SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al.
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SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al.
SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al. A genome sequence paper REPORTS Genome Streamlining in a Cosmopolitan Oceanic Bacterium the cytoplasm to process substrates will be matched to steady-state membrane transport rates. Surprisingly, this genome appears to encode nearly all of the basic functions of aproteobacterial cells (Table 1). The small genome size is attributable to the nearly complete absence of nonfunctional or redundant DNA and the paring down of all but the most fundamental metabolic and regulatory functions. For example, P. ubique falls at the extreme end of the range for intergenic DNA regions, with a median spacer size of only three bases (Fig. 2). Intergenic DNA regions vary considerably among bacteria and archaea, even including parasites that have small genomes (5). No pseudogenes, phage genes, or recent gene duplications were found in P. ubique. To further explore this trend, we investigated paralogous gene families by means of BLAST clustering with variable threshold limits. The genome had the smallest number of paralogous genes observed in any freeliving cell (Fig. 1) (fig. S1). A steep slope in Stephen J. Giovannoni,1* H. James Tripp,1 Scott Givan,2 Mircea Podar,3 Kevin L. Vergin,1 Damon Baptista,3 Lisa Bibbs,3 Jonathan Eads,3 Toby H. Richardson,3 Michiel Noordewier,3 Michael S. Rappé,4 Jay M. Short,3 James C. Carrington,2 Eric J. Mathur3 The SAR11 clade consists of very small, heterotrophic marine a-proteobacteria that are found throughout the oceans, where they account for about 25% of all microbial cells. Pelagibacter ubique, the first cultured member of this clade, has the smallest genome and encodes the smallest number of predicted open reading frames known for a free-living microorganism. In contrast to parasitic bacteria and archaea with small genomes, P. ubique has complete biosynthetic pathways for all 20 amino acids and all but a few cofactors. P. ubique has no pseudogenes, introns, transposons, extrachromosomal elements, or inteins; few paralogs; and the shortest intergenic spacers yet observed for any cell. Pelagibacter ubique, strain HTCC1062, belongs to one of the most successful clades of organisms on the planet (1), but it has the smallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any cell known to replicate independently in nature (Fig. 1). In situ hybridization studies show that these organisms occur as unattached cells suspended in the water column (1). They grow by assimilating organic compounds from the ocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir, and can generate metabolic energy either by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump 1 Department of Microbiology, 2Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. 3Diversa Corporation, 4955 Directors Place, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. 4Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Post Office Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA. *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] 10.0 Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. Streptomyces coelicolor Rhodopirellula baltica 5.0 Silicibacter pomeroyi Genome size (Mbp) What is SAR11? (2) or by respiration (3). The marine planktonic environment is poor in nutrients, and the availability of N, P, and organic carbon typically limits the productivity of microbial communities. P. ubique is arguably the smallest free-living cell that has been studied in a laboratory, and even its small genome occupies a substantial fraction (È30%) of the cell volume. The small size of the SAR11 clade cells fits a model proposed by Button (4) for natural selection acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of Coxiella burnetii Bartonella henselae Thermoplasma acidophilum Bartonella quintana Ehrlichia ruminantium Synechococcus sp.WH8102 Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313 Prochlorococcus marinus SS120 Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 Pelagibacter ubique 1.0 Rickettsia conorii Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia 0.5 Cultivating the uncultivatable. Mycoplasma genitalium Nanoarchaeum equitans Free-living Host-associated Obligate symbionts/parasites Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 100 What does the genome tell us? 1242 500 1000 Number of protein encoding genes 19 AUGUST 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 5000 10000 SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al. A genome sequence paper REPORTS Genome Streamlining in a Cosmopolitan Oceanic Bacterium the cytoplasm to process substrates will be matched to steady-state membrane transport rates. Surprisingly, this genome appears to encode nearly all of the basic functions of aproteobacterial cells (Table 1). The small genome size is attributable to the nearly complete absence of nonfunctional or redundant DNA and the paring down of all but the most fundamental metabolic and regulatory functions. For example, P. ubique falls at the extreme end of the range for intergenic DNA regions, with a median spacer size of only three bases (Fig. 2). Intergenic DNA regions vary considerably among bacteria and archaea, even including parasites that have small genomes (5). No pseudogenes, phage genes, or recent gene duplications were found in P. ubique. To further explore this trend, we investigated paralogous gene families by means of BLAST clustering with variable threshold limits. The genome had the smallest number of paralogous genes observed in any freeliving cell (Fig. 1) (fig. S1). A steep slope in Stephen J. Giovannoni,1* H. James Tripp,1 Scott Givan,2 Mircea Podar,3 Kevin L. Vergin,1 Damon Baptista,3 Lisa Bibbs,3 Jonathan Eads,3 Toby H. Richardson,3 Michiel Noordewier,3 Michael S. Rappé,4 Jay M. Short,3 James C. Carrington,2 Eric J. Mathur3 The SAR11 clade consists of very small, heterotrophic marine a-proteobacteria that are found throughout the oceans, where they account for about 25% of all microbial cells. Pelagibacter ubique, the first cultured member of this clade, has the smallest genome and encodes the smallest number of predicted open reading frames known for a free-living microorganism. In contrast to parasitic bacteria and archaea with small genomes, P. ubique has complete biosynthetic pathways for all 20 amino acids and all but a few cofactors. P. ubique has no pseudogenes, introns, transposons, extrachromosomal elements, or inteins; few paralogs; and the shortest intergenic spacers yet observed for any cell. Pelagibacter ubique, strain HTCC1062, belongs to one of the most successful clades of organisms on the planet (1), but it has the smallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any cell known to replicate independently in nature (Fig. 1). In situ hybridization studies show that these organisms occur as unattached cells suspended in the water column (1). They grow by assimilating organic compounds from the ocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir, and can generate metabolic energy either by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump 1 Department of Microbiology, 2Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. 3Diversa Corporation, 4955 Directors Place, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. 4Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Post Office Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA. *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] 10.0 Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. Streptomyces coelicolor Rhodopirellula baltica 5.0 Silicibacter pomeroyi Genome size (Mbp) What is SAR11? (2) or by respiration (3). The marine planktonic environment is poor in nutrients, and the availability of N, P, and organic carbon typically limits the productivity of microbial communities. P. ubique is arguably the smallest free-living cell that has been studied in a laboratory, and even its small genome occupies a substantial fraction (È30%) of the cell volume. The small size of the SAR11 clade cells fits a model proposed by Button (4) for natural selection acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of Coxiella burnetii Bartonella henselae Thermoplasma acidophilum Bartonella quintana Ehrlichia ruminantium Synechococcus sp.WH8102 Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313 Prochlorococcus marinus SS120 Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 Pelagibacter ubique 1.0 Rickettsia conorii Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia 0.5 Cultivating the uncultivatable. Mycoplasma genitalium Nanoarchaeum equitans Free-living Host-associated Obligate symbionts/parasites Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 100 What does the genome tell us? 1242 500 1000 Number of protein encoding genes 19 AUGUST 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 5000 10000 SAR11 was an “environmental” rRNA sequence Steve Giovannoni, et al., 1990 Genetic diversity in Sargasso Sea bacterioplankton. Nature 345:60 16S rRNA genes amplified by PCR with “universal” primers from DNA extracted from bacterioplankton filtered from Sargasso Sea near-surface water. 12 clones sequenced; 4 cyanobacteria (SAR7 cluster), 8 α-proteobacteria (SAR11 cluster Dotblot hybridization suggests that SAR11 makes up a large fraction of the Sargasso bacterioplankton SAR11 is a group of “uncultivatable” α-proteobacteria KG Field (Giovannoni) 1997 AEM 63:63 VOL. 63, 1997 DEPTH-SPECIFIC DIVERSITY IN SAR11 CLUSTER rRNA GENES 67 TABLE 3. Phylogenetic subgroups among SAR11 cluster 16S rRNA genesa Name (reference) Accession no.c Origin Depth (m) SAR1 (16) SAR95 (16) SAR407 (16) SAR425b BDA1-25 (15) OM242b OM188b OCS-12b FL11 (10) FL1 (10) ALO21 (41) ALO38 (41) ALO39 (41) NH16-1 (15) NH25-10 (15) X52280 M63812 U75253 U75261 L11942 U70689 U70687 U75252 L10935 L10934 M64525 M64532 M64533 L11949 L11967 Atlantic, Hydrostation S Atlantic, Hydrostation S Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, near Bermuda Atlantic, Cape Hatteras Atlantic, Cape Hatteras Pacific, Oregon Coast Pacific, Santa Barbara Channel Pacific, Santa Barbara Channel Pacific, ALOHA Station Pacific, ALOHA Station Pacific, ALOHA Station Northeast Pacific Northeast Pacific Surface Surface 80 80 10 10 10 10 10 10 Surface Surface Surface 100 100 20–1191 49–1406 8–1541 1161–1540 537–815 56–467 56–464 9–1005 14–1448 8–1114 307–499 307–499 307–499 537–761 537–817 SAR11 (16) SAR193b BDA1-1 (15) BDA1-20 (15) BDA1-15 (15) NH16-2A (15) NH16-11 (15) NH25-4 (15) X52172 U75649 L11934 L11941 L11939 L11961 L11951 L11974 Atlantic, Hydrostation S Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, near Bermuda Atlantic, near Bermuda Atlantic, near Bermuda Northeast Pacific Northeast Pacific Northeast Pacific Surface 250 250 10 10 10 100 100 22–1191 54–613 537–815 537–765 537–752 537–817 537–763 537–857 SAR211b SAR464b SAR466b SAR440b SAR414b SAR490b SAR418b SAR492b BDA1-27 (15) OM239b OM136b OM258b OCS143b NH49-1 (15) U75256 U75254 U75263 U75262 U75259 U75264 U75260 U75265 L11943 U70688 U70684 U70691 U75266 L11987 Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, near Bermuda Atlantic, Cape Hatteras Atlantic, Cape Hatteras Atlantic, Cape Hatteras Pacific, Oregon Coast Northeast Pacific 250 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 10 10 10 10 10 500 8–1542 8–1541 8–357 8–357 8–355, 1161–1540 8–357, 1161–1540 8–350, 1180–1540 54–516 537–741 49–319 49–494 60–551 106–411 537–756 SAR220b SAR241b BDA1-17 (15) U75257 U75258 L11940 Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, BATS Atlantic, near Bermuda 250 250 10 8–1541 8–1542 537–790 SAR203b NH29-3 (15) U75255 L11982 Atlantic, BATS Northeast Pacific 250 100 537–772 537–756 a b c Position (E. coli numbering) Genes in boldface type are also shown in the tree in Fig. 1. Line spaces separate phylogenetic subgroups. This gene was first reported in this paper. GenBank. the hybridization to the universal 338R probe providing the denominator. depends on whether all templates amplify with equal efficiency. We tested the hybridization results independently by hybridiz- VOL. 63, 1997 DEPTH-SPECIFIC DIVE FIG. 1. Phylogenetic relationships among SAR11 cluster 16S rRNA genes, inferred by neighbor joining (38) from E. coli positions 9 through 1005 (the sequence positions found in the shortest gene, OCS12). The gene sequence from Agrobacterium tumefaciens was used to root the tree. The same branching order was recovered by the method of Wagner parsimony (44). The numbers above the internal segments are the percentages of bootstrap replicates which supported the branching order for the neighbor-joining tree; bootstrap values for the parsimony analysis are shown below the segments. Bootstrap values below 60% are not shown. SAR1, -11, and -95, surface; SAR193, -203, -211, -220, and -241, 250 m; SAR407 and -464, 80 m. SAR, Sargasso Sea; OCS12, Oregon coast; FL11, California coast (10). neighbor joining (38). We inferred parsimony trees with the heuristic search option of PAUP (44). The bootstrap (12) with 100 replicates was used to estimate the robustness of branches in both neighbor-joining and parsimony trees. We edited phylogenetic trees with the program Treetool, provided by Mike Maciukenas, Ribosomal Database Project (RDP [22, 24]). Identification of chimeric genes. We obtained secondary structure models for rDNAs with the program gRNAID, version 1.4 (46a), and examined them for To assess SAR11 clust SSU rRNA g nucleic acid coastal and lyzed the se group-specifi probes to nu depth-specifi did not use purpose, bec tected by th growing slow To select examined p quences obt not shown) ability reve quenced eigh SAR203, SA 250 m in t SAR464 from from a depth also analyze Parsimony tially the sam structed from and nearly f We used the branches for nd five Cy3-labelled oligonucleotide probes (n ¼ 72) within and 1.2 £ 10 cells l (n ¼ 21) below the euphotic 6S rRNA were used in separate hybridization zone. To ensure that cells were not being removed in the hybridizaocessing of raw images was used to restrict tion process, direct cell counts determined from hybridization wing fluorescence from both the Cy3 probe and preparations were compared with independent preparations that 4 0 ,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochlor- used standard DAPI staining procedures for counting cells20. Agreehis approach, there was very little ambiguity in ment between the values was 99.6% in pair-wise comparisons, nts. showing that most cells remained on the filters throughout the ng, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is hybridization procedure. for determining the exact abundance of cells in Morris, et al.their (Giovannoni) 2002 Nature 420:806 provided that RM the probes circumscribe nd the fluorescence signals from cells are high t scoring. Because some microbial cells, such as bacterioplankton, are difficult to detect by this tegies have been used to increase signal intenccuracy. Some of these studies have focused design13,14, whereas others have explored stratfluorescent signal per cell15–17. Our strategy was that target different regions of the 16S rRNA to e effect on signal intensity, coupled with a D (charge-coupled device) camera for detecting SAR11 make up 20-50% of oceanic bacterioplankton nce in situ hybridization image composite. Dual image cells stained with DAPI (blue) and the Cy3 probe (red). Cells API and the Cy3 probe are both blue and red, and cells e set of SAR11 probes are blue. The identical fields of view ed images show the characteristic size and curved rod SAR11 cell (white box). Scale bar, 1 mm. ECEMBER 2002 | www.nature.com/nature Figure 3 SAR11 probe counts, bacterial probe counts and direct cell counts (DAPIstaining particles) in the northwestern Sargasso Sea. a–d, SAR11 clade (squares), Bacteria (circles) and DAPI (diamonds) counts at 328 N, 648 W (CDOM-01; BATS site; a), 308 N, 648 W (CDOM-03; b), 288 N, 648 W (CDOM-05; c) and 268 N, 648 W (CDOM-07; d). e, A transect composite shows the mean abundance values by depth for SAR11 clade and bacterial cell counts as percentages of direct cell counts (DAPI staining particles); n ¼ 4, except for depths below 250 m, where n ¼ 1. Standard deviations are given for depths of 1–250 m. One sample point was obtained for depths below 250 m at 268 N, 648 W (CDOM-07). © 2002 Nature Publishing Group 807 method, various strategies have been used to increase signal intensity and counting accuracy. Some of these studies have focused primarily on probe design13,14, whereas others have explored strategies to amplify the fluorescent signal per cell15–17. Our strategy was SAR11 are very small (<1µm long) curved to usemostly several probes that target different regions of the 16S rRNA to produce an additive effect on signal intensity, coupled with a cooled CCD (charge-coupled device) camera for detecting RM Morris, etsensitive al. (Giovannoni) 2002 Nature 420:806 Figure 2 SAR11 fluorescence in situ hybridization image composite. Dual image overlay of DNA-containing cells stained with DAPI (blue) and the Cy3 probe (red). Cells emitting a signal for both DAPI and the Cy3 probe are both blue and red, and cells that did not hybridize to the set of SAR11 probes are blue. The identical fields of view in the DAPI- and Cy3-stained images show the characteristic size and curved rod morphology of a magnified SAR11 cell (white box). Scale bar, 1 mm. NATURE | VOL 420 | 19/26 DECEMBER 2002 | www.nature.com/nature rods Figure 3 SAR11 probe co staining particles) in the no Bacteria (circles) and DAPI a), 308 N, 648 W (CDOM-0 (CDOM-07; d). e, A transe for SAR11 clade and bacte staining particles); n ¼ 4, deviations are given for de below 250 m at 268 N, 64 © 2002 Nature Publishing Group SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al. A genome sequence paper REPORTS Genome Streamlining in a Cosmopolitan Oceanic Bacterium the cytoplasm to process substrates will be matched to steady-state membrane transport rates. Surprisingly, this genome appears to encode nearly all of the basic functions of aproteobacterial cells (Table 1). The small genome size is attributable to the nearly complete absence of nonfunctional or redundant DNA and the paring down of all but the most fundamental metabolic and regulatory functions. For example, P. ubique falls at the extreme end of the range for intergenic DNA regions, with a median spacer size of only three bases (Fig. 2). Intergenic DNA regions vary considerably among bacteria and archaea, even including parasites that have small genomes (5). No pseudogenes, phage genes, or recent gene duplications were found in P. ubique. To further explore this trend, we investigated paralogous gene families by means of BLAST clustering with variable threshold limits. The genome had the smallest number of paralogous genes observed in any freeliving cell (Fig. 1) (fig. S1). A steep slope in Stephen J. Giovannoni,1* H. James Tripp,1 Scott Givan,2 Mircea Podar,3 Kevin L. Vergin,1 Damon Baptista,3 Lisa Bibbs,3 Jonathan Eads,3 Toby H. Richardson,3 Michiel Noordewier,3 Michael S. Rappé,4 Jay M. Short,3 James C. Carrington,2 Eric J. Mathur3 The SAR11 clade consists of very small, heterotrophic marine a-proteobacteria that are found throughout the oceans, where they account for about 25% of all microbial cells. Pelagibacter ubique, the first cultured member of this clade, has the smallest genome and encodes the smallest number of predicted open reading frames known for a free-living microorganism. In contrast to parasitic bacteria and archaea with small genomes, P. ubique has complete biosynthetic pathways for all 20 amino acids and all but a few cofactors. P. ubique has no pseudogenes, introns, transposons, extrachromosomal elements, or inteins; few paralogs; and the shortest intergenic spacers yet observed for any cell. Pelagibacter ubique, strain HTCC1062, belongs to one of the most successful clades of organisms on the planet (1), but it has the smallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any cell known to replicate independently in nature (Fig. 1). In situ hybridization studies show that these organisms occur as unattached cells suspended in the water column (1). They grow by assimilating organic compounds from the ocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir, and can generate metabolic energy either by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump 1 Department of Microbiology, 2Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. 3Diversa Corporation, 4955 Directors Place, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. 4Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Post Office Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA. *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] 10.0 Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. Streptomyces coelicolor Rhodopirellula baltica 5.0 Silicibacter pomeroyi Genome size (Mbp) What is SAR11? (2) or by respiration (3). The marine planktonic environment is poor in nutrients, and the availability of N, P, and organic carbon typically limits the productivity of microbial communities. P. ubique is arguably the smallest free-living cell that has been studied in a laboratory, and even its small genome occupies a substantial fraction (È30%) of the cell volume. The small size of the SAR11 clade cells fits a model proposed by Button (4) for natural selection acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of Coxiella burnetii Bartonella henselae Thermoplasma acidophilum Bartonella quintana Ehrlichia ruminantium Synechococcus sp.WH8102 Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313 Prochlorococcus marinus SS120 Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 Pelagibacter ubique 1.0 Rickettsia conorii Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia 0.5 Cultivating the uncultivatable. Mycoplasma genitalium Nanoarchaeum equitans Free-living Host-associated Obligate symbionts/parasites Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 100 What does the genome tell us? 1242 500 1000 Number of protein encoding genes 19 AUGUST 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 5000 10000 Standard methods grow weeds SA Connon & SJ Giovannoni 2002 AEM 68:3878 VOL. 68, 2002 Problems with standard methods - and the solutions: • Slow growers are overwhelmed by “weeds” Inoculate small cultures with very dilute samples • Typical media is far too rich for oligotrophs Use buffered, sterilized seawater for media • Many organisms grow only to very low densities Concentrate cultures by filtration for examination FIG. 1. Flow chart of HTC procedures. DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide. and subsequent identification (Fig. 1). Slight variations of the method were performed during the development of these HTC techniques over the course of 3 years, but the overall approach remained constant. Microtiter plates were used to culture cells, and cell arrays were made to allow efficient screening of the plates for growth. The cultures acquired were designated with HTC collection (HTCC) numbers. Preparation of media. Water for media was collected on the south side of the southern jetty in Newport, Oreg., at high tide with a bucket on 19 March 1998 8 km (44°39.1N, 124°10.6W) offshore from the mouth of Yaquina Bay, Oreg., with counts were done by filter on triplicate filt traditional methods, plates of MA2216 (D (34), and a 1/10 dilu diluted into the prepa 48-well non-tissue-cu lin Lakes, N.J.) to a fi At least one control p 1-ml aliquots of unin incubated in the dar weeks, and the agar c count, about 1 week Detection of growt 48-well plate to exam well in the plate was manifold of custom Cells were then DAP pore-diameter white Whatman Nuclepore 75-by-50-mm slide (C 48-by-60-mm covergl each sector of the arr a cell titer as low as array was then score estimated by countin Culturability statis for estimation of cult pure cultures was est by Button and collea of pure cultures, n is p is the proportion o inoculated wells), an calculate the error, fi binomial proportion (SAS Institute Inc.). equation and pure cu and upper 95% confi number of pure cultu RFLP analysis an isolates were identifie rRNA gene sequenc through two cycles of in a 10,000-molecula United Kingdom). S buffer (5 M guanidin concentrator. The lys water (Specialty Me buffer. The final volu Two to three negative run with each set of 16S rRNA genes w trated sample was ad Up to 15% of microbes can be grown using this method SA Connon & SJ Giovannoni 2002 AEM 68:3878 3880 CONNON AND GIOVANNONI APPL. ENVIRON. MICROBIOL. TABLE 1. Extinction culturability statistics compared to traditional culturability counts Date (mo-day-yr) and location of inoculation samplea Inoculum sample (cells/ml) Avg no. of cells/well Total no. of wells inoculated No. of positive wellsb Culture designations 5-21-98, J 6-5-98, J 7-6-98, 8 km 7-6-98, 25 km 6-17-99, J 10-29-99, J 12-21-99, J 1-26-00, J 1.1 % 106 1.5 % 106 3.7 % 106 1.5 % 106 5.6 % 106 1.9 % 106 8.1 % 105 1.1 % 106 1.1 1.5 3.7 1.5 3.0 3.0 5.0 5.0 144 192 192 192 192 192 384 192 7 37 62 37 21 10 10 11 4-5-00, J 7-12-00, J 9.0 % 105 1.9 % 106 5.0 3.0 192 228 20 33 10-9-00, 8 km 1.3 % 106 3.0 384 5 HTCC1–7 HTCC8–44 HTCC45–106 HTCC107–143 HTCC144–164 HTCC165–174 HTCC175–184 HTCC185–191, 193–196 HTCC197–216 HTCC217–233, 236–251 HTCC252–256 % Culturabilityc % Culturability on nutrient-rich agard 1/10R2A R2A MA2216 4.5 (1.8, 9.3) 14.3 (10.0, 19.7) 10.5 (8.0, 13.5) 14.3 (10.0, 19.7) 3.9 (2.4, 5.9) 1.8 (0.9, 3.3) 0.5 (0.3, 1.0) 1.2 (0.6, 2.1) — — — — — — — 0.01 — — — — — — — 0.01 — — — — — — — 0.02 2.2 (1.3, 3.4) 5.2 (3.6, 7.3) — 0.98 0.15 0.15 0.12 0.12 0.4 (0.1, 1.0) 0.29 0.09 0.02 a Samples were collected on the date indicated from the jetty (J) or 8 or 25 km out from the mouth of Yaquina Bay, Oreg. Wells were scored for growth after 3 weeks of incubation at 16°C. c Ninety-five percent confidence intervals are shown in parentheses. d Inoculum was the same as that used for the microtiter plates. —, not determined. b positive controls with 108, 2,000, 200, and 20 copies of the 16S rRNA gene from the clone SAR242 were run in each PCR set. All primers used have no mismatches to the SAR242 sequence, except for 1492R, which does not match the first and third bases on the 5! end (nonpriming end). The concentration of the positive control DNA was measured in a Shimadzu UV160U spectrophotometer (Shimadzu Co., Kyoto, Japan). The 20-copy-positive control could be routinely amplified with a total of 50 to 66 cycles of nested PCR. RFLP of the PCR product was done with the restriction enzymes MboI and HaeIII (MBI Fermentas) (38). HTCC isolates were determined to be a mix of HTCC230 and HTCC234 (SAR92 clade), and HTCC223 and HTC227 (OM60/ OM241 clade), have been successfully transferred from the initial well, propagated, and stored. Cells were stored in 7% dimethyl sulfoxide and/or 10% glycerol. DAPI-stained cell images. Images were obtained with a Hamamatsu ORCA-ER cooled interline charge-coupled device camera (5 Mz) mounted on a Leica DMRB microscope. IPLab Spectrum 3.5 image analysis software was used to acquire images. Nucleotide sequence accession numbers. The sequences of the HTCC isolates (32). Phylogenetic analyses were performed with ARB and PAUP! (35). Phylogenetic trees were inferred by neighbor joining with the Jukes and Cantor model to estimate evolutionary distances. Bootstrap values were obtained in PAUP! from a consensus of 1,000 neighbor-joining trees. Short sequences of HTCC isolates were added to the tree by using the parsimony insertion tool in ARB. The percent similarity of sequences was determined with the distance matrix tool in ARB; ambiguous bases were not included. Recovery of HTCC isolates from frozen storage. The probability of recovering HTCC isolates from frozen not been systematically investigated, and SJ Giovannoni 2002storage AEM has 68:3878 not all cultures were saved for further study. However, isolates from three of the four significant phylogenetic clades in this study, HTCC202 (OM43 clade), include SAR11 (" sub SAR92 ($ subclass) (8) Culturability statisti culture wells were score screened for 3 years an range of 0.4 to 14.3% w collections (Table 1). T ples collected between the average culturabilit early October and earl turability were made be plating on nutrient-rich from 1.4 to 120 times addition, MA2216 and first 143 cultures grown mer of 1998 to determ these media. Only thre on R2A; none of these (data not shown). Detection of growth the HTCC cultures rang Most grow slowly and only to low density SA Connon & TABLE 2. Cell densities and inferred doublings attained after 3 weeks of incubation Final no. of cells/ml No. of culturesa No. of inferred doublingsb 1.0 % 103–9.9 % 103 1.0 % 104–9.9 % 104 1.0 % 105–9.9 % 105 1.0 % 106–9.9 % 106 66 120 62 5 10.0–13.3 13.3–16.6 16.6–19.9 19.9–23.3 a Out of 253 cultures. This inference is based on the assumption that only one inoculated cell in each well grew. b SAR11 isolates are small, curved rods VOL. 68, 2002 SA Connon & SJ Giovannoni 2002 AEM 68:3878 FIG. 2. Fluorescence microscopy images of several of the novel isolates. The cells were stained with DAPI. Size bars, 1 "m. ml, with a mean of 1.1 ! 105 cells per ml and a median of 3.0 ! 104 cells per ml. The minimum density for a culture to be detectable was 1.3 ! 103 cells per ml. This range of cell den- HIGH-THROUGHPUT HTCC175 were short rods (ca. 0.8 to 0.5 SAR92 clade isolates HTCC148, HTCC were short rods (ca. 1 to 0.7 "m by 0.7 OM241 clade isolate HTCC160 was an irr cus that occasionally formed doublets an of three (ca. 0.7 by 0.7 "m). These meas to sizeable error, since these small cells ar resolution of visible light microscopes. T stained with a DNA staining dye and h formaldehyde. The images shown are from tion dilutions that yielded the four previo undescribed groups (Fig. 2). Phylogenetic analysis and culture ident or undescribed groups SAR11, OM43, OM241 accounted for the majority of cul tified out of a subset of 56 cultures (Table from 13 48-well plates (56 cultures) were 5 different sampling months to minimiz emerge as a result of seasonal variation abundance. Forty-seven of the 56 culture the 9 cultures that were not identified, unknown mixtures of several cell types ba sis, and 2 did not amplify under the con were a total of eight mixed cultures; HTCC a mix of cells from the SAR11 clade and failure of two cultures to amplify is pro problems with the DNA extractions and/o the cultures. A considerable effort was m these lineages did not fail to amplify beca amplification primers. The theoretical stat the number of pure cultures versus mixed Correspondence requests carbon for materials should be addressed M.A.v.Z. mixture ofand organic compounds. The totechnique of isolating efforts. Genetic evidence suggests that diverse uncultivated 14. Rosing, M. T. & Rose, N. M. The role of ultramafic rocks in regulating the concentrations of volatile cambrian Res. (e-mail: [email protected]). microbial taxa dominate most natural ecosystems3–5, which has cells by dilution into during sterilized natural watersChem. or other dilute and non-volatile components deep crustal metamorphism. Geol. 108, 187–200media (1993). Hayes, J. M., Kaplan, R. & Wedeking,8,9 W.; initEarth’s Earliest Biosphere, its Origin and Evolution (ed. prompted widespread efforts to elucidate the geochemical activibeen used I. previously takes advantage of the fact that reenland, and 15.has Schopf, J. W.) 93–134 (Princeton Univ. Press, New Jersey, 1983). ties of these organisms without the benefit of cultures for study6,7. 16. Oehler, D. Z. & Smith, J. W. Isotopic composition of reduced and oxidized carbon in Early Archaean y rocks from Here we report the isolation of representatives of the SAR11 rocks from Isua, Greenland. Precambr. Res. 5, 221–228 (1977). clade. Eighteen cultures were initially obtained by means of high17. Perry, E. C. & Ahmad, S. N. Carbon isotope composition of graphite and carbonate minerals from 3.8 variability in AE metamorphosed sediments, Isuakasia, Greenland. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 36, 280–284 (1977). chniques. throughput procedures for isolating cell cultures through the 18. Ueno, Y., Yurimoto, H., Yoshioka, H., Komiya, T. & Maruyama, S. Ion microprobe analysis of graphite dilution of natural microbial communities into very low nutrient from ca. 3.8 Ga metasediments, Isua supracrustal belt, West Greenland: Relationship between media. Eleven of these cultures have been successfully passaged metamorphism and carbon isotopic composition. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 66, 1257–1268 (2002). 19. Abed, A. M. & Fakhouri, K. in Phosphorite Research and Development (eds Notholt, A. J. G. & Jarvis, I.) and cryopreserved for future study. The volume of these cells, 193–203 (The Geological Society, London, 1990). reduced about 0.01 mm3, places them among the smallest free-living cells 20. Appel, P. W. U. On the early Archaean Isua iron-formation, West Greenland. Precambr. Res. 11, 73–87 cilities for in culture. (1980). S. Rappé, Stephanie A. Connon, Kevin L. Vergin ng d13C of Michael French, B. M. relations of siderite (FeCO3) in the system Fe-C-O. Am. J. Sci. 271, 37–78 (1971). In an effort to isolate some of the ubiquitous uncultivated nate phases, &21.Stephen J.Stability Giovannoni part of the 22. van Zuilen, M. A. et al. Graphite and associating carbonates in early Archean Isua supracrustal rocks, Bacteria and Archaea that dominate marine bacterioplankton southern West Greenland. Precambr. Res. (submitted). Wallenberg Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, communities2, we inoculated fresh Oregon coast seawater samples 23. Chacko, T., Mayeda, T. K., Clayton, R. N. & Goldsmith, J. R. Oxygen and carbon isotope fractionations thank USAbetween CO2 and calcite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 55, 2867–2882 (1991). into microtitre dish wells by dilution, such that on average each well script. ............................................................................................................................................................................. Figure 1 Photomicrographs of a culture SAR11 cladeofisolate HTCC1062. 24. Boak, J. L. & Dymek, R. F. Metamorphism of the ca. 3800 Ma supracrustal rocks at Isua, West Greenland: received 22 microbial cells. Mediaofconsisted sterile Oregon coast implications for early Archaean crustal evolution. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 59, 155–176 (1982). a, b, Fluorescence images of cells in an identical field of view, stained sea water supplemented with either phosphate (as KH2with PO4the ) and 25. Nagy, B. Porosity and permeability of the Early Precambrian Onverwacht chert: Origin of the DNA-specific dye and after hybridization with four Cy3-labelled oligonucleotide ammonium (asDAPI NH(a) Cl), or phosphate, ammonium and a defined hydrocarbon content. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 34, 525–527 (1970). 4 probes targeting SAR11carbon cells (b). compounds. Scale bar (a, b), The 1 mm.technique c, d, Transmission electron 26. Lepland, A., Arrhenius, G. & Cornell, D. Apatite in early Archean Isua supracrustal rocks, southern mixture of organic of isolating West Greenland: its origin, association with graphite and potential as a biomarker. Precambrian Res. micrographs of strain HTCC1062. c, Shadowed cells withortheother typicaldilute SAR11media clade cells by dilution into sterilized natural waters 1 (in the press). morphology. d, Negatively stained8,9cell. latexadvantage beads in c and have fact a diameter has been used previously ; it The takes ofd the that of 27. Fedo, C. M. & Whitehouse, M. J. Metasomatic origin of quartz-pyroxene rock, Akilia, Greenland, and 0.514 m m. implications for Earth’s earliest life. Science 296, 1448–1452 (2002). 28. Rosing, M. T. 13C-Depleted carbon microparticles in .3700-Ma sea-floor sedimentary rocks from © 2002 Nature Publishing Group 630West Greenland. Science 283, 674–676 (1999). NATURE | VOL 418 | 8 AUGUST 2002 | www.nature.com/nature 29. Macpherson, C. G., Hilton, D. R., Newman, S. & Mattey, D. P. CO2, 13C/12C and H2O variability in natural basaltic glasses: A study comparing stepped heating and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63, 1805–1813 (1999). Cultivation of SAR11 Pelagibacter ubique .............................................................. Cultivation of the ubiquitous SAR11 marine bacterioplankton clade MS Rappé 2002 Cultivation of the ubiquitous SAR11 marine bacterioplankton clade. Nature 418:630 The a-proteobacterial lineage that contains SAR11 and related ribosomal RNA gene clones was among the first groups of organisms to be identified when cultivation-independent approaches based on rRNA gene cloning and sequencing were applied to survey microbial diversity in natural ecosystems . This group accounts for 26% of all ribosomal RNA genes that have ........ R11 on 97331, ...................... d related oups of pendent ing were ms1. This hat have Acknowledgements We thank M. Wahlen and B. L. Deck for providing facilities for extraction of reduced carbon and subsequent isotopic measurement, D. R. Hilton for providing facilities for stepped-combustion extraction of reduced carbon, J. L. Teranes for measuring d13C of carbonate phases, J. Finarelli for determination of cation composition of carbonate phases, and P. W. U. Appel for providing coordination and facilities for field work as part of the Isua Multidisciplinary Research Project. Support by the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation (for A.L.) and NASA Exobiology is gratefully acknowledged. We thank L. P. Knauth, S. Moorbath and J. M. Hayes for their comments on this manuscript. Figure 1 Photomicrographs of a culture of SAR11 clade isolate HTCC1062. a, b, Fluorescence images of cells in an identical field of view, stained with the Competing interests DNA-specific dye DAPIstatement (a) and after hybridization with four Cy3-labelled oligonucleotide The authors declare that they have(b). no Scale competing financial probes targeting SAR11 cells bar (a, b), 1 minterests. m. c, d, Transmission electron micrographs of strain HTCC1062. c, Shadowed cells with theM.A.v.Z. typical SAR11 clade Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to morphology. d, Negatively stained cell. The latex beads in c and d have a diameter of (e-mail: [email protected]). 0.514 mm. 002 Nature Publishing Group NATURE | VOL 418 | 8 AUGUST 2002 | www.nature.com/nature SAR11 clade cells were identified preliminarily. Cultures were clone library that has been constructed with universal or bacterial obtained in microtitre plates incubated in the dark or under a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers from marine prokaryotic light/dark cycle, and in both the medium containing only natural plankton samples, including coastal and near-shore waters16,17 and organic carbon and the medium supplemented with a defined seawater samples from depths up to 3,000 m (ref. 18). Relatives of mixture of carbon compounds. Eleven isolates were propagated the SAR11 clade have even been detected in freshwater lakes19. and cryopreserved for future study. Growth rates for the 11 SAR11 clade isolates replicating at 15 8C Phylogenetic relationships of the isolates were investigated by a in sterile Oregon coast seawater supplemented with 0.1 mM phoscombination of 16S rRNA gene and 16S–23S rDNA intergenic phate, 1.0 mM ammonium and a defined mixture of organic carbon spacer sequence analysis. Ribosomal RNA nucleotide sequences of compounds ranged from 0.40 to 0.58 d21. Although this rate of cell 414–608 bases, obtained from the 3 0 end of the 16S rRNA gene of all division is low in comparison to values typical of cultivated bacteria, 11 isolates, were identical. Intergenic spacer sequences (415–417 it is not dissimilar to the measured growth rates of marine MS bases) Rappé 2002 however, Cultivation ofwere the ubiquitous SAR11bacterioplankton marine bacterioplankton clade. indicated, that there three genetically distinct communities in nature, whichNature vary from418:630 0.05 to 21 0.3 d (ref. 20). All of the isolates produced a logistic growth curve (Fig. 3). In subsequent experiments with strain HTCC1062, which was originally isolated in seawater media supplemented with the defined organic carbon compound and vitamin mixtures, removal of these amendments did not negatively affect growth rate or maximum cell abundance (Fig. 3). However, the addition of dilute proteose peptone (0.001%) inhibited growth (Fig. 3). Pelagibacter ubique is a robust SAR11 Figure 2 Phylogenetic relationships between strain HTCC1062 and representatives of the SAR11 clade and a-Proteobacteria inferred from 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons. The Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Marinococcus halophilus were used as outgroups. Bootstrap proportions over 70% that supported the branching order are shown. Scale bar corresponds to 0.05 substitutions per nucleotide position. Also included in the analysis were the g-Proteobacteria Alteromonas macleodii and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus, and the b-Proteobacteria Methylophilus methylotrophus and Polynucleobacter necessarius. NATURE | VOL 418 | 8 AUGUST 2002 | www.nature.com/nature Figure 3 Growth of strain HTCC1062 in Oregon coast seawater media. Media consisted of sterile sea water supplemented with 1.0 mM NH4Cl and 0.1 mM KH2PO4 (filled circles), 1.0 mM NH4Cl, 0.1 mM KH2PO4, and mixed carbon (open circles), 1.0 mM NH4Cl, 0.1 mM KH2PO4, and Va vitamins (filled triangles), 1.0 mM NH4Cl, 0.1 mM KH2PO4, mixed carbon and Va vitamins (open triangles), 1.0 mM NH4Cl, 0.1 mM KH2PO4, mixed carbon, Va vitamins and 0.001% (w/v) proteose peptone (filled squares). For all cultures, cell counts attempted on days 7 and 12 were below the limit of detection (dotted line, 3,000 cells per ml), as were counts on day 31 and after day 33 for the culture containing proteose peptone. The point at day 0 is the inoculum density. © 2002 Nature Publishing Group 631 Pelagibacter ubique is really, really small MS Rappé 2002 Cultivation of the ubiquitous SAR11 marine bacterioplankton clade. Nature 418:630 E. coli : 1.3um x 4um average : considered small for a typical bacterium 1.3^2 x 4 = 6.76um^3 (volume) 2(1.3^2)+4(1.3x4) = 24um^2 (surface area) 24/6.76 = 3.6um^2/um^3 (surface/volume ratio) 20,000 ribosomes make up 30% of the cell mass cell wall & membranes make up 20% of cell mass DNA makes up 2% of cell mass P. ubique : 0.15um x 0.6um average 0.15^2 x 0.6 = 0.0135um^3 (1/500th the volume of E. coli) 2(0.15^2)+4(0.15x0.6) = 0.4um^2 (1/100th the SA of E.coli) 0.0135/0.4 = 30um^2/um^3 (8X the SA/V ratio of E.coli) DNA makes up 30% of the cell volume SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al. A genome sequence paper REPORTS Genome Streamlining in a Cosmopolitan Oceanic Bacterium the cytoplasm to process substrates will be matched to steady-state membrane transport rates. Surprisingly, this genome appears to encode nearly all of the basic functions of aproteobacterial cells (Table 1). The small genome size is attributable to the nearly complete absence of nonfunctional or redundant DNA and the paring down of all but the most fundamental metabolic and regulatory functions. For example, P. ubique falls at the extreme end of the range for intergenic DNA regions, with a median spacer size of only three bases (Fig. 2). Intergenic DNA regions vary considerably among bacteria and archaea, even including parasites that have small genomes (5). No pseudogenes, phage genes, or recent gene duplications were found in P. ubique. To further explore this trend, we investigated paralogous gene families by means of BLAST clustering with variable threshold limits. The genome had the smallest number of paralogous genes observed in any freeliving cell (Fig. 1) (fig. S1). A steep slope in Stephen J. Giovannoni,1* H. James Tripp,1 Scott Givan,2 Mircea Podar,3 Kevin L. Vergin,1 Damon Baptista,3 Lisa Bibbs,3 Jonathan Eads,3 Toby H. Richardson,3 Michiel Noordewier,3 Michael S. Rappé,4 Jay M. Short,3 James C. Carrington,2 Eric J. Mathur3 The SAR11 clade consists of very small, heterotrophic marine a-proteobacteria that are found throughout the oceans, where they account for about 25% of all microbial cells. Pelagibacter ubique, the first cultured member of this clade, has the smallest genome and encodes the smallest number of predicted open reading frames known for a free-living microorganism. In contrast to parasitic bacteria and archaea with small genomes, P. ubique has complete biosynthetic pathways for all 20 amino acids and all but a few cofactors. P. ubique has no pseudogenes, introns, transposons, extrachromosomal elements, or inteins; few paralogs; and the shortest intergenic spacers yet observed for any cell. Pelagibacter ubique, strain HTCC1062, belongs to one of the most successful clades of organisms on the planet (1), but it has the smallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any cell known to replicate independently in nature (Fig. 1). In situ hybridization studies show that these organisms occur as unattached cells suspended in the water column (1). They grow by assimilating organic compounds from the ocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reservoir, and can generate metabolic energy either by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump 1 Department of Microbiology, 2Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. 3Diversa Corporation, 4955 Directors Place, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. 4Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Post Office Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA. *To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected] 10.0 Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. Streptomyces coelicolor Rhodopirellula baltica 5.0 Silicibacter pomeroyi Genome size (Mbp) What are SAR11 & P.ubique? (2) or by respiration (3). The marine planktonic environment is poor in nutrients, and the availability of N, P, and organic carbon typically limits the productivity of microbial communities. P. ubique is arguably the smallest free-living cell that has been studied in a laboratory, and even its small genome occupies a substantial fraction (È30%) of the cell volume. The small size of the SAR11 clade cells fits a model proposed by Button (4) for natural selection acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of Coxiella burnetii Bartonella henselae Thermoplasma acidophilum Bartonella quintana Ehrlichia ruminantium Synechococcus sp.WH8102 Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313 Prochlorococcus marinus SS120 Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 Pelagibacter ubique 1.0 Rickettsia conorii Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia 0.5 Cultivating the uncultivatable. Mycoplasma genitalium Nanoarchaeum equitans Free-living Host-associated Obligate symbionts/parasites Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 100 What does the genome tell us? 1242 500 1000 Number of protein encoding genes 19 AUGUST 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 5000 10000 living cell (Fig. 1) (fig. S1). A steep slope in availability of N, P, and organic carbon typorganisms on the planet (1), but it has the ically limits the productivity of microbial comsmallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any ically limits the productivity of microbial comsmallest genome (1,308,759 base pairs) of any munities. P. ubique is arguably the smallest known tomunities. replicateP.independently in nature 1 ubique is arguably the smallest cell known to replicate independentlycell in nature Department of Microbiology, 2Center for Gene Refree-living has beenOregon studied in University, a lab(Fig.show 1). In free-living situ hybridization showin a labsearchcell and that Biotechnology, State cell that hasstudies been studied (Fig. 1). In situ hybridization studies 3 Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. Diversa Corporation, 4955 oratory, and even its small genome occupies a that these organisms occur as unattached cells oratory, and even its small genome occupies a that these organisms occur as unattached cells Directors Place, San Diego, CA 92121, USA. 4Hawaii substantial fraction (È30%) of the cell volume. suspended the waterfraction column (1). They (È30%) of thegrow cell volume. suspended in the water column (1). They grow insubstantial Institute of Marine Biology, School of Ocean and Earth The small sizecompounds of the SAR11from cladethe cells fits a small by assimilating organic compoundsby from the The sizeandofTechnology, the SAR11 clade ofcells fits Post a assimilating organic Science University Hawaii, model proposed by Button (4) for natural selecocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) reserOffice Box 1346, Kaneohe, HI 96744, USA. model proposed by Button (4) for natural selecocean_s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) resertion acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios voir, and can generate metabolic energy either *To whom correspondence should be addressed. tion acting to optimize surface-to-volume ratios voir, and can generate metabolic energy either in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump E-mail: [email protected] 1 Department of Microbi search and Biotechnolo Corvallis, OR 97331, USA Directors Place, San Die Institute of Marine Biolog Science and Technology Office Box 1346, Kaneoh P. ubique has the smallest genome, with the fewest genes, of any free-living organism *To whom correspond in oligotrophic cells, such that the capacity of by a light-driven proteorhodopsin proton pump E-mail: steve.giovannoni Steve Giovannoni, et al., 2005 Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan oceanic bacterium. Science 309:1242 10.0 Genome size (Mbp) 5.0 Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. 1.0 0.5 Streptomyces coelicolor 10.0 Streptomyc Rhodopirellula baltica 5.0 Silicibacter pomeroyi Coxiella burnetii Bartonella henselae Thermoplasma acidophilum Bartonella quintana Ehrlichia ruminantium Genome size (Mbp) Fig. 1. Number of predicted protein-encoding genes versus genome size for 244 complete published genomes from bacteria and archaea. P. ubique has the smallest number of genes (1354 open reading frames) for any free-living organism. S Synechococcus sp.WH8102 Prochlorococcus marinus MIT9313Coxiella burnetii Bartonella Prochlorococcus marinus SS120 henselae Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 Thermoplasma acidophilum Prochlorococcus Prochlorococcus Ehrlichia ruminantium 1,308,759bp Pelagibacter ubique 1.0 Mycoplasma genitalium Rickettsia conorii Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia Mesoplasma florum Wigglesworthia glossinidia Nanoarchaeum equitans 0.5 Mycoplasma genitalium Free-living Nanoarchaeum equitans Host-associated Obligate symbionts/parasites Free-living Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 100 Prochlorococcu Pelagibacter ubiqueBartonella quintana Rickettsia conorii Synecho 500 Host-associated 1000 10000 5000 Obligate symbionts/parasites Number of protein encoding genes Pelagibacter ubique 0.1 19 AUGUST 2005 VOL 309 SCIENCE www.sciencemag.org 100 500 1000 genes that would confer alternate metabolic genomes—for example, recombination and were found in the genome. Autoradiogra lifestyles, motility, or other complexities of the propagation of self-replicating DNA (e.g., with native populations of SAR11 has d structure and function were nearly absent. Conintrons, inteins, and transposons)—overwhelm onstrated high uptake activity for amino a spicuous exceptions were genes for carotenoid the simple economics of metabolic costs. and 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (13). He synthesis, retinal synthesis, and proteorhodopHowever, evolutionary theory predicts that efficiency is achieved in a low-nutrient sys sin. P. ubique constitutively expresses a lightthe probability that selection will act to by reliance on transporters with broad s dependent retinylidine proton pump and is the eliminate DNA merely because of the metastrate ranges (14) and a number of special first cultured bacterium to exhibit the gene bolic cost of its synthesis will be greatest in substrate targets, in particular, nitrogen that encodes it (2). The genome also contained very large populations of cells that do not excompounds and osmolytes. perience drastic periodic declines (6). Steve Giovannoni, et al., 2005 Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan oceanic bacterium. Science 309:1242 The P.ubique genome is highly streamlined, but hasn’t discarded any basic metabolism Table 1. Metabolic pathways in Pelagibacter. Pathway Prediction Glycolysis TCA cycle Glyoxylate shunt Respiration Pentose phosphate cycle Fatty acid biosynthesis Cell wall biosynthesis Biosynthesis of all 20 amino acids Heme biosynthesis Ubiquinone Nicotinate and nicotinamide Folate Riboflavin Pantothenate B6 Thiamine Biotin B12 Retinal Uncertain Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Absent Absent Absent Absent Absent Present Fig. 2. Median siz intergenic spacers bacterial and arch genomes. Inset sh expanded view of ra for organisms w the smallest interg spacers. • Entner-Deuteroff pathway / gluconeogenesis • Carbon from organics - no C fixation • Energy from respiration or proteorhodopsin-based phototrophy • No duplications, pseudogenes, or prophages genes • No recent lateral transfers - genes for DNA uptake for N & P? • No motility genes • 30% G+C - lower N requirement • Transporters are mostly ABC - low Km, high ATP cost • Only 2 sigma factors - vegetative & heat-shock • Few regulatory networks - only 3 2-component regulators Do not respond to pulses of nutrients • 1 rrn operon - cannot modulate growth rate over a wide range • No quorum sensing genes - why does it stop growing at 10^6? The streamlined genome is the result of opposing evolutionary forces - the demand to retain www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 309 19 AUGUST 2005 the ability to make what it needs to independently live is a sparse environment, and the need to minimize the genome size to lower it’s resource cost and physical size genes that would confer alternate metabolic bination and were found in the genome. Autoradiography lifestyles, motility, or other complexities of g DNA (e.g., with native populations of SAR11 has demstructure and function were nearly absent. Con—overwhelm onstrated high uptake activity for amino acids spicuous exceptions were genes for carotenoid abolic costs. and 3-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (13). Hence, synthesis, retinal synthesis, and proteorhodoppredicts that efficiency is achieved in a low-nutrient system sin. P. ubique constitutively expresses a lightwill act to by reliance on transporters with broad subdependent retinylidine proton pump and is the of the metastrate ranges (14) and a number of specialized first cultured bacterium to exhibit the gene e greatest in substrate targets, in particular, nitrogenous that encodes it (2). The2005 genome also streamlining contained in at do not ex-Steve compounds and osmolytes. Giovannoni, et al., Genome a cosmopolitan oceanic bacterium. Science 309:1242 (6). P.ubique has the smallest intergenic spacers of any organism known - only 3bp on average! Fig. 2. Median size of intergenic spacers for bacterial and archaeal genomes. Inset shows expanded view of range for organisms with the smallest intergenic spacers. agibacter. Prediction Uncertain Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Present Absent Absent Absent Absent Absent Present www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 309 19 AUGUST 2005 1243 P.ubique has an RNase P RNA gene (rnpB) in one of it’s largest “intergenic spacers” (not annotated, of course). A AC U A A U C G C G G C A 120 C G A 140 A C G G A U U U G A A Pelagibacter ubique RNase P RNA A A A A A A G G GG UG U G U A A A C C C A C GC G A G A G 160 C GU C UC U C G AU G AA U A GU C G UG U A U A A C C G AA C U100 C A A A G G A A G A U C G G C G G GG A G CA 180 A 200 C G 220 U C C G U A A U A A A G G G CU 80 A A G A C GU U G G C G G A A A G A C U C 240 U C G GA UG A U A U C AC A C A C A C C UC U UG A G A C U A C C A A G U UG G A G A U U G G GA U A C G C G A 60 260 A U A A A G A A G C C C G U 280 G C U G C G U U UC A GC U UA A G A G U U G U U C U AG A C G A A C U A A 300 40 A G G A G G A A A A U U UA A A G A U A A U UU C U U G C G 20 U A A U U A U G 320 G 1 C G U U U A A A U G C UA GA U GA A C G A A G A U C UG UU U G U C A A C A 340 A U U C G G C C C A A G A C C C G 140 U A C C G C AC A A UU G C A U G G UA GA GG U Agrobacterium tumefaciens RNase P RNA 160 G A A A G UA G GG A GGU G C C G AG CCAC G 180 CG CC GC GU UG GG G G UG C U A A 200 C G A G A G A G A G A C A C G AA C C 120 G A G 260 A U G CG A G A A AUG G C AG C C A G GU C A G CCCC GG C G 220 AU U A A 240 C G G GG CGG U CA G G G A C CC CA A C G GGAG G G A U GA C GACC G 100 G A G C U GG C C C C C U A CU G UUGG CCUC C 80 A A G C C G G 300 G A G G U G C G U AAAG G C C C U GC G A G G G C G A U G G C AA C G GC C U U U G 60 A C U G G C G G C A U GC G A C U G C C G U A A A 320 A C A C G A G 40 G A A U A A GA C GGU A AGGUG G A C U G C C A U U C C GC A G A UCA G U A U 20 A G A 360 C G 340 G A C G C G G C C C A U G C 1 C G U G G C U G C C A G U U GG C C G G C A C G G C C A UA GGU C A A CC GG C C A A C A G G 400 UUCGGCCCAA A 380 A SAR11: Pelagibacter ubique, et al. Pelagibacter ubique is a member of the SAR11 “unculturable” group of alpha-proteobacteria that predominate the oceanic pelagic ecosystem. This organism, like most SAR11 species, is a free-living, planktonic oligotrophic facultative photochemotroph. It is very small, 0.15 x 0.6um, 1/500th the volume of E.coli, providing a large surface/volume ratio for absorbing trace nutrients and light. The 1.3Mbp genome of Pelagibacter ubique is extremely streamlined, with no repeated sequences, prophage, &c, and has the smallest known intergenic spacers. However, the genome retains all of the usual metabolic capabilities of alphaproteobacteria, and is specialized for slow growth, extracting trace dissolved organics, nitrogen, and phosphorous from the open ocean water.