title: Molecular evolution of sensory domains in cyanobacterial chemoreceptors.
abstract: Components of the chemotaxis system encoded in multiple homologous operons were identified in five cyanobacterial genomes. Analysis of phylogenetic profiles, genomic context, domain architectures and sequence identity reveal that sensory modules of chemoreceptors that detect environmental cues are the subject of frequent domain birth and death events and have accelerated rates of sequence evolution. This fact could explain a remarkable diversity of the sensing repertoire of chemotaxis receptors in microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0230, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wuichet
authors.forename: Igor B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Zhulin
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002633:Chemotaxis; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005798:Genes, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins; D009876:Operon / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D000072236:Methyl-Accepting Chemotaxis Proteins