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Genomic study of a novel magnetotactic Alphaproteobacteria uncovers the multiple ancestry of magnetotaxis
Author(s) -
Monteil Caroline L.,
Perrière Guy,
Menguy Nicolas,
Ginet Nicolas,
Alonso Béatrice,
Waisbord Nicolas,
Cruveiller Stéphane,
Pignol David,
Lefèvre Christopher T.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.14364
Subject(s) - alphaproteobacteria , biology , magnetotactic bacteria , magnetosome , genome , evolutionary biology , adaptation (eye) , proteobacteria , genomics , genetics , gammaproteobacteria , comparative genomics , gene , bacteria , 16s ribosomal rna , neuroscience
Summary Ecological and evolutionary processes involved in magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) adaptation to their environment have been a matter of debate for many years. Ongoing efforts for their characterization are progressively contributing to understand these processes, including the genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for biomineralization. Despite numerous culture‐independent MTB characterizations, essentially within the Proteobacteria phylum, only few species have been isolated in culture because of their complex growth conditions. Here, we report a newly cultivated magnetotactic, microaerophilic and chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium isolated from the Mediterranean Sea in Marseille, France: Candidatus Terasakiella magnetica strain PR‐1 that belongs to an Alphaproteobacteria genus with no magnetotactic relative. By comparing the morphology and the whole genome shotgun sequence of this MTB with those of closer relatives, we brought further evidence that the apparent vertical ancestry of magnetosome genes suggested by previous studies within Alphaproteobacteria hides a more complex evolutionary history involving horizontal gene transfers and/or duplication events before and after the emergence of Magnetospirillum , Magnetovibrio and Magnetospira genera. A genome‐scale comparative genomics analysis identified several additional candidate functions and genes that could be specifically associated to MTB lifestyle in this class of bacteria.