Initial characterization of the photosynthetic apparatus of "Candidatus Chlorothrix halophila," a filamentous, anoxygenic photoautotroph

Abstract

"Candidatus Chlorothrix halophila" is a recently described halophilic, filamentous, anoxygenic photoau" totroph (J. A. Klappenbach and B. K. Pierson, Arch. Microbiol. 181:17-25, 2004) that was enriched from the hypersaline microbial mats at Guerrero Negro, Mexico. Analysis of the photosynthetic apparatus by negative staining, spectroscopy, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the photosynthetic apparatus in this organism has similarities to the photosynthetic apparatus in both the Chloroflexi and Chlorobi phyla of green photosynthetic bacteria. The chlorosomes were found to be ellipsoidal and of various sizes, characteristics that are comparable to cha..