This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Xu, H. H. Articles by Tabita, F. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Xu, H. H. Articles by Tabita, F. R. Agricola Articles by Xu, H. H. Articles by Tabita, F. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 06 1996, 1913-1921, Vol 62, No. 6
Copyright © 1996, American Society for Microbiology

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase gene expression and diversity of Lake Erie planktonic microorganisms

HH Xu and FR Tabita
Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210-1292, USA.

Carbon dioxide fixation is carried out primarily through the Calvin- Benson-Bassham reductive pentose phosphate cycle, in which ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is the key enzyme. The primary structure of the large subunit of form I RubisCO is well conserved; however, four distinct types, A, B, C, and D, may be distinguished, with types A and B and types C and D more closely related to one another. To better understand the environmental regulation of RubisCO in Lake Erie phytoplanktonic microorganisms, we have isolated total RNA and DNA from four Lake Erie sampling sites. Probes prepared from RubisCO large-subunit genes (rbcL) of the freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC6301 (representative of type IB) and the diatom Cylindrotheca sp. strain N1 (representative of type ID) were hybridized to the isolated RNA and DNA. To quantitate rbcL gene expression for each sample, the amount of gene expression per gene dose (i.e., the amount of mRNA divided by the amount of target DNA) was determined. With a limited number of sampling sites, it appeared that type ID (diatom) rbcL gene expression per gene dose decreased as the sampling sites shifted toward open water. By contrast, a similar trend was not observed for cyanobacterial (type IB) rbcL gene expression per gene dose. Complementary DNA specific for rbcL was synthesized from Lake Erie RNA samples and used as a template for PCR amplification of portions of various rbcL genes. Thus far, a total of 21 clones of rbcL genes derived from mRNA have been obtained and completely sequenced from the Ballast Island site. For surface water samples, deduced amino acid sequences of five of six clones appeared to be representative of green algae. In contrast, six of nine sequenced rbcL clones from 10-m-deep samples were of chromophytic and rhodophytic lineages. At 5 m deep, the active CO2-fixing planktonic organisms represented a diverse group, including organisms related to Chlorella ellipsoidea, Cylindrotheca sp. strain N1, and Olisthodiscus luteus. Although many more samplings at diverse sites must be accomplished, the discovery of distinctly different sequences of rbcL mRNA at different water depths suggests that there is a stratification of active CO2- fixing organisms in western Lake Erie.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Crespo-Medina, M., Chatziefthimiou, A., Cruz-Matos, R., Perez-Rodriguez, I., Barkay, T., Lutz, R. A., Starovoytov, V., Vetriani, C. (2009). Salinisphaera hydrothermalis sp. nov., a mesophilic, halotolerant, facultatively autotrophic, thiosulfate-oxidizing gammaproteobacterium from deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and emended description of the genus Salinisphaera. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 59: 1497-1503 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tabita, F. R., Hanson, T. E., Li, H., Satagopan, S., Singh, J., Chan, S. (2007). Function, Structure, and Evolution of the RubisCO-Like Proteins and Their RubisCO Homologs. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 71: 576-599 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Tolli, J., King, G. M. (2005). Diversity and Structure of Bacterial Chemolithotrophic Communities in Pine Forest and Agroecosystem Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8411-8418 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sharma, S., Aneja, M. K., Mayer, J., Munch, J. C., Schloter, M. (2005). Diversity of Transcripts of Nitrite Reductase Genes (nirK and nirS) in Rhizospheres of Grain Legumes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2001-2007 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Holmes, D. E., Nevin, K. P., Lovley, D. R. (2004). In Situ Expression of nifD in Geobacteraceae in Subsurface Sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 7251-7259 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nanba, K., King, G. M., Dunfield, K. (2004). Analysis of Facultative Lithotroph Distribution and Diversity on Volcanic Deposits by Use of the Large Subunit of Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 2245-2253 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nogales, B., Timmis, K. N., Nedwell, D. B., Osborn, A. M. (2002). Detection and Diversity of Expressed Denitrification Genes in Estuarine Sediments after Reverse Transcription-PCR Amplification from mRNA. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 5017-5025 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Madrid, V. M., Taylor, G. T., Scranton, M. I., Chistoserdov, A. Y. (2001). Phylogenetic Diversity of Bacterial and Archaeal Communities in the Anoxic Zone of the Cariaco Basin. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 1663-1674 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wyman, M., Davies, J. T., Crawford, D. W., Purdie, D. A. (2000). Molecular and Physiological Responses of Two Classes of Marine Chromophytic Phytoplankton (Diatoms and Prymnesiophytes) during the Development of Nutrient-Stimulated Blooms. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 2349-2357 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wilson, M. S., Bakermans, C., Madsen, E. L. (1999). In Situ, Real-Time Catabolic Gene Expression: Extraction and Characterization of Naphthalene Dioxygenase mRNA Transcripts from Groundwater. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 80-87 [Abstract] [Full Text]