Open AccessUnsuspected Diversity of Arsenite-Oxidizing Bacteria as Revealed by Widespread Distribution of the aoxB Gene in Prokaryotes
Author(s) -
Audrey Heinrich-Salmeron,
Audrey Cordi,
Céline Brochier-Armanet,
David Halter,
Christophe Pagnout,
Elham Abbaszadeh-fard,
Didier Montaut,
Fabienne Séby,
Philippe Bertin,
Pascale Bauda,
Florence Arsène-Ploetze
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.02884-10
Subject(s) - horizontal gene transfer , arsenite , gene , biology , bacteria , genetics , genetic diversity , prokaryote , arsenic , phylogenetics , chemistry , population , demography , organic chemistry , sociology
In this study, new strains were isolated from an environment with elevated arsenic levels, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (France), and the diversity ofaoxB genes encoding the arsenite oxidase large subunit was investigated. The distribution of bacterialaoxB genes is wider than what was previously thought. AoxB subfamilies characterized by specific signatures were identified. An exhaustive analysis of AoxB sequences from this study and from public databases shows that horizontal gene transfer has likely played a role in the spreading ofaoxB in prokaryotic communities.