Globally distributed uncultivated oceanic N2-fixing cyanobacteria lack oxygenic photosystem II.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19008448.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.1165340.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Biological nitrogen (N2) fixation is important in controlling biological productivity and carbon flux in the oceans. Unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacteria have only recently been discovered and are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas. Metagenomic analysis of flow cytometry-sorted cells shows that unicellular N2-fixing cyanobacteria in "group A" (UCYN-A) lack genes for the oxygen-evolving photosystem II and for carbon fixation, which has implications for oceanic carbon and nitrogen cycling and raises questions regarding the evolution of photosynthesis and N2 fixation on Earth.
Medical subject headings
- Cyanobacteria
- Nitrogen Fixation
- Photosystem II Protein Complex
- Seawater