Chan, Yi-Wah (2010) Characterisation of bacteriophages that infect Acaryochloris. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina was isolated in 1996 and solved a 50 year old mystery as to the origin of the pigment chlorophyll d, which was thought to be a pigment of red algae or a breakdown product of the universal chlorophyll, chlorophyll a. Over the next decade, new Acaryochloris spp. were isolated from all over the world as the genus received international interest from the scientific community, with the majority of research directed towards understanding the mechanisms of photosynthesis of this uniquely pigmented cyanobacterium, using A. marina as the model organism of the genus. During this project, characterisation of different aspects of photosynthesis in Acaryochloris spp. was performed including an investigation of pigment adaptation and composition and the growth and characterisation of A. marina biofilms. However, the main focus of the thesis concerns the isolation and characterisation of cyanophages A-HIS1 and AHIS2, which infect A. marina as a basis to investigate and understand the impact of phage on host physiology in this new model system. A-HIS1 and A-HIS2 were characterised by their morphology, growth behaviour and genomes. Experiments were designed and implemented to investigate interactions between the phages and host. Interestingly, an analysis of novel genes in these phages revealed a surprising evolutionary history of phages A-HIS1 and A-HIS2 providing new insights into the origin of DNA polymerase, which is found only in the mitochondria of eukaryotes.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	Q Science > QR Microbiology
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Cyanobacteria -- Ecology, Bacteriophages -- Genetics, Photosynthetic bacteria -- Ecology, Eukaryotic cells -- Research, DNA polymerases
Official Date:	January 2010
Dates:	Date Event January 2010 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Molecular Organisation and Assembly in Cells
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Clokie, Martha R. J. ; Scanlan, David J. ; Whitworth, Anna L.
Sponsors:	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (Great Britain) (EPSRC) ; Natural Environment Research Council (Great Britain) (NERC)
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	243 leaves : ill., charts
Language:	eng

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