IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v4y2013i1d10.1038_ncomms2748.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Genomic deletions disrupt nitrogen metabolism pathways of a cyanobacterial diatom symbiont

Author

Listed:
  • Jason A. Hilton

    (University of California)

  • Rachel A. Foster

    (University of California
    Present address: Department of Biogeochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany)

  • H. James Tripp

    (University of California
    Present address: Department of Energy, Joint Genome Institute, 2800 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek, California 94598, USA)

  • Brandon J. Carter

    (University of California)

  • Jonathan P. Zehr

    (University of California)

  • Tracy A. Villareal

    (Marine Science Institute, The University of Texas at Austin)

Abstract

Diatoms with symbiotic N2-fixing cyanobacteria are often abundant in the oligotrophic open ocean gyres. The most abundant cyanobacterial symbionts form heterocysts (specialized cells for N2 fixation) and provide nitrogen (N) to their hosts, but their morphology, cellular locations and abundances differ depending on the host. Here we show that the location of the symbiont and its dependency on the host are linked to the evolution of the symbiont genome. The genome of Richelia (found inside the siliceous frustule of Hemiaulus) is reduced and lacks ammonium transporters, nitrate/nitrite reductases and glutamine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase. In contrast, the genome of the closely related Calothrix (found outside the frustule of Chaetoceros) is more similar to those of free-living heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. The genome of Richelia is an example of metabolic streamlining that has implications for the evolution of N2-fixing symbiosis and potentially for manipulating plant–cyanobacterial interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jason A. Hilton & Rachel A. Foster & H. James Tripp & Brandon J. Carter & Jonathan P. Zehr & Tracy A. Villareal, 2013. "Genomic deletions disrupt nitrogen metabolism pathways of a cyanobacterial diatom symbiont," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2748
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2748
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2748
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/ncomms2748?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:4:y:2013:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms2748. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.