Tryptophan Pathway Genes in the Sargasso Sea Metagenome
Author Information
Author(s): Kagan Juliana, Itai Sharon, Oded Beja, Jonathan C Kuhn
Primary Institution: Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Hypothesis
Are the classical structures of the trp operon predominant in marine microorganisms, and are novel structures present?
Conclusion
Tryptophan genes are widely dispersed within the Sargasso Sea metagenome, with novel gene organizations indicating much to be discovered about their regulation and evolution.
Supporting Evidence
- At least 5% of all genes related to amino acid biosynthesis are tryptophan genes.
- Many contigs and scaffolds contain whole or split operons similar to known trp gene organizations.
- Two novel gene organizations were discovered that differ from classical operon structures.
Takeaway
Scientists studied genes that help make tryptophan in ocean bacteria and found many different ways these genes are organized, showing that marine bacteria might have unique ways of using these genes.
Methodology
The study involved analyzing the Sargasso Sea metagenome for tryptophan pathway genes using computer searches and BLAST analysis.
Potential Biases
Potential over-representation of certain genes due to gene fusion and misclassification.
Limitations
The study may not have detected all possible trp genes due to the limitations of the probes used.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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