Biology Commons^™

The Roles Of Transcription And Genotoxins Underlying P53 Mutagenesis In Vivo, Barbara E. Wright, Karen H. Schmidt, Aaron T. Hunt, J Stephen Lodmell, Michael F. Minnick, Dennis K. Reschke

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Transcription drives supercoiling which forms and stabilizes single-stranded (ss) DNA secondary structures with loops exposing G and C bases that are intrinsically mutable and vulnerable to non-enzymatic hydrolytic reactions. Since many studies in prokaryotes have shown direct correlations between the frequencies of transcription and mutation, we conducted in silico analyses using the computer program, mfg, which simulates transcription and predicts the location of known mutable bases in loops of high-stability secondary structures. Mfg analyses of the p53 tumor suppressor gene predicted the location of mutable bases and mutation frequencies correlated with the extent to which these mutable bases were exposed …

Biotic Resistance Via Granivory: Establishment By Invasive, Naturalized, And Native Asters Reflects Generalist Preference, Dean E. Pearson, Ragan M. Callaway, John L. Maron

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Escape from specialist natural enemies is frequently invoked to explain exotic plant invasions, but little attention has been paid to how generalist consumers in the recipient range may influence invasion. We examined how seed preferences of the widespread generalist granivore Peromyscus maniculatus related to recruitment of the strongly invasive exotic Centaurea stoebe and several weakly invasive exotics and natives by conducting laboratory feeding trials and seed addition experiments in the field. Laboratory feeding trials showed that P. maniculatus avoided consuming seeds of C. stoebe relative to the 12 other species tested, even when seeds of alternative species were 53–94% smaller …

Structure-Activity Relationships For The Interactions Of 2'- And 3'-(O)-(N-Methyl)Anthraniloyl-Substituted Purine And Pyrimidine Nucleotides With Mammalian Adenylyl Cyclases, Cibele Pinto, Gerald H. Lushington, Mark Richter, Andreas Gille, Jens Geduhn, Burkhard König, Tung-Chung Mou, Stephen R. Sprang, Roland Seifert

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Membranous adenylyl cyclases (ACs) play a key role in signal transduction and are promising drug targets. In previous studies we showed that 2',3'-(O)-(N-methylanthraniloyl) (MANT)-substituted nucleotides are potent AC inhibitors. The aim of this study was to provide systematic structure-activity relationships for 21 (M)ANT-substituted nucleotides at the purified catalytic AC subunit heterodimer VC1:IIC2, the VC1:VC1 homodimer and recombinant ACs 1, 2 and 5. (M)ANT-nucleotides inhibited fully activated VC1:IIC2 in the order of affinity for bases hypoxanthine>uracil>cytosine>adenine∼guanine≫xanthine. Omission of a hydroxyl group at the 2' or 3'-position reduced inhibitor potency as did introduction of a γ-thiophosphate group or omission …

Physiological Trade-Offs In Self-Maintenance: Plumage Molt And Stress Physiology In Birds, Jamie M. Cornelius, Nicole Perfito, Richard Zann, Creagh W. Breuner, Thomas P. Hahn

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Trade-offs between self-maintenance processes can affect life-history evolution. Integument replacement and the stress response both promote self-maintenance and affect survival in vertebrates. Relationships between the two processes have been studied most extensively in birds, where hormonal stress suppression is down regulated during molt in seasonal species, suggesting a resource-based trade-off between the two processes. The only species found to differ are the rock dove and Eurasian tree sparrow, at least one of which performs a very slow molt that may reduce resource demands during feather growth, permitting investment in the stress response. To test for the presence of a molt–stress …

A Reply To King Et Al., Mark E. Swanson, Jerry F. Franklin, Robert L. Beschta, Charles M. Crisafulli, Dominick A. Dellasala, Richard L. Hutto, David B. Lindenmayer, Frederick J. Swanson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hunger Artists: Yeast Adapted To Carbon Limitation Show Trade-Offs Under Carbon Sufficiency, Jared W. Wenger, Jeffrey Piotrowski, Saisubramanian Nagarajan, Kami Chiotti, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

As organisms adaptively evolve to a new environment, selection results in the improvement of certain traits, bringing about an increase in fitness. Trade-offs may result from this process if function in other traits is reduced in alternative environments either by the adaptive mutations themselves or by the accumulation of neutral mutations elsewhere in the genome. Though the cost of adaptation has long been a fundamental premise in evolutionary biology, the existence of and molecular basis for trade-offs in alternative environments are not well-established. Here, we show that yeast evolved under aerobic glucose limitation show surprisingly few trade-offs when cultured in …

Exome-Wide Dna Capture And Next Generation Sequencing In Domestic And Wild Species, Albano Beja-Pereira, Shanyuan Chen, Theodore F. Cosart, Gordon Luikart, Sarah B. Ng, Jay Shendure

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Our understanding of the molecular, genetic basis of adaptations and phenotypic differentiation among individuals will advance quickly thanks to new molecular techniques. This understanding is crucial given that accelerating environmental change and human population growth are increasingly threatening natural populations of fish and wildlife as well as increasing demands for agricultural production in domesticated species. This makes it urgent in many wild and domestic species to investigate the genetic basis of fitness, adaptation, and disease resistance [1], and to discover adaptive genes and speciation genes, i.e., the "loci of evolution" [2].

Viral Selex Reveals Individual And Cooperative Roles Of The C-Box And G-Box In Hiv-2 Replication, Christy L. Strong, Jean-Marc Lanchy, J. Stephen Lodmell

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The 5' UTR of HIV-2 genomic RNA contains signaling motifs that regulate specific steps of the replication cycle. Two motifs of interest are the C-box and the G-box. The C-box is found in the 5' untranslated region upstream of the primer binding site, while the G-box is found downstream from the major splice donor site, encompassing the gag start codon and flanking nucleotides. Together the C-box and the G-box form a long-range base-pairing interaction called the CGI. We and others have previously shown that formation of the CGI affects RNA dimerization in vitro and the positions of the C-box and …

Structural Basis For The High-Affinity Inhibition Of Mammalian Membranous Adenylyl Cyclase By 2',3'-O-(N-Methylanthraniloyl)-Inosine 5'-Triphosphate, Melanie Hübner, Anshuman Dixit, Tung-Chung Mou, Gerald H. Lushington, Cibele Pinto, Andreas Gille, Jens Geduhn, Burkhard König, Stephen Sprang, Roland Seifert

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

2',3'-O-(N-Methylanthraniloyl)-ITP (MANT-ITP) is the most potent inhibitor of mammalian membranous adenylyl cyclase (mAC) 5 (AC5, K(i), 1 nM) yet discovered and surpasses the potency of MANT-GTP by 55-fold (J Pharmacol Exp Ther 329:1156-1165, 2009). AC5 inhibitors may be valuable drugs for treatment of heart failure. The aim of this study was to elucidate the structural basis for the high-affinity inhibition of mAC by MANT-ITP. MANT-ITP was a considerably more potent inhibitor of the purified catalytic domains VC1 and IIC2 of mAC than MANT-GTP (K(i), 0.7 versus 18 nM). Moreover, there was considerably more efficient fluorescence resonance energy transfer between Trp1020 …

Juvenile Hormone Regulates Extreme Mandible Growth In Male Stag Beetles, Hiroki Gotoh, Richard Cornette, Shigeyuki Koshikawa, Yasukazu Okada, Laura Corley Lavine, Douglas J. Emlen, Toru Miura

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The morphological diversity of insects is one of the most striking phenomena in biology. Evolutionary modifications to the relative sizes of body parts, including the evolution of traits with exaggerated proportions, are responsible for a vast range of body forms. Remarkable examples of an insect trait with exaggerated proportions are the mandibular weapons of stag beetles. Male stag beetles possess extremely enlarged mandibles which they use in combat with rival males over females. As with other sexually selected traits, stag beetle mandibles vary widely in size among males, and this variable growth results from differential larval nutrition. However, the mechanisms …

Range-Expanding Populations Of A Globally Introduced Weed Experience Negative Plant-Soil Feedbacks, Krikor Andonian, José L. Hierro, Liana Khetsuriani, Pablo Becerra, Grigor Janoyan, Diego Villarreal, Lohengrin Cavieres, Laurel R. Fox, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Biological invasions are fundamentally biogeographic processes that occur over large spatial scales. Interactions with soil microbes can have strong impacts on plant invasions, but how these interactions vary among areas where introduced species are highly invasive vs. naturalized is still unknown. In this study, we examined biogeographic variation in plant-soil microbe interactions of a globally invasive weed, Centaurea solstitialis (yellow starthistle). We addressed the following questions (1) Is Centaurea released from natural enemy pressure from soil microbes in introduced regions? and (2) Is variation in plant-soil feedbacks associated with variation in Centaurea's invasive success? Methodology/Principal Findings: We conducted greenhouse …

The Assembly Of Ecological Communities Inferred From Taxonomic And Functional Composition, Eric R. Sokol, E. F. Benfield, Lisa K. Belden, H. Maurice Valett

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Among-site variation in metacommunities (beta diversity) is typically correlated with the distance separating the sites (spatial lag). This distance decay in similarity pattern has been linked to both niche-based and dispersal-based community assembly hypotheses. Here we show that beta diversity patterns in community composition, when supplemented with functional-trait information, can be used to diagnose assembly processes. First, using simulated data, we show how the relationship between distance decay patterns in taxonomic and functional measures of community composition can be used to predict the influence of a given trait on community assembly. We then use the patterns generated by the simulation …

Thinking Outside The Channel: Modeling Nitrogen Cycling In Networked River Ecosystems, Ashley M. Helton, Geoffrey C. Poole, Judy L. Meyer, Wilfred M. Wollheim, Bruce J. Peterson, Patrick J. Mulholland, Emily S. Bernhardt, Jack Arthur Stanford, Clay Arango, Linda R. Ashkenas, Lee W. Cooper, Walter K. Dodds, Stanley V. Gregory, Robert O. Hall Jr., Stephen K. Hamilton, Sherri L. Johnson, William H. Mcdowell, Jody D. Potter, Jennifer L. Tank, Suzanne M. Thomas, H. Maurice Valett, Jackson R. Webster, Lydia Zeglin

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Agricultural and urban development alters nitrogen and other biogeochemical cycles in rivers worldwide. Because such biogeochemical processes cannot be measured empirically across whole river networks, simulation models are critical tools for understanding river-network biogeochemistry. However, limitations inherent in current models restrict our ability to simulate biogeochemical dynamics among diverse river networks. We illustrate these limitations using a river-network model to scale up in situ measures of nitrogen cycling in eight catchments spanning various geophysical and land-use conditions. Our model results provide evidence that catchment characteristics typically excluded from models may control river-network biogeochemistry. Based on our findings, we identify important …

Effects Of Soil Biota From Different Ranges On Robinia Invasion: Acquiring Mutualists And Escaping Pathogens, Ragan M. Callaway, Eulogio J. Bedmar, Kurt O. Reinhart, Cinta Gómez Silvan, John Klironomos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The net effects of soil biota on exotic invaders can be variable, in part, because net effects are produced by many interacting mutualists and antagonists. Here we compared mutualistic and antagonistic biota in soils collected in the native, expanded, and invasive range of the black locust tree, Robinia pseudoacacia. Robinia formed nodules in all soils with a broad phylogenetic range of N-fixing bacteria, and leaf N did not differ among the different sources of soil. This suggests that the global expansion of Robinia was not limited by the lack of appropriate mutualistic N-fixers. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) from the …

Win-Win For Wind And Wildlife: A Vision To Facilitate Sustainable Development, Joseph M. Kiesecker, Jeffrey S. Evans, Joe Fargione, Kevin Doherty, Kerry R. Foresman, Thomas H. Kunz, David E. Naugle, Nathan P. Nibbelink, Neal D. Niemuth

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Wind energy offers the potential to reduce carbon emissions while increasing energy independence and bolstering economic development. However, wind energy has a larger land footprint per Gigawatt (GW) than most other forms of energy production, making appropriate siting and mitigation particularly important. Species that require large unfragmented habitats and those known to avoid vertical structures are particularly at risk from wind development. Developing energy on disturbed lands rather than placing new developments within large and intact habitats would reduce cumulative impacts to wildlife. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that it will take 241 GW of terrestrial based wind development …

A Unique Coxiella Burnetii Lipoprotein Involved In Metal Binding (Limb), James M. Battisti, Linda D. Hicks, Michael F. Minnick

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Coxiella burnetii is the bacterial agent of Q fever in humans. Here, we describe a unique, ~7.2 kDa, surface-exposed lipoprotein involved in metal binding which we have termed LimB. LimB was initially identified as a potential metal-binding protein on far-Western (FW) blots containing whole-cell lysate proteins when probed with nickel-coated horseradish peroxidase (Ni-HRP) and developed with a chemiluminescent HRP substrate. The corresponding identity of LimB as CBU1224a was established by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry. blast analyses with CBU1224a showed no significant similarity to sequences outside strains of C. burnetii. Additional in silico analyses revealed a putative 20 …

Plant Invasions, Generalist Herbivores, And Novel Defense Weapons, Urs Schaffner, Wendy M. Ridenour, Vera C. Wolf, Thomas Bassett, Caroline Müller-Schärer, Steve Sutherland, Christopher J. Lortie, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

One commonly accepted mechanism for biological invasions is that species, after introduction to a new region, leave behind their natural enemies and therefore increase in distribution and abundance. However, which enemies are escaped remains unclear. Escape from specialist invertebrate herbivores has been examined in detail, but despite the profound effects of generalist herbivores in natural communities their potential to control invasive species is poorly understood. We carried out parallel laboratory feeding bioassays with generalist invertebrate herbivores from the native (Europe) and from the introduced (North America) range using native and nonnative tetraploid populations of the invasive spotted knapweed, Centaurea stoebe. …

Automated Upscaling Of River Networks For Macroscale Hydrological Modeling, Huan Wu, John S. Kimball, Nate Mantua, Jack Arthur Stanford

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We developed a hierarchical dominant river tracing (DRT) algorithm for automated extraction and spatial upscaling of basin flow directions and river networks using fine-scale hydrography inputs (e. g., flow direction, river networks, and flow accumulation). In contrast with previous upscaling methods, the DRT algorithm utilizes information on global and local drainage patterns from baseline fine-scale hydrography to determine upscaled flow directions and other critical variables including upscaled basin area, basin shape, and river lengths. The DRT algorithm preserves the original baseline hierarchical drainage structure by tracing each entire flow path from headwater to river mouth at fine scale while prioritizing …

The Forgotten Stage Of Forest Succession: Early-Successional Ecosystems On Forest Sites, Mark E. Swanson, Jerry F. Franklin, Robert L. Beschta, Charles M. Crisafulli, Dominick A. Dellasala, Richard L. Hutto, David B. Lindenmaver, Frederick J. Swanson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Early-successional forest ecosystems that develop after stand-replacing or partial disturbances are diverse in species, processes, and structure. Post-disturbance ecosystems are also often rich in biological legacies, including surviving organisms and organically derived structures, such as woody debris. These legacies and post-disturbance plant communities provide resources that attract and sustain high species diversity, including numerous early-successional obligates, such as certain woodpeckers and arthropods. Early succession is the only period when tree canopies do not dominate the forest site, and so this stage can be characterized by high productivity of plant species (including herbs and shrubs), complex food webs, large nutrient fluxes, …

A Specific Interaction Of Small Molecule Entry Inhibitors With The Envelope Glycoprotein Complex Of The Junín Hemorrhagic Fever Arenavirus, Celestine J. Thomas, Hedi E. Casquilho-Gray, Joanne York, Dianne L. Decamp, Dongcheng Dai, Erin B. Petrilli, Dale L. Boger, Richard A. Slayden, Sean M. Amberg, Stephen Sprang, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Arenaviruses are responsible for acute hemorrhagic fevers worldwide and are recognized to pose significant threats to public health and biodefense. Small molecule compounds have recently been discovered that inhibit arenavirus entry and protect against lethal infection in animal models. These chemically distinct inhibitors act on the tripartite envelope glycoprotein (GPC) through its unusual stable signal peptide subunit to stabilize the complex against pH-induced activation of membrane fusion in the endosome. Here, we report the production and characterization of the intact transmembrane GPC complex of Junín arenavirus and its interaction with these inhibitors. The solubilized GPC is antigenically indistinguishable from the …

Volatile Chemicals From Leaf Litter Are Associated With Invasiveness Of A Neotropical Weed In Asia, Inderjit, Heather Evans, Christoph Crocoll, Devika Bajpai, Rajwant Kaur, Yu-Long Feng, Carlos Silva, Jacinto Treviño Carreón, Alfonso Valiente-Banuet, Jonathan Gershenzon, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Some invasive plant species appear to strongly suppress neighbors in their nonnative ranges but much less so in their native range. We found that in the field in its native range in Mexico, the presence of Ageratina adenophora, an aggressive Neotropical invader, was correlated with higher plant species richness than found in surrounding plant communities where this species was absent, suggesting facilitation. However, in two nonnative ranges, China and India, A. adenophora canopies were correlated with much lower species richness than the surrounding communities, suggesting inhibition. Volatile organic compound (VOC) signals may contribute to this striking biogeographical difference and …

Latitudinal Variation In Top-Down And Bottom-Up Control Of A Salt Marsh Food Web, Laurie B. Marczak, C.-K. Ho, K. Wieski, H. Vu, R. F. Denno, S. C. Pennings

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The shrub Iva frutescens, which occupies the terrestrial border of U.S. Atlantic Coast salt marshes, supports a food web that varies strongly across latitude. We tested whether latitudinal variation in plant quality (higher at high latitudes), consumption by omnivores (a crab, present only at low latitudes), consumption by mesopredators (ladybugs, present at all latitudes), or the life history stage of an herbivorous beetle could explain continental-scale field patterns of herbivore density. In a mesocosm experiment, crabs exerted strong top-down control on herbivorous beetles, ladybugs exerted strong top-down control on aphids, and both predators benefited plants through trophic cascades. Latitude …

Floodplain Succession And Soil Nitrogen Accumulation On A Salmon River In Southwestern Kamchatka, Michael R. Morris, Jack Arthur Stanford

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We documented riparian primary succession on an expansive floodplain (Kol River, Kamchatka, Russian Federation) that receives large nitrogen subsidies from spawning Pacific salmon. As is typical of primary succession, new alluvial deposits in the lower Kol floodplain were nitrogen poor (200 kg persulfate N/ha to 10 cm soil depth); however, nitrogen accumulated rapidly, and soils contained 1600 kg N/ha (to 10 cm + the litter layer) by 20 years. Soil nitrogen approached an asymptote at 2500 kg N/ha by 80 years. Nitrogen-fixing Alnus trees were a minor component of the forest community during the first 20 years of succession. However, …

T-705 (Favipiravir) Inhibition Of Arenavirus Replication In Cell Culture, Michelle Mendenhall, Andrew Russell, Terry Juelich, Emily L. Messina, Donald F. Smee, Alexander N. Freiberg, Michael R. Holbrook, Yousuke Furuta, Juan-Carlos De La Torre, Jack H. Nunberg, Brian B. Gowen

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A number of New World arenaviruses (Junin [JUNV], Machupo [MACV], and Guanarito [GTOV] viruses) can cause human disease ranging from mild febrile illness to a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever syndrome. These highly pathogenic viruses and the Old World Lassa fever virus pose a significant threat to public health and national security. The only licensed antiviral agent with activity against these viruses, ribavirin, has had mixed success in treating severe arenaviral disease and is associated with significant toxicities. A novel pyrazine derivative currently in clinical trials for the treatment of influenza virus infections, T-705 (favipiravir), has demonstrated broad-spectrum activity …

Soil Microbes Drive The Classic Plant Diversity-Productivity Pattern, Stefan A. Schnitzer, John N. Klironomos, Janneke Hillerislambers, Linda L. Kinkel, Peter B. Reich, Kun Xiao, Matthias C. Rillig, Benjamin A. Sikes, Ragan M. Callaway, Scott A. Mangan, Egbert H. Van Nes, Marten Scheffer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Volume 92, Issue 2 (February)

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ISSN: 0012-9658 Frequency: Monthly

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Stefan A. Schnitzer, John N. Klironomos, Janneke HilleRisLambers, Linda L. Kinkel, Peter B. Reich, Kun Xiao, Matthias C. Rillig, Benjamin A. Sikes, …

Is Wildlife Going To The Dogs? Impacts Of Feral And Free-Roaming Dogs On Wildlife Populations, Julie K. Young, Kirk A. Olson, Richard P. Reading, Sukh Amgalanbaatar, Joel Berger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

In human-populated landscapes, dogs (Canis familiaris) are often the most abundant terrestrial carnivore. However, dogs can significantly disrupt or modify intact ecosystems well beyond the areas occupied by people. Few studies have directly quantified the environmental or economic effects of free-roaming and feral dogs. Here, we review wildlife-dog interactions and provide a case study that focuses on interactions documented from our research in Mongolia to underscore the need for studies designed to best determine how dogs affect native wildlife and especially imperiled populations. We suggest additional research, public awareness campaigns, and the exclusion of dogs from critical wildlife habitat. The …

Cell Signalling: Binding The Receptor At Both Ends, Stephen R. Sprang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

G-protein-coupled receptors initiate a wide range of signalling pathways in cells. It seems that both a G protein and an agonist molecule must bind to the receptors to persistently activate them.

Modulation Of A Gef Switch: Autoinhibition Of The Intrinsic Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Activity Of P115-Rhogef, Zhe Chen, Liang Guo, Stephen R. Sprang, Paul C. Sternweis

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

p115-RhoGEF (p115) belongs to the family of RGS-containing guanine nucleotide exchange factors for Rho GTPases (RGS-RhoGEFs) that are activated by G12 class heterotrimeric G protein α subunits. All RGS-RhoGEFs possess tandemly linked Dbl-homology (DH) and plekstrin-homology (PH) domains, which bind and catalyze the exchange of GDP for GTP on RhoA. We have identified that the linker region connecting the N-terminal RGS-homology (RH) domain and the DH domain inhibits the intrinsic guanine nucleotide exchange (GEF) activity of p115, and determined the crystal structures of the DH/PH domains in the presence or absence of the inhibitory linker region. An N-terminal extension of …

Use Of Microcalorimetry To Determine The Costs And Benefits To Pseudomonas Putida Strain Kt2440 Of Harboring Cadmium Efflux Genes, Sean M. Gibbons, Kevin Feris, Michele A. Mcguirl, Sergio E. Morales, Anu Hynninen, Philip W. Ramsey, James E. Gannon

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

A novel microcalorimetric approach was used to analyze the responses of a metal-tolerant soil bacterium (Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440) to metal resistance gene deletions in cadmium-amended media. As hypothesized, under cadmium stress, the wild-type strain benefited from the resistance genes by entering the exponential growth phase earlier than two knockout strains. In the absence of cadmium, strain KT1, carrying a deletion in the main component (czcA1) of a Cd/Zn chemiosmotic efflux transporter (CzcCBA1), grew more efficiently than the wild type and released similar to 700 kJ (per mole of biomass carbon) less heat than the wild-type strain, showing the energetic …

Dynamics Of Gene Duplication In The Genomes Of Chlorophyll D-Producing Cyanobacteria: Implications For The Ecological Niche, Scott R. Miller, A. Michelle Wood, Robert E. Blankenship, Maria Kim, Steven Ferriera

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Gene duplication may be an important mechanism for the evolution of new functions and for the adaptive modulation of gene expression via dosage effects. Here, we analyzed the fate of gene duplicates for two strains of a novel group of cyanobacteria (genus Acaryochloris) that produces the far-red light absorbing chlorophyll d as its main photosynthetic pigment. The genomes of both strains contain an unusually high number of gene duplicates for bacteria. As has been observed for eukaryotic genomes, we find that the demography of gene duplicates can be well modeled by a birth-death process. Most duplicated Acaryochloris genes are of …