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Characterization of the Photosynthetic Apparatus and Proteome of Roseobacter denitrificans

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Abstract

The phototrophic capacity of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria endows them with a selective advantage over other heterotrophic bacteria in the oligotrophic ocean. Here, we reported the phototrophic features and proteome of an aerobic phototrophic bacterium Roseobacter denitrificans under starvation stress. The fluorescence induction and relaxation measurements suggested that the photosynthetic capacity in R. denitrificans was preserved but was lower than in the photoautotrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The existence of light-harvesting complexes (LH1 and LH2) and the reaction center (RC) in the native membrane were demonstrated through atomic force microscopy image analysis as direct evidence of their phototrophy. The homology-based LH1–RC complex structure was proposed in which RC was the Rb. sphaeroides homolog structure surrounded by the LH1. Moreover, the protein expression profiles of cells in the stationary phase under heterotrophic and mixotrophic conditions show that light enhanced or activated some proteins such as carbon monoxide dehydrogenase and NifU to cope with the low levels of amino acids and carbon sources under starvation conditions.

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Acknowledgments

Professor John Hodgkiss is thanked for his help with English. This study was supported by the MOST Project 2007CB815904; NSFC 40632013; COMRA DYXM-115-02-4-3; SOA 200805068 and PhD programs foundation of Ministry of Education of China 200803841021.

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  1. National Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Kai Tang, Rui Zong, Fan Zhang, Na Xiao & Nianzhi Jiao

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  1. Kai Tang
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  2. Rui Zong
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  3. Fan Zhang
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  4. Na Xiao
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  5. Nianzhi Jiao
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Correspondence to Nianzhi Jiao.

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Tang, K., Zong, R., Zhang, F. et al. Characterization of the Photosynthetic Apparatus and Proteome of Roseobacter denitrificans . Curr Microbiol 60, 124–133 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9515-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-009-9515-7

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