"Green-like" and "red-like" RubisCO cbbL genes in Rhodobacter azotoformans.
We found that Rhodobacter azotoformans IFO 16436T contains two different cbbL genes coding form I ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) large subunits. One gene is located within a "green-like" group of the RubisCO phylogenetic tree, and the other is located within a "red-like" group. This is the first report that one organism contains both green-like and red-like RubisCO genes. Moreover, by PCR using primers which amplify two green-like and red-like cbbL genes alternatively and dot blot hybridization, we demonstrated that Rhodobacter blasticus, Rhodobacter capsulatus, and Rhodobacter veldkampii possess only green-like cbbL genes, and Rhodobacter sphaeroides possesses only a red-like cbbL gene. In the cbbL phylogenic analysis, R. spaeroides and R. azotoformans 1 (red-like) formed a cluster within the red-like group, and R. capsulatus, R. azotoformans 2 (green-like), R. blasticus, and R. veldkampii formed a cluster within the green-like group. This suggests that red-like cbbL genes of Rhodobacter species were derived from one ancestor, and green-like cbbL genes were derived from another ancestor. On the other hand, molecular phylogeny of the bacteria indicates that R. veldkampii, which has only a green-like cbbL gene, is the earliest evolved Rhodobacter species and that R. azotoformans and R. sphaeroides, which have red-like cbbL genes, are the latest evolved. Consequently, the following hypothesis is proposed: the common ancestor of Rhodobacter had a green-like cbbL gene, the common ancestor of R. azotoformans and R. sphaeroides subsequently obtained a red-like cbbL gene by a horizontal gene transfer, and the ancestor of R. sphaeroides later lost the green-like cbbL gene.
Uchino
Yoshihito
Y
Institute for Fermentation, Osaka, Japan. uchino@nbrc.nite.go.jp
Yokota
Akira
A
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers; D004586:Electrophoresis; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016992:Rhodobacter / Q000235:genetics*; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D003062:Codon; D017931:DNA Primers; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase