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Title: Anoxygenic phototroph of the Chloroflexota uses a type I reaction centre

Journal Article · · Nature (London)
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3]; ORCiD logo [4];  [2];  [5];  [5];  [6];  [7]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Univ. of Waterloo, ON (Canada); Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan); Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama (Japan)
  2. Univ. of Waterloo, ON (Canada)
  3. Kanagawa Univ., Yokohama, Kanagawa (Japan); Tokyo Metropolitan University (Japan)
  4. Univ. of Waterloo, ON (Canada); Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON (Canada)
  5. Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo (Japan)
  6. National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba (Japan); Tokyo Metropolitan University (Japan)
  7. Tokyo Metropolitan University (Japan); Leibniz Institute DSMZ, Braunschweig (Germany). German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH

Scientific exploration of phototrophic bacteria over nearly 200 years has revealed large phylogenetic gaps between known phototrophic groups that limit understanding of how phototrophy evolved and diversified. Here, through Boreal Shield lake water incubations, we cultivated an anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium from a previously unknown order within the Chloroflexota phylum that represents a highly novel transition form in the evolution of photosynthesis. Unlike all other known phototrophs, this bacterium uses a type I reaction centre (RCI) for light energy conversion yet belongs to the same bacterial phylum as organisms that use a type II reaction centre (RCII) for phototrophy. Using physiological, phylogenomic and environmental metatranscriptomic data, we demonstrate active RCI-utilizing metabolism by the strain alongside usage of chlorosomes and bacteriochlorophylls related to those of RCII-utilizing Chloroflexota members. Despite using different reaction centres, our phylogenomic data provide strong evidence that RCI-utilizing and RCII-utilizing Chloroflexia members inherited phototrophy from a most recent common phototrophic ancestor. The Chloroflexota phylum preserves an evolutionary record of the use of contrasting phototrophic modes among genetically related bacteria, giving new context for exploring the diversification of phototrophy on Earth.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
2469661
Journal Information:
Nature (London), Journal Name: Nature (London) Journal Issue: 8005 Vol. 627; ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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