grown to a cell density of approximately 108 to 109 cells ml1 overnight. Desulfovibrio
vulgaris strain RCH1 and Pseudomonas stutzeri strain RCH2 were both
grown anaerobically at 37°C overnight; D. vulgaris was grown in minimal medium
amended with 60 mM lactate and 50 mM sulfate under N2 headspace, while P.
stutzeri was grown in minimal freshwater medium amended with 10 mM lactate
and 20 mM nitrate under N2/CO2 (80:20) headspace. Bacillus subtilis, Burkholderia
cepacia, Arthrobacter chlorophenolicus, and E. coli were grown aerobically in
LB medium at 37°C overnight, with shaking at 150 rpm. Caulobacter crescentus
was grown aerobically in PYE (peptone, yeast extract) broth at 37°C overnight,
with shaking at 150 rpm. Sulfolobus solfataricus was grown aerobically at 80°C for
24 h with shaking at 150 in Brocks medium with tryptone, yeast extract, and
sucrose. Cells were pelleted by centrifugation, the spent medium was removed,
and cells were stored at 80°C. Cell pellets were resuspended in 50 l of
aluminum ammonium sulfate before RNA extraction using the methods described
below. From each strain we quantified the RNA using Ribogreen