title: Whole-genome analysis of photosynthetic prokaryotes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raymond
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Zhaxybayeva
authors.forename: J Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gogarten
authors.forename: Sveta Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Gerdes
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Blankenship
mesh_terms: 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