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Single-cell genomics reveals hundreds of coexisting subpopulations in wild Prochlorococcus.
- Source :
-
Science (New York, N.Y.) [Science] 2014 Apr 25; Vol. 344 (6182), pp. 416-20. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Extensive genomic diversity within coexisting members of a microbial species has been revealed through selected cultured isolates and metagenomic assemblies. Yet, the cell-by-cell genomic composition of wild uncultured populations of co-occurring cells is largely unknown. In this work, we applied large-scale single-cell genomics to study populations of the globally abundant marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. We show that they are composed of hundreds of subpopulations with distinct "genomic backbones," each backbone consisting of a different set of core gene alleles linked to a small distinctive set of flexible genes. These subpopulations are estimated to have diverged at least a few million years ago, suggesting ancient, stable niche partitioning. Such a large set of coexisting subpopulations may be a general feature of free-living bacterial species with huge populations in highly mixed habitats.
- Subjects :
- Atlantic Ocean
Biological Evolution
Ecosystem
Genes, Bacterial
Metagenomics
Molecular Sequence Data
Mutation
Phylogeny
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
Prochlorococcus classification
Seasons
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Single-Cell Analysis
Genetic Variation
Genome, Bacterial
Prochlorococcus genetics
Prochlorococcus physiology
Seawater microbiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1095-9203
- Volume :
- 344
- Issue :
- 6182
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Science (New York, N.Y.)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 24763590
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248575