Project description:Opuntia sulphurea Gillies ex Salm-Dyck 1834 (Cactaceae) acts as an invasive species due to its ability to survive in various environments. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of Opuntia sulphurea, which was 122,740 bp in length. The genome contained 100 genes, including 65 protein-coding genes, 31 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. The base composition of the chloroplast genome was 32.11% A, 17.74% G, 18.34% C, and 31.80% T, resulting in an overall G + C content of 35.39%. A phylogenetic analysis across 23 species in Caryophyllales demonstrated a close relationship between Opuntia sulphurea and Opuntia quimilo.
Project description:The genus Amycolatopsis is a member of the phylogenetic group nocardioform actinomycetes, which also includes the genus Mycobacterium. Members of this group have a characteristic cell envelope structure, dominated by various complex lipids and polysaccharides. Amongst these, lipoglycans are of particular interest since mycobacterial lipoarabinomannans are important immunomodulatory molecules. In this study we report the isolation and structural characterization of Amycolatopsis sulphurea lipoarabinomannan, designated AsuLAM. SDS/PAGE analysis revealed that AsuLAM was of an intermediate size between Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipoarabinomannan and lipomannan, confirmed by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry that predicted an average molecular mass of 10 kDa. Using a range of chemical degradations, NMR experiments and capillary electrophoresis analysis, AsuLAM was revealed as an original structure. The mannosyl-phosphatidyl- myo -inositol anchor exhibits a single acyl-form, characterized by a diacylated glycerol moiety, and contains, as one of the main fatty acids, 14-methyl-pentadecanoate, a characteristic fatty acid of the Amycolatopsis genus. AsuLAM also contains a short mannan domain; and is dominated by a multi-branched arabinan domain, composed of an (alpha1-->5)-Ara f (arabinofuranose) chain substituted, predominately at the O -2 position, by a single beta-Ara f. The arabinan domain is further elaborated by manno-oligosaccharide caps, with around one per molecule. This is the first description of manno-oligosaccharide caps found in a non-mycobacterial LAM. AsuLAM was unable to induce the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha when tested with human or murine macrophage cell lines, reinforcing the paradigm that mannose-capped LAM are poor inducers of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Project description:Saccharomonospora azurea Runmao et al. 1987 is a member of the genus Saccharomonospora, which is in the family Pseudonocardiaceae and thus far poorly characterized genomically. Members of the genus Saccharomonospora are of interest because they originate from diverse habitats, such as leaf litter, manure, compost, the surface of peat, and moist and over-heated grain, and may play a role in the primary degradation of plant material by attacking hemicellulose. Next to S. viridis, S. azurea is only the second member in the genus Saccharomonospora for which a completely sequenced type strain genome will be published. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence with project status 'Improved high quality draft', and the annotation. The 4,763,832 bp long chromosome with its 4,472 protein-coding and 58 RNA genes was sequenced as part of the DOE funded Community Sequencing Program (CSP) 2010 at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI).