Physiological proteomics of the uncultured endosymbiont of Riftia pachyptila

Science. 2007 Jan 12;315(5809):247-50. doi: 10.1126/science.1132913.

Abstract

The bacterial endosymbiont of the deep-sea tube worm Riftia pachyptila has never been successfully cultivated outside its host. In the absence of cultivation data, we have taken a proteomic approach based on the metagenome sequence to study the metabolism of this peculiar microorganism in detail. As one result, we found that three major sulfide oxidation proteins constitute approximately 12% of the total cytosolic proteome, which highlights the essential role of these enzymes for the symbiont's energy metabolism. Unexpectedly, the symbiont uses the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle in addition to the previously identified Calvin cycle for CO2 fixation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carbon / metabolism
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • Chemoautotrophic Growth
  • Citric Acid Cycle
  • Cytosol / metabolism
  • Ecosystem*
  • Energy Metabolism
  • Gammaproteobacteria / enzymology
  • Gammaproteobacteria / genetics
  • Gammaproteobacteria / metabolism*
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • Hydrogen Sulfide / metabolism
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Polychaeta / microbiology*
  • Proteome
  • Proteomics*
  • Sulfur / metabolism
  • Symbiosis*
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Proteome
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Sulfur
  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen Sulfide

Associated data

  • GENBANK/UNKNOWN