科學(xué)家表示在美國黃石的熱池中發(fā)現(xiàn)的一種新細(xì)菌能幫助提高酒精的生產(chǎn),。它們是在Octopus和Mushroom泉以及Green Finger熱池中被發(fā)現(xiàn)的,，這些細(xì)菌在溫度120-150攝氏度的熱水中生長繁盛。
以上發(fā)現(xiàn)非常罕見,，因為這類細(xì)菌是光合細(xì)菌,，它們從陽光獲得能量。Penn State大學(xué)生物技術(shù),、生物化學(xué)和分子生物學(xué)教授Don Bryant是研究小組負(fù)責(zé)人,，他表示科學(xué)家在過去一個世紀(jì)里只發(fā)現(xiàn)了3個類似的細(xì)菌種類。Bryant將結(jié)果發(fā)表在了《科學(xué)》（Science）上,。他說：“對于微生物學(xué)家而言這是一件大事,。”
這種細(xì)菌可能將被科學(xué)家用來制造酒精，以替代汽油燃料,。Bryant認(rèn)為該細(xì)菌并非從大氣中獲得碳,，而是通過去除其它細(xì)菌產(chǎn)生的廢物。這能使其它種類的細(xì)菌生長更加迅速,。研究小組通過檢查Montana州立大學(xué)的David Ward收集的細(xì)菌DNA信息獲得了以上發(fā)現(xiàn),，Ward過去數(shù)十年一直在研究黃石熱泉中的細(xì)菌。由于能在高溫條件下生存,，它們也被稱為嗜熱菌,。
Bryant表示他在計算機上詳細(xì)分析了數(shù)以百計的DNA序列。他說：“我們尋找與已知完全不同的基因簽名,。”在檢查了這種被稱為Chloracidobacterium termophilum的新細(xì)菌DNA后,，Bryant接下來必須證明其真的存在。他說：“有時在計算機上發(fā)現(xiàn)的虛擬生物是無法發(fā)表在Science上的,。接下來的一年我們主要致力于分離這些生物,，尋找它們的特性，并且證明它們確實可以將光能轉(zhuǎn)化為化學(xué)能,。關(guān)鍵并非是否得到了這些基因,，而在于你如何利用它們。”
Bryant最終成功分離了這些細(xì)菌,。他說：“我們證明了這些生物在光能下可以生長,。小組重復(fù)在光照和黑暗條件下培養(yǎng)它們，結(jié)果是在黑暗條件下其生長速度很緩慢,，而在光照下則迅速得多,。”( 教育部科技發(fā)展中心 )
原文鏈接：http://www.physorg.com/news112637284.html
原始出處:
Science 27 July 2007:
Vol. 317. no. 5837, pp. 523 - 526
DOI: 10.1126/science.1143236
Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum: An Aerobic Phototrophic Acidobacterium
Donald A. Bryant,1* Amaya M. Garcia Costas,1 Julia A. Maresca,1 Aline Gomez Maqueo Chew,1 Christian G. Klatt,2 Mary M. Bateson,2 Luke J. Tallon,3 Jessica Hostetler,3 William C. Nelson,3 John F. Heidelberg,3,4 David M. Ward2
Only five bacterial phyla with members capable of chlorophyll (Chl)–based phototrophy are presently known. Metagenomic data from the phototrophic microbial mats of alkaline siliceous hot springs in Yellowstone National Park revealed the existence of a distinctive bacteriochlorophyll (BChl)–synthesizing, phototrophic bacterium. A highly enriched culture of this bacterium grew photoheterotrophically, synthesized BChls a and c under oxic conditions, and had chlorosomes and type 1 reaction centers. "Candidatus Chloracidobacterium thermophilum" is a BChl-producing member of the poorly characterized phylum Acidobacteria.
1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
2 Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Post Office Box 173120, Bozeman, MT 59717–3120, USA.
3 The Institute for Genomic Research, 9712 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
4 Department of Biology, University of Southern California, Wrigley Marine Science Center, Post Office Box 5069, Avalon, CA 90704, USA.
Present address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
Present address: Department of Microbiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: [email protected]
