A distinct class of GTP-binding proteins mediates chloroplast protein import in Rhodophyta.

Chloroplast protein import is mediated by translocons named TOC and TIC on the outer and inner envelope membranes, respectively. Translocon constituents are conserved among green lineages, including plants and green algae. However, it remains unclear whether Rhodophyta (red algae) share common chloroplast protein import mechanisms with the green lineages.

Bacillus pocheonensis sp. nov., a moderately halotolerant, aerobic bacterium isolated from soil of a ginseng field.

A Gram-positive, non-motile, endospore-forming bacterial strain, designated Gsoil 420T, was isolated from soil of a ginseng field in Pocheon Province, South Korea, and was characterized, using a polyphasic approach, in order to determine its taxonomic position. The novel isolate consisted of strictly aerobic, rod-shaped cells and was able to grow in medium supplemented with up to 12% NaCl at 25 degrees C and pH 6.5-7.