Whole-genome analysis of photosynthetic prokaryotes.
The process of photosynthesis has had profound global-scale effects on Earth; however, its origin and evolution remain enigmatic. Here we report a whole-genome comparison of representatives from all five groups of photosynthetic prokaryotes and show that horizontal gene transfer has been pivotal in their evolution. Excluding a small number of orthologs that show congruent phylogenies, the genomes of these organisms represent mosaics of genes with very different evolutionary histories. We have also analyzed a subset of "photosynthesis-specific" genes that were elucidated through a differential genome comparison. Our results explain incoherencies in previous data-limited phylogenetic analyses of phototrophic bacteria and indicate that the core components of photosynthesis have been subject to lateral transfer.
Raymond
Jason
J
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA.
Zhaxybayeva
Olga
O
Gogarten
J Peter
JP
Gerdes
Sveta Y
SY
Blankenship
Robert E
RE
D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019414:Chlorobi / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D022761:Gene Transfer, Horizontal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016354:Rhodobacter capsulatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA