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Muñoz-Marín MDC, López-Lozano A, Moreno-Cabezuelo JÁ, Díez J, García-Fernández JM. Mixotrophy in cyanobacteria. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 78:102432. [PMID: 38325247 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria evolved the oxygenic photosynthesis to generate organic matter from CO2 and sunlight, and they were responsible for the production of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. This made them a model for photosynthetic organisms, since they are easier to study than higher plants. Early studies suggested that only a minority among cyanobacteria might assimilate organic compounds, being considered mostly autotrophic for decades. However, compelling evidence from marine and freshwater cyanobacteria, including toxic strains, in the laboratory and in the field, has been obtained in the last decades: by using physiological and omics approaches, mixotrophy has been found to be a more widespread feature than initially believed. Furthermore, dominant clades of marine cyanobacteria can take up organic compounds, and mixotrophy is critical for their survival in deep waters with very low light. Hence, mixotrophy seems to be an essential trait in the metabolism of most cyanobacteria, which can be exploited for biotechnological purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Del Carmen Muñoz-Marín
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Universitario ceiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, planta 1, ala Este, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Antonio López-Lozano
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Universitario ceiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, planta 1, ala Este, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - José Ángel Moreno-Cabezuelo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Universitario ceiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, planta 1, ala Este, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jesús Díez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Universitario ceiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, planta 1, ala Este, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
| | - José Manuel García-Fernández
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Campus de Excelencia Universitario ceiA3, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Severo Ochoa, planta 1, ala Este, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
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