Highly plastic genome of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806, a ubiquitous toxic freshwater cyanobacterium
Year: 2008
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The colonial cyanobacterium Microcystis proliferates in a wide range of freshwater ecosystems and is exposed to changing environmental factors during its life cycle. Microcystis blooms are often toxic, potentially fatal to animals and humans, and may cause environmental problems. There has been little investigation of the genomics of these cyanobacteria. RESULTS: Deciphering the 5,172,804 bp sequence of Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 has revealed the high plasticity of its genome: 11.7% DNA repeats containing more than 1,000 bases, 6.8% putative transposases and 21 putative restriction enzymes. Compared to the genomes of other cyanobacterial lineages, strain PCC 7806 contains a large number of atypical genes that may have been acquired by lateral transfers. Metabolic pathways, such as fermentation and a methionine salvage pathway, have been identified, as have genes for programmed cell death that may be related to the rapid disappearance of Microcystis blooms in nature. Analysis of the PCC 7806 genome also reveals striking novel biosynthetic features that might help to elucidate the ecological impact of secondary metabolites and lead to the discovery of novel metabolites for new biotechnological applications. M. aeruginosa and other large cyanobacterial genomes exhibit a rapid loss of synteny in contrast to other microbial genomes. CONCLUSION: Microcystis aeruginosa PCC 7806 appears to have adopted an evolutionary strategy relying on unusual genome plasticity to adapt to eutrophic freshwater ecosystems, a property shared by another strain of M. aeruginosa (NIES-843). Comparisons of the genomes of PCC 7806 and other cyanobacterial strains indicate that a similar strategy may have also been used by the marine strain Crocosphaera watsonii WH8501 to adapt to other ecological niches, such as oligotrophic open oceans.
Source: BMC Genomics
Authors: Lionel Frangeul, Philippe Quillardet, Anne-Marie Castets, Jean-François Humbert, Hans CP Matthijs, Diego Cortez, Andrew Tolonen, Cheng-Cai Zhang, Simonetta Gribaldo, Jan-Christoph Kehr, Yvonne Zilliges, Nadine Ziemert, Sven Becker, Emmanuel Talla, Amel Latifi, Alain Billault, Anthony Lepelletier, Elke Dittmann, Christiane Bouchier, Nicole Tandeau de Marsac
Institutions: Institut Pasteur, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Centre Alpin de Recherche sur les Réseaux Trophiques et les Ecosystèmes Limniques, University of Amsterdam, Harvard University, Aix-Marseille Université, Laboratoire de Chimie Bactérienne, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Genoscope
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,090
OpenAlex ID: W2109250549