| Prochlorococcus | |
|---|---|
| |
| TEM image of Prochlorococcus marinus (pseudo-colored) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Cyanobacteria |
| Class: | Cyanophyceae |
| Order: | Synechococcales |
| Family: | Prochloraceae |
| Genus: | Prochlorococcus Chisholm et al., 1992 |
| Species: | P. marinus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Prochlorococcus marinus Chisholm et al., 1992
| |
Prochlorococcus is a genus of very small (0.6 μm) marine cyanobacteria with an unusual pigmentation (chlorophyll a2 and b2). These bacteria belong to the photosynthetic picoplankton and are probably the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth. Prochlorococcus microbes are among the major primary producers in the ocean, responsible for a large percentage of the photosynthetic production of oxygen.[1][2] Prochlorococcus strains, called ecotypes, have physiological differences enabling them to exploit different ecological niches.[3] Analysis of the genome sequences of Prochlorococcus strains show that 1,273[4] genes are common to all strains, and the average genome size is about 2,000 genes.[1] In contrast, eukaryotic algae have over 10,000 genes.[4]
- ^ a b Munn, C. (2011). Marine Microbiology: Ecology and applications (Second ed.). Garland Science.[page needed]
- ^ Chimileski, Scott; Kolter, Roberto (25 September 2017). Life at the Edge of Sight. Belknap Press. ISBN 9780674975910. Retrieved 2018-01-26.[page needed]
- ^ Tolonen AC, Aach J, Lindell D, Johnson ZI, Rector T, Steen R, Church GM, Chisholm SW (October 2006). "Global gene expression of Prochlorococcus ecotypes in response to changes in nitrogen availability". Molecular Systems Biology. 2 (1). 53. doi:10.1038/msb4100087. PMC 1682016. PMID 17016519.
- ^ a b Kettler GC, Martiny AC, Huang K, et al. (December 2007). "Patterns and Implications of Gene Gain and Loss in the Evolution of Prochlorococcus". PLoS Genetics. 3 (12). e231. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0030231. PMC 2151091. PMID 18159947.