Publications

4619

Summary Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum, which naturally inhabits microbial mats of alkaline siliceous hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, is the only known chlorophototroph in the phylum Acidobacteria . The Ca . C .  thermophilum genome was composed of two chromosomes (2 683 362 bp and 1 012 010 bp), and both encoded essential genes. The genome included genes to produce chlorosomes, the Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson protein, bacteriochlorophylls a and c as principal pigments, and type‐1, homodimeric reaction centres. Ca . C. thermophilum is an aerobic photoheterotroph that lacks the ability to synthesize several essential nutrients. Key genes of all known carbon fixation pathways were absent, as were genes for assimilatory nitrate and sulfate reduction and vitamin B 12 synthesis. Genes for the synthesis of branched‐chain amino acids (valine, isoleucine and leucine) were also absent, but genes for catabolism of these compounds were present. This observation suggested that Ca . C. thermophilum may synthesize branched‐chain amino acids from an intermediate(s) of the catabolic pathway by reversing these reactions. The genome encoded an aerobic respiratory electron transport chain that included NADH dehydrogenase, alternative complex III and cytochrome oxidase. The chromosomes of the laboratory isolate were compared with assembled, metagenomic scaffolds from the major Ca . C. thermophilum population in hot‐spring mats. The larger chromosomes of the two populations were highly syntenous but significantly divergent (∼13%) in sequence. In contrast, the smaller chromosomes have undergone numerous rearrangements, contained many transposases, and might be less constrained by purifying selection than the large chromosomes. Some transposases were homologous to those of mat community members from other phyla.

ABSTRACT Members of the noncultured clade of Frankia enter into root nodule symbioses with actinorhizal species from the orders Cucurbitales and Rosales. We report the genome sequence of a member of this clade originally from Pakistan but obtained from root nodules of the American plant Datisca glomerata without isolation in culture.

AbstractWe report the detection of phytoplasmas in Picea abies, Picea glauca and Picea pungens trees with witches’ brooms and other growth abnormalities and also in symptomless trees. Phytoplasmas were detected in c. 25% of the tested plants by polymerase chain reaction using phytoplasma universal P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 primer pairs. The phytoplasmas were classified as members of the phylogenetic groups: 16SrI, ‘Ca. Phytoplasma asteris’; 16SrIII, X‐disease phytoplasma group; and 16SrXXI, ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pini’.

The presence of phytoplasmas in seven coniferous plant species ( Abies procera , Pinus banksiana , P. mugo , P. nigra , P. sylvestris , P. tabuliformis and Tsuga canadensis ) was demonstrated using nested PCR with the primer pairs P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. The phytoplasmas were detected in pine trees with witches’ broom symptoms growing in natural forest ecosystems and also in plants propagated from witches’ brooms. Identification of phytoplasmas was done using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) of the 16S rDNA gene fragment with Alu I, Mse I and Rsa I endonucleases. All samples showed RFLP patterns similar to the theoretical pattern of ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’, based on the sequence of the reference isolate Pin127S. Nested PCR‐amplified products, obtained with primers R16F2n/R16R2, were sequenced. Comparison of the 16S rDNAs obtained revealed high (99·8–100%) nucleotide sequence identity between the phytoplasma isolates. The isolates were also closely related to four other phytoplasma isolates found in pine trees previously. Based on the results of RFLP and sequence analyses, the phytoplasma isolates tested were classified as members of the ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pini’, group 16SrXXI.