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Use of genes of carbon metabolism enzymes as molecular markers of Chlorobi phylum representatives

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Abstract

This work examined the feasibility of using certain genes of carbon metabolism enzymes as molecular markers adequate for studying phylogeny and ecology of green sulfur bacteria (GSB) of the Chlorobi phylum. Primers designed to amplify the genes of ATP citrate lyase (aclB) and citrate synthase (gltA) revealed the respective genes in the genomes of all of the newly studied GSB strains. The phylogenetic trees constructed based on nucleotide sequences of these genes and amino acid sequences of the conceptually translated proteins were on the whole congruent with the 16S rRNA gene tree, with the single exception of GltA of Chloroherpeton thalassium, which formed a separate branch beyond the cluster comprised by other representatives of the Chlorobi phylum. Thus, the aclB genes but not gltA genes proved to be suitable for the design of primers specific to all Chlorobi representatives. Therefore, it was the aclB gene that was further used as a molecular marker to detect GSB in enrichment cultures and environmental samples. AclB phylotypes of GSB were revealed in all of the samples studied, with the exception of environmental samples from soda lakes. The identification of the revealed phylotypes was in agreement with the identification based on the FMO protein gene (fmo), which is a well-known Chlorobi-specific molecular marker.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7, k. 2, Moscow, 117312, Russia

    T. P. Tourova, O. L. Kovaleva & V. M. Gorlenko

  2. Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Vorob’evy gory, Moscow, Russia

    T. P. Tourova & R. N. Ivanovsky

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  1. T. P. Tourova
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  2. O. L. Kovaleva
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  3. V. M. Gorlenko
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  4. R. N. Ivanovsky
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Correspondence to T. P. Tourova.

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Original Russian Text © T.P. Tourova, O.L. Kovaleva, V.M. Gorlenko, R.N. Ivanovsky, 2014, published in Mikrobiologiya, 2014, Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 72–82.

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Tourova, T.P., Kovaleva, O.L., Gorlenko, V.M. et al. Use of genes of carbon metabolism enzymes as molecular markers of Chlorobi phylum representatives. Microbiology 82, 784–793 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261714010159

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