension in the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The system consists of the PrrB histidine kinase and the PrrA response regulator. The N-terminal transmembrane domain of PrrB serves as a signal-sensing domain and comprises six transmembrane helices forming three periplasmic loops and two cytoplasmic loops. The $3^{rd}$ and $4^{th}$ transmembrane helices and the $2^{nd}$ periplasmic loop were suggested to play a crucial role in redox-sensory function. In this study we demonstrated that mutations of Asp-90, Gln-93, Leu-94, Leu-98, and Asn-106 in the $2^{nd}$ periplasmic loop and its neighboring region led to severe defects in PrrB sensory function, indicating that these amino acids might be related to the redox-sensing function of PrrB. The mutant forms (D90E, D90N, and D90A) of PrrB were heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified by means of affinity chromatography and their autokinase activities were comparatively assessed. The D90N form of PrrB was shown to possess higher autokinase activity than the wild-type form of PrrB, whereas the D90E form of PrrB displayed lower autokinase activity than the wild-type form of PrrB. The D90A mutation led to the loss of PrrB autokinase activity.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.632-639
• /
• 2006

Here we examined the expression patterns and regulation of seven photosynthesis (PS) genes (puf, puc, puhA, bchC, bchE, bchF, and bchI) in the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, based on lacZ reporter gene assay. Expression of the tested PS genes, except puhA and bchI, were strongly induced in R. sphaeroides grown under anaerobic conditions relative to that under aerobic conditions. The puhA and bchI genes appear to form the operons together with bchFNBHLM-RSP0290 and crtA, respectively. Expression of the puf, puc, and bchCXYZ operons in R. sphaeroides grown photosynthetically was proportional to the incident light intensity, whereas that of bchFNBHLM(RSP0290-puhA) was inversely related to light intensity. Expression of bchEJG was lowest under medium-light photosynthetic conditions $(10\;W/m^2)$ and highest under high light conditions $(100\;W/m^2)$. The regulation of PS genes by the three major regulatory systems involved in oxygen- and light-sensing in R. sphaeroides is as following: puf and bchC are regulated by both the PpsR repressor and the PrrBA two-component system. The puc operon is under control of PpsR, FnrL, and PrrBA system. Expression of bchE is controlled by FnrL and PrrBA two-component system, whereas bchF is regulated exclusively by PpsR. It was demonstrated that the PpsR repressor is responsible for high-light repression of bchF and that FnrL might be involved in perceiving the cellular redox state in addition to sensing $O_2$ itself.