Silicibacter sp. TM1040

©Dennis Kunkel Microscopy, Inc.

Ecology and Physiology

Some Roseobacter species have developed close associations with dinoflagellates and phytoplankton (Alavi et al. 2001, Miller and Belas 2003), and these interactions may influence both the rate of primary production and the fate of fixed carbon in the surface ocean. Silicibacter sp. TM1040 was isolated from the phycosphere of the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida cell (Miller and Belas 2004). Axenic cultures of P. piscicida grow poorly (and ultimately die), while adding back TM1040 restores normal growth. The Pfiesteria /TM1040 association is the only known "obligate" association between a dinoflagellate and a culturable bacterium. Additionally, TM1040 metabolizes the dinoflagellate secondary metabolite dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) via demethylation to methylmercaptopropionic acid (MMPA). Studies of the TM1040 genome will lead to better understanding of the cellular, physiological, and molecular strategies of this environmentally significant prokaryote and improve the understanding of the ecological interactions between bacteria and eukaryotic partner cells.

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Roseobacter Genomes