Variation of Synechococcus Pigment Genetic Diversity Along Two Turbidity Gradients in the China Seas

• Published in: Microbial ecology Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 10 - 21
• Main Authors: Xia, Xiaomin, Liu, Hongbin, Choi, Donghan, Noh, Jae Hoon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Science + Business Media 01.01.2018; Springer US; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Bacterial Proteins - genetics; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Coastal waters; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; Ecology; Genetic diversity; Genetic Variation; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Geographical distribution; Gradients; Life Sciences; Marginal seas; Marine environment; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; MICROBIOLOGY OF AQUATIC SYSTEMS; Nature Conservation; Niches; Nucleotide sequence; Oceans and Seas; Operon; Organizations; Phylogeny; Pigments; Pigments, Biological - genetics; Pigments, Biological - metabolism; Seawater - chemistry; Seawater - microbiology; Sequencing; Spacer; Synechococcus; Synechococcus - classification; Synechococcus - genetics; Synechococcus - isolation & purification; Synechococcus - metabolism; Turbidity; Water Quality/Water Pollution; China seas; Clone library; pigment type; operon; cpeBA operon; Synechococcus pigment type
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1021-z

Synechococcus are important and widely distributed picocyanobacteria that encompass a high pigment diversity. In this study, we developed a primer set (peBF/peAR) for amplifying the cpeBA operon sequence from Synechococcus genomic DNA to study Synechococcus pigment diversity along two turbidity gradients in the China seas. Our data revealed that all previously reported pigment types occurred in the South (SCS) and East (ECS) China Seas. In addition, a novel pigment genetic type (type 3f), represented by the high phycourobilin Synechococcus sp. strain KORDI-100 (Exc495:545 = 2.35), was detected. This pigment genetic type differs from the 3c/3d types not only for a very high PUB/PEB ratio but also for a different intergenic spacer sequence and gene organization of the phycobilisome. Synechococcus of different pigment types exhibited clear niche differentiation. Type 2 dominated in the coastal waters, whereas type 3c/3d and 3f were predominant in oceanic waters of the SCS in summer. In the ECS, however, type 3a was the major pigment type throughout the transect. We suggest that in marine environment, various pigment types often co-occur but with one type dominant and PUB/PEB ratio is related to geographic distribution of Synechococcus pigment types. The two marginal seas of China have markedly different Synechococcus pigment compositions.