title: Diversity and detection of nitrate assimilation genes in marine bacteria.
abstract: A PCR approach was used to construct a database of nasA genes (called narB genes in cyanobacteria) and to detect the genetic potential for heterotrophic bacterial nitrate utilization in marine environments. A nasA-specific PCR primer set that could be used to selectively amplify the nasA gene from heterotrophic bacteria was designed. Using seawater DNA extracts obtained from microbial communities in the South Atlantic Bight, the Barents Sea, and the North Pacific Gyre, we PCR amplified and sequenced nasA genes. Our results indicate that several groups of heterotrophic bacterial nasA genes are common and widely distributed in oceanic environments.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Frischer
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Verity
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zehr
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zani
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D050901:Nitrate Reductase; D009565:Nitrate Reductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009566:Nitrates; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D009565:Nitrate Reductases; D050901:Nitrate Reductase