Description:
<jats:p>Heliobacteria are anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria with the simplest known photosynthetic apparatus. They are unique in using bacteriochlorophyll<jats:italic>g</jats:italic>as their main pigment and lacking a peripheral antenna system. Until now, research on this organism has been hampered by the lack of a genetic transformation system. Without such a system, gene knockouts, site-directed mutations, and gene expression studies cannot be performed to help us further understand or manipulate the organism. Here we report the genetic transformation of a heliobacterium, which should enable future genetic studies in this unique phototrophic organism.</jats:p>