Abstract
Synechococcus is among the most important contributors to global primary productivity. The genomes of several strains of this taxon have been previously sequenced in an effort to understand the physiology and ecology of these highly diverse microorganisms. Here we present a comparative study of Synechococcus genomes. For that end, we developed GenTaxo, a program written in Perl to perform genomic taxonomy based on average nucleotide identity, average amino acid identity and dinucleotide signatures, which revealed that the analyzed strains are drastically distinct regarding their genomic content. Phylogenomic reconstruction indicated a division of Synechococcus in two clades (i.e. Synechococcus and the new genus Parasynechococcus), corroborating evidences that this is in fact a polyphyletic group. By clustering protein encoding genes into homologue groups we were able to trace the Pangenome and core genome of both marine and freshwater Synechococcus and determine the genotypic traits that differentiate these lineages.
Highlights
Cyanobacteria are unique among prokaryotes due to their ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis
All these organisms are still classified under the same name (Honda, Yokota & Sugiyama, 1999; How to cite this article Coutinho et al (2016), Comparative genomics of Synechococcus and proposal of the new genus Parasynechococcus
By identifying groups of homologous genes shared between these genomes, we were able to trace the core-genome and the pan-genome of Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus. Based on these results and on phylogenomic reconstruction, we propose the creation of the genus Parasynechococus, a sister clade to Prochlorococcus
Summary
Cyanobacteria are unique among prokaryotes due to their ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis Members of this phylum are important contributors of global primary production, since they are responsible for a significant fraction of carbon fixation at aquatic habitats (Partensky, Hess & Vaulot, 1999; Richardson & Jackson, 2007). The use of molecular data revealed that marine and brackish water Synechococcus strains are a sister clade to Prochlorococcus, that is distantly related to freshwater Synechococcus strains. All these organisms are still classified under the same name (Honda, Yokota & Sugiyama, 1999; How to cite this article Coutinho et al (2016), Comparative genomics of Synechococcus and proposal of the new genus Parasynechococcus.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
