Bacterial Orthologues Indicate the Malarial Plastid Gene ycf24 is Essential

ycf24 is a well conserved gene found in all major groups of bacteria, as well as on red algal plastid genomes and the vestigal plastid genome of apicomplexan pathogens like the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (ORF470). Some database annotations describe Ycf24 as an ABC transporter subunit, bu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Protist Vol. 151; no. 4; pp. 317 - 327
Main Authors:	Law, Anna E., Mullineaux, Conrad W., Hirst, Elizabeth M.A., Saldanha, Jose, Wilson, R.J.M. (Iain)
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Germany Elsevier GmbH 01-12-2000
Subjects:	Amino Acid Sequence Animals ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters Bacterial Proteins - genetics Bacterial Proteins - metabolism Carrier Proteins - genetics Carrier Proteins - metabolism Cell Cycle - genetics Cyanobacteria - genetics DNA - analysis Escherichia coli - genetics Escherichia coli Proteins Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial Maltose-Binding Proteins Molecular Sequence Data Monosaccharide Transport Proteins Mutation Plasmodium Plasmodium falciparum - genetics Plastids - genetics Protozoan Proteins - genetics Protozoan Proteins - metabolism Recombinant Fusion Proteins - genetics Recombinant Fusion Proteins - metabolism Rhodophyta - genetics Sequence Analysis Sequence Homology, Amino Acid Suppression, Genetic Synechocystis Transformation, Bacterial - genetics ycf24 gene
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Summary:	ycf24 is a well conserved gene found in all major groups of bacteria, as well as on red algal plastid genomes and the vestigal plastid genome of apicomplexan pathogens like the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum (ORF470). Some database annotations describe Ycf24 as an ABC transporter subunit, but we find the level of significance is low. To investigate ycf24′s function we disrupted it in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp., strain PCC6803 which has a multi-copy genome. This showed ycf24 is essential, partial loss producing a terminal phenotype of chlorosis, reduced cell size, loss of DNA, and a striking arrest in cytokinesis. Attempts to disrupt the single copy of ycf24 in E. coli failed to give stable transformants. When Ycf24 was over-expressed in E. coli as a soluble fusion protein, it localized mostly as a band on either side of the nucleoid and nucleoid partitioning was aberrant. We propose the relict plastid organelle of apicomplexans retains its capacity for protein synthesis because Ycf24 is essential.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	1434-4610 1618-0941
DOI:	10.1078/S1434-4610(04)70030-9