Ah, Yellowstone. Home to elk and bison, wolf and beaver, eagle and hawk — and a newly discovered light-harvesting bacterium.
Donald A. Bryant of Penn State University and David M. Ward of Montana State University and colleagues report the discovery of the microbe, which they named Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum, in Octopus Spring and other hot springs in the park. Microbial mats near the surface in these springs give them their rainbow of colors and harbor some unusual organisms that, among other things, tolerate temperatures in excess of 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The bacterium was discovered by analyzing a DNA “soup” from the springs for specific genetic sequences, including one responsible for a protein that is part of the light-harvesting machinery.
After they found the genes, the researchers were able to isolate the bacterium from a culture of microbes from the mats.
Bacteria like this use a special type of chlorophyll to turn sunlight into chemical energy.
Until now, this capability was found in only 5 of 25 bacterial phyla. The new finding, reported in Science, adds a sixth, Acidobacteria.
The researchers say similar genetic sequences have been found in samples from hot springs in Tibet and Thailand, so there may be relatives of the new species, with similar
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário