Multiple evolutionary origins of prochlorophytes, the chlorophyllb-containing prokaryotes (original) (raw)

Nature volume 355, pages 265–267 (1992)Cite this article

Abstract

PROCHLOROPHYTES are prokaryotes that carry out oxygenic photosynthesis using chlorophylls a and b, but lack phycobili-proteins as light-harvesting pigments1. These characteristics distinguish them from cyanobacteria, which contain phycobiliproteins, but no chlorophyll b. Three prochlorophyte genera have been described: _Prochloron_1–3,_Prochlorothrix_4and_Prochlorococcus_5,6. The prochlorophytes share their pigment characteristics with green plant and euglenoid chloroplasts, which has led to a debate on whether these chloroplasts may have arisen from an endosymbiotic prochlorophyte rather than a cyanobacterium2,7. Molecular sequence data, including those presented here based on a fragment of the rpoCl gene encoding a subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase, indicate that the known prochlorophyte lineages do not include the direct ancestor of chloroplasts8–11. We also show that the prochlorophytes are a highly diverged polyphyletic group. Thus the use of chlorophyll b as a light-harvesting pigment has developed independently several times in evolution. Similar conclusions have been reached in parallel studies using 16S ribosomal RNA sequences12.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lewin, R. A. Nature 261, 697–698 (1976).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  2. Lewin, R. A. & Cheng, L. (eds) Prochloron, a Microbial Enigma (Chapman & Hall, New York, 1989).
  3. Lewin, R. A. Phycologia 14, 153–160 (1975).
    Article Google Scholar
  4. Burger-Wiersma, T., Veenhuis, M., Korthals, H. J. Van de Wiel, C. C. M. & Mur, L. R. Nature 320, 262–264 (1986).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  5. Chisholm, S. W. et al. Nature 334, 340–343 (1988).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  6. Chisholm, S. W. et al. Arch. Mikrobiol. (in the press).
  7. Cavalier-Smith, T. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. Lond. 17, 289–306 (1982).
    Article Google Scholar
  8. Turner, S., Burger-Wiersma, T., Giovannoni, S. J., Mur, L. R. & Pace, N. R. Nature 337, 380–382 (1989).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  9. Morden, C. W. & Golden, S. S. J. molec. Evol. 32, 379–395 (1991).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  10. Kishino, H., Miyata, T. & Hasegawa, M. J. molec. Evol. 31, 151–160 (1990).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  11. Stackebrandt, E. in Prochloron, a Microbial Enigma (eds Lewin, R. A. & Cheng, L.) 65–69 (Chapman & Hall, New York, 1989).
    Book Google Scholar
  12. Urbach, E., Robertson, D. & Chisholm, S. W. Nature 355, 267–270 (1992).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  13. Schneider, G. J., Tumer, N. E., Richaud, C., Borbely, G. & Haselkorn, R. J. biol. Chem. 262, 14633–14639 (1987).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  14. Schneider, G. J. & Haselkorn, R. J. Bact. 170, 4136–4140 (1988).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  15. Bergsland, K. J. & Haselkorn, R. J. Bact. 173, 3446–3455 (1991).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  16. Puehler, G. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 4569–4573 (1989).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  17. Jaynes, J. M. & Vernon, L. P. Trends Biochem. Sci. 7, 22–24 (1982).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  18. Giovannoni, S. J. et al. J. Bact. 170, 3584–3592 (1988).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  19. Morden, C. W. & Golden, S. S. Nature 337, 382–384 (1989).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  20. Morden, C. W. & Golden, S. S. Nature 339, 400 (1989).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  21. Felsenstein, J. Cladistics 5, 164–166 (1989).
    Google Scholar
  22. Felsenstein, J. Evolution, 39, 783–791 (1985).
    Article Google Scholar
  23. Igloi, G. L., Meinke, A., Döry, I. & Kössel, H. Molec. Gen. Genet. 221, 379–394 (1990).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  24. Hudson, G. S., Holton, T. A., Whitfeld, P.R. & Bottomley, W. J. molec. Biol. 200, 639–654 (1988).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  25. Ohyama, K. et al. Nature 322, 572–574 (1986).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  26. Ovchinnikov, Y. A. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 10, 4035–4044 (1982).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  27. Borodin, A. M. et al. Bioorg. Khim. 14, 1179–1182 (1988).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  28. Higgins, D. G. & Sharp, P. M. Gene 73, 237–244 (1989).
    Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, 920 E. 58th Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA
    B. Palenik & R. Haselkorn

Authors

  1. B. Palenik
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. R. Haselkorn
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Palenik, B., Haselkorn, R. Multiple evolutionary origins of prochlorophytes, the chlorophyll_b_-containing prokaryotes.Nature 355, 265–267 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1038/355265a0

Download citation

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.