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Scientists have discovered a large group of bacteria called the Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) bacteria. Named ‘microbial dark matter’ - as they make up a significant part of the Earth’s biomass - their properties have been largely unknown until now, as they are extremely difficult to study in isolation.
The CPR bacteria have small genomes and limited metabolic capabilities compared to other bacteria. This makes them difficult to cultivate and study in a laboratory. The ribosomal RNA sequences of CPR organisms also have unusual features that make them different from other bacteria.
In a recent study, a group from Bio-Prodict focused on a protein called CPR-C4 found in a CPR bacterium. By determining its structure, they found similarities to a human protein called vasohibin, suggesting an evolutionary relationship. This study expands our understanding of bacterial diversity and offers the potential for discovering new enzymes with important applications in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Using a technique called metagenomics the team were able to study the genetic information of these bacteria without isolating them. They focused on a hypothetical protein called CPR-C4, which was found in the genome of a thermophilic CPR bacterium from an Icelandic hot spring. They determined the structure of CPR-C4 using X-ray crystallography at Diamond.
This study aims to expand our understanding of bacterial diversity and offers the potential for discovering new enzymes with important applications in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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