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Genetic analysis of the br gene in halophilic archaea isolated from Xinjiang region, China

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Frontiers of Biology in China

Abstract

Some novel members of extremely halophilic archaea, strains AJ11, AJ12 and AJ13, were isolated from the Aularz Lake located in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve of Xinjiang, Uygur Autonomous Region in China. Partial DNA fragments encoding a bacteriorhodopsin (BR), as well as for 16S rRNA of isolated strains, were amplified by PCR and their DNA sequences were determined subsequently. On the basis of homology and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA, we thought that the isolated strains forming a microbiological population are the members of the genus Natrinema. The results of genetic analysis, such as GC content, transition/transversion (Ti/Tv) rate ratios and synonymous substitution rates (Ks) indicate that the br fragments, with a high level of genetic divergence, are faced with both purifying selection and bias mutation pressure. The study provides the basis for use of species and BR proteins resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ningbo Institute of Technology, Zhejiang University, Ningbo, 315100, China

    Xiaohong Xu

  2. College of Life Sciecne, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Min Wu

  3. The Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, Kuerle, 841000, China

    Huibin Zhang & Zhihu Liu

Authors
  1. Xiaohong Xu
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  2. Min Wu
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  3. Huibin Zhang
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  4. Zhihu Liu
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Correspondence to Min Wu.

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Translated from Hereditas (Beijing), 2007, 29(3): 376–380 [译自: 遗传]

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Xu, X., Wu, M., Zhang, H. et al. Genetic analysis of the br gene in halophilic archaea isolated from Xinjiang region, China. Front. Biol. China 3, 392–396 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11515-008-0067-1

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