Roseobacter

From MicrobeWiki, the student-edited microbiology resource
Revision as of 15:53, 15 August 2006 by BarichD (talk | contribs)
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

A Microbial Biorealm page on the Roseobacter

Roseobacter sp. Courtesy of Harbour Branch Marine Microbial Database.

Classification

Higher order taxa:

Bacteria, Proteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Rhodobacterales, Rhodobacteraceae

Species:

NCBI: Taxonomy Genome: R. denitrificans R. sp. MED193

Roseobacter denitrificans; R. gallaeciensis; R. litoralis; R. pelophilus; R. prionitis; R. sp.

Description and Significance

Since the 1980s when Roseobacter first became visible as an oyster pathogen, Roseobacter has been more closely examined. Typically brown or pink in color, the Roseobacter colonies found in Martha's Vineyard, MA were yellow or green in color. Roseobacter have either one or two flagella present, making them fully motile.

Genome Structure

Currently two species of Roseobacter are being sequenced: R. denitrificans (Arizona State University) and R. sp. MED193 (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation). The sample of R. sp. MED193 being sequenced was collected one meter down in the waters of the Northwest Mediterranean Sea. According to Boettcher et. al., the principal fatty acid in whole cells is C(18:1)omega7c and other characteristic fatty acids are C(16:0), C(10:0) 3-OH, 11-methyl C(18:1)omega7c and C(18:0). In addition, nearly without exception, all isolates have 16S rRNA gene sequences that are identical (Boettcher et. al.). While little is currently known about these strains, there is promising knowledge ahead as the sequencing continues.

Cell Structure and Metabolism

Roseobacter gallaeciensis Courtesy of Harbour Branch Marine Microbial Database.

The Gram-negative Roseobacter species have been identified as both oval and rod-like shaped cells and having a mesophilic temperature range, suggesting the organisms' diversity and flexibility between the species. What qualities have remained constant are that of it's aquatic habitat and anaerobic oxygen requirements.

It has been suggested that Roseobacter bacteria benefit from association with dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP)-producing dinoflagellates because of the high metabolic rate at which Roseobacter can degrade them. The result of such associating is the use of both lyase and demethylation pathways (Miller).

Ecology

Roseobacter strains have been found in a variety of places including the Mediterranean and New England. One of the most striking feature of Roseobacter is the exceptional amount of variation between the strains in the different locations in which Roseobacter has been identified. One potential cause for concern is the number of unconfirmed strains that have been identified as of the Roseobacter species, which could lead to incorrect information if wrongly indentified.

Pathology

A strain of Roseobacter(deemed R. crassotreae) has been identified as an oyster pathogen leading to a disease called Juvenile Oyster Disease (JOD), severely affecting oysters in New England. What is most concerning about this recent increased mortality rate is the discovery of Roseobacter strains in apparently healthy oysters up a week prior to the outbreaks. Roseobacter has been affecting oysters older than two years (Boettcher).

References

Boettcher, K.J. and A.P. Maloy. "Juvenile Oyster Disease in the Northeast: Shifting Patterns of Roseobacter-related Mortalities and Implications for Regional Management."

Boettcher KJ, Geaghan KK, Maloy AP, Barber BJ. "Roseovarius crassostreae sp. nov., a member of the Roseobacter clade and the apparent cause of juvenile oyster disease (JOD) in cultured Eastern oysters." International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology. 2005 Jul;55:1531-7

Miller, Todd R. and Robert Belas. "Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Metabolism by Pfiesteria-Associated Roseobacter spp." Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2004, p. 3383-3391, Vol. 70, No. 6

Oz, Aia., Gazalah Sabehi, Michal Koblízek, Ramon Massana, and Oded Béjà."Roseobacter-Like Bacteria in Red and Mediterranean Sea Aerobic Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Populations." Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 January; 71(1): 344–353.

Pinhassi J, Simo R, Gonzalez JM, Vila M, Alonso-Saez L, Kiene RP, Moran MA, Pedros-Alio C. "Dimethylsulfoniopropionate turnover is linked to the composition and dynamics of the bacterioplankton assemblage during a microcosm phytoplankton bloom. Applied and environmental microbiology. 2005 Dec;71(12):7650-60