rRNA operon copy number reflects ecological strategies of bacteria.
Appl Environ Microbiol
; 66(4): 1328-33, 2000 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-10742207
ABSTRACT
Although natural selection appears to favor the elimination of gene redundancy in prokaryotes, multiple copies of each rRNA-encoding gene are common on bacterial chromosomes. Despite this conspicuous deviation from single-copy genes, no phenotype has been consistently associated with rRNA gene copy number. We found that the number of rRNA genes correlates with the rate at which phylogenetically diverse bacteria respond to resource availability. Soil bacteria that formed colonies rapidly upon exposure to a nutritionally complex medium contained an average of 5.5 copies of the small subunit rRNA gene, whereas bacteria that responded slowly contained an average of 1.4 copies. In soil microcosms pulsed with the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), indigenous populations of 2,4-D-degrading bacteria with multiple rRNA genes ( = 5.4) became dominant, whereas populations with fewer rRNA genes ( = 2.7) were favored in unamended controls. These findings demonstrate phenotypic effects associated with rRNA gene copy number that are indicative of ecological strategies influencing the structure of natural microbial communities.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Microbiología del Suelo
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Bacterias
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Operón de ARNr
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Ecosistema
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Dosificación de Gen
Idioma:
En
Año:
2000
Tipo del documento:
Article