SAR11 marine bacteria require exogenous reduced sulphur for growth

H. James Tripp, Joshua B. Kitner, Michael S. Schwalbach, John W. H. Dacey, Larry J. Wilhelm and Stephen J. Giovannoni ()
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H. James Tripp: 220 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
Joshua B. Kitner: 220 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
Michael S. Schwalbach: 220 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
John W. H. Dacey: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Redfield 3-22, MS no. 32, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
Larry J. Wilhelm: 220 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
Stephen J. Giovannoni: 220 Nash Hall, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA

Nature, 2008, vol. 452, issue 7188, 741-744

Abstract: Reduced circumstances An intriguing example of genome reduction has been found in SAR11 marine bacteria, the ubiquitous clade with the smallest known genome of all free-living heterotrophic cells. 'Normal' marine aerobic bacteria are known to use assimilatory sulphate reduction to acquire sulphur from the environment. But Candidatus Pelagibacter ubique, and other SAR11 microbes, are deficient in this key metabolic pathway. Instead they rely on reduced sulphur compounds in the environment. This identifies compounds such as DMSP and methionine as essential growth requirements for these large plankton populations, a potentially important factor in microbial population dynamics in the oceans.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature06776

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