Comparison of genes and protein sequence analyses of the chemoreceptors in Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027

Abstract:

[Objective] Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027 is a new type of high-efficiency nitrogen-fixing bacteria isolated from the root nodules of the host plant Sesbania cannabina. This study compared the chemoreceptors genes and related proteins of E. alkalisoli with other well-researched species. [Methods] NCBI protein BLAST was used for searching sequence similarity with default parameter values against the genomes of E. alkalisoli. HMMER3, based on Pfam database, was used for comparative analyses of methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein(MCP). [Results] There were two major chemotaxis clusters and 13 MCP homologs containing diverse signal-sensing architectures in E. alkalisoli. In addition, except that one of the cytoplasmic domains of these MCPs was composed of 40 heptad repeats, the rest were composed of 36 heptad repeats. [Conclusion] Despite the high similarity presented between the chemoreceptors of E. alkalisoli and those of well-studied species, E. alkalisoli shows its own unique characteristics. The classification of these chemotactic pathways by gene comparison and related protein analysis enables us to better understand how E. alkalisoli responds to changes in environment via exquisite signal transductions in chemotaxis system.