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Santin A, Collura F, Singh G, Morlino MS, Bizzotto E, Bellan A, Gupte AP, Favaro L, Campanaro S, Treu L, Morosinotto T. Deciphering the genetic landscape of enhanced poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production in Synechocystis sp. B12. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2024; 17:101. [PMID: 39014484 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-024-02548-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial biopolymers such as poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) are emerging as promising alternatives for sustainable production of biodegradable bioplastics. Their promise is heightened by the potential utilisation of photosynthetic organisms, thus exploiting sunlight and carbon dioxide as source of energy and carbon, respectively. The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. B12 is an attractive candidate for its superior ability to accumulate high amounts of PHB as well as for its high-light tolerance, which makes it extremely suitable for large-scale cultivation. Beyond its practical applications, B12 serves as an intriguing model for unravelling the molecular mechanisms behind PHB accumulation. RESULTS Through a multifaceted approach, integrating physiological, genomic and transcriptomic analyses, this work identified genes involved in the upregulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and phycobilisome degradation as the possible candidates providing Synechocystis sp. B12 an advantage in growth under high-light conditions. Gene expression differences in pentose phosphate pathway and acetyl-CoA metabolism were instead recognised as mainly responsible for the increased Synechocystis sp. B12 PHB production during nitrogen starvation. In both response to strong illumination and PHB accumulation, Synechocystis sp. B12 showed a metabolic modulation similar but more pronounced than the reference strain, yielding in better performances. CONCLUSIONS Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms of PHB biosynthesis, providing valuable insights for optimising the use of Synechocystis in economically viable and sustainable PHB production. In addition, this work supplies crucial knowledge about the metabolic processes involved in production and accumulation of these molecules, which can be seminal for the application to other microorganisms as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Santin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Flavio Collura
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Garima Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Edoardo Bizzotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Ameya Pankaj Gupte
- Waste to Bioproducts Lab, Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment, University of Padova - Agripolis, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Favaro
- Waste to Bioproducts Lab, Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animals and Environment, University of Padova - Agripolis, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy
- Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa
| | | | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, 35131, Padua, Italy
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Tikhonov AN. The cytochrome b 6f complex: plastoquinol oxidation and regulation of electron transport in chloroplasts. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2024; 159:203-227. [PMID: 37369875 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01034-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
In oxygenic photosynthetic systems, the cytochrome b6f (Cytb6f) complex (plastoquinol:plastocyanin oxidoreductase) is a heart of the hub that provides connectivity between photosystems (PS) II and I. In this review, the structure and function of the Cytb6f complex are briefly outlined, being focused on the mechanisms of a bifurcated (two-electron) oxidation of plastoquinol (PQH2). In plant chloroplasts, under a wide range of experimental conditions (pH and temperature), a diffusion of PQH2 from PSII to the Cytb6f does not limit the intersystem electron transport. The overall rate of PQH2 turnover is determined mainly by the first step of the bifurcated oxidation of PQH2 at the catalytic site Qo, i.e., the reaction of electron transfer from PQH2 to the Fe2S2 cluster of the high-potential Rieske iron-sulfur protein (ISP). This point has been supported by the quantum chemical analysis of PQH2 oxidation within the framework of a model system including the Fe2S2 cluster of the ISP and surrounding amino acids, the low-potential heme b6L, Glu78 and 2,3,5-trimethylbenzoquinol (the tail-less analog of PQH2). Other structure-function relationships and mechanisms of electron transport regulation of oxygenic photosynthesis associated with the Cytb6f complex are briefly outlined: pH-dependent control of the intersystem electron transport and the regulatory balance between the operation of linear and cyclic electron transfer chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Tikhonov
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation, 119991.
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3
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Jackson PJ, Hitchcock A, Brindley AA, Dickman MJ, Hunter CN. Absolute quantification of cellular levels of photosynthesis-related proteins in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 155:219-245. [PMID: 36542271 PMCID: PMC9958174 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00990-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying cellular components is a basic and important step for understanding how a cell works, how it responds to environmental changes, and for re-engineering cells to produce valuable metabolites and increased biomass. We quantified proteins in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 given the general importance of cyanobacteria for global photosynthesis, for synthetic biology and biotechnology research, and their ancestral relationship to the chloroplasts of plants. Four mass spectrometry methods were used to quantify cellular components involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll, carotenoid and bilin pigments, membrane assembly, the light reactions of photosynthesis, fixation of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and hydrogen and sulfur metabolism. Components of biosynthetic pathways, such as those for chlorophyll or for photosystem II assembly, range between 1000 and 10,000 copies per cell, but can be tenfold higher for CO2 fixation enzymes. The most abundant subunits are those for photosystem I, with around 100,000 copies per cell, approximately 2 to fivefold higher than for photosystem II and ATP synthase, and 5-20 fold more than for the cytochrome b6f complex. Disparities between numbers of pathway enzymes, between components of electron transfer chains, and between subunits within complexes indicate possible control points for biosynthetic processes, bioenergetic reactions and for the assembly of multisubunit complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Jackson
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK.
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Amanda A Brindley
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mark J Dickman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
| | - C Neil Hunter
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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4
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Sarewicz M, Szwalec M, Pintscher S, Indyka P, Rawski M, Pietras R, Mielecki B, Koziej Ł, Jaciuk M, Glatt S, Osyczka A. High-resolution cryo-EM structures of plant cytochrome b 6f at work. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd9688. [PMID: 36638176 PMCID: PMC9839326 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add9688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plants use solar energy to power cellular metabolism. The oxidation of plastoquinol and reduction of plastocyanin by cytochrome b6f (Cyt b6f) is known as one of the key steps of photosynthesis, but the catalytic mechanism in the plastoquinone oxidation site (Qp) remains elusive. Here, we describe two high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the spinach Cyt b6f homodimer with endogenous plastoquinones and in complex with plastocyanin. Three plastoquinones are visible and line up one after another head to tail near Qp in both monomers, indicating the existence of a channel in each monomer. Therefore, quinones appear to flow through Cyt b6f in one direction, transiently exposing the redox-active ring of quinone during catalysis. Our work proposes an unprecedented one-way traffic model that explains efficient quinol oxidation during photosynthesis and respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Sarewicz
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Mateusz Szwalec
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Sebastian Pintscher
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paulina Indyka
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- National Synchrotron Radiation Centre SOLARIS, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Michał Rawski
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Rafał Pietras
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Bohun Mielecki
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Łukasz Koziej
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marcin Jaciuk
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Sebastian Glatt
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology (MCB), Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Artur Osyczka
- Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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5
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Zhang S, Zou B, Cao P, Su X, Xie F, Pan X, Li M. Structural insights into photosynthetic cyclic electron transport. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:187-205. [PMID: 36540023 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
During photosynthesis, light energy is utilized to drive sophisticated biochemical chains of electron transfers, converting solar energy into chemical energy that feeds most life on earth. Cyclic electron transfer/flow (CET/CEF) plays an essential role in efficient photosynthesis, as it balances the ATP/NADPH ratio required in various regulatory and metabolic pathways. Photosystem I, cytochrome b6f, and NADH dehydrogenase (NDH) are large multisubunit protein complexes embedded in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast and key players in NDH-dependent CEF pathway. Furthermore, small mobile electron carriers serve as shuttles for electrons between these membrane protein complexes. Efficient electron transfer requires transient interactions between these electron donors and acceptors. Structural biology has been a powerful tool to advance our knowledge of this important biological process. A number of structures of the membrane-embedded complexes, soluble electron carrier proteins, and transient complexes composed of both have now been determined. These structural data reveal detailed interacting patterns of these electron donor-acceptor pairs, thus allowing us to visualize the different parts of the electron transfer process. This review summarizes the current state of structural knowledge of three membrane complexes and their interaction patterns with mobile electron carrier proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumeng Zhang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baohua Zou
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Su
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fen Xie
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowei Pan
- College of Life Science, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei Li
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Proctor MS, Morey-Burrows FS, Canniffe DP, Martin EC, Swainsbury DJK, Johnson MP, Hunter CN, Sutherland GA, Hitchcock A. Zeta-Carotene Isomerase (Z-ISO) Is Required for Light-Independent Carotenoid Biosynthesis in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10091730. [PMID: 36144332 PMCID: PMC9505123 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10091730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoids are crucial photosynthetic pigments utilized for light harvesting, energy transfer, and photoprotection. Although most of the enzymes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in chlorophototrophs are known, some are yet to be identified or fully characterized in certain organisms. A recently characterized enzyme in oxygenic phototrophs is 15-cis-zeta(ζ)-carotene isomerase (Z-ISO), which catalyzes the cis-to-trans isomerization of the central 15–15′ cis double bond in 9,15,9′-tri-cis-ζ-carotene to produce 9,9′-di-cis-ζ-carotene during the four-step conversion of phytoene to lycopene. Z-ISO is a heme B-containing enzyme best studied in angiosperms. Homologs of Z-ISO are present in organisms that use the multi-enzyme poly-cis phytoene desaturation pathway, including algae and cyanobacteria, but appear to be absent in green bacteria. Here we confirm the identity of Z-ISO in the model unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by showing that the protein encoded by the slr1599 open reading frame has ζ-carotene isomerase activity when produced in Escherichia coli. A Synechocystis Δslr1599 mutant synthesizes a normal quota of carotenoids when grown under illumination, where the photolabile 15–15′ cis double bond of 9,15,9′-tri-cis-ζ-carotene is isomerized by light, but accumulates this intermediate and fails to produce ‘mature’ carotenoid species during light-activated heterotrophic growth, demonstrating the requirement of Z-ISO for carotenoid biosynthesis during periods of darkness. In the absence of a structure of Z-ISO, we analyze AlphaFold models of the Synechocystis, Zea mays (maize), and Arabidopsis thaliana enzymes, identifying putative protein ligands for the heme B cofactor and the substrate-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Proctor
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Correspondence: (M.S.P.); (G.A.S.); (A.H.)
| | | | - Daniel P. Canniffe
- Institute of Systems, Molecular & Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
| | | | - David J. K. Swainsbury
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
| | | | - C. Neil Hunter
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - George A. Sutherland
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Correspondence: (M.S.P.); (G.A.S.); (A.H.)
| | - Andrew Hitchcock
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Correspondence: (M.S.P.); (G.A.S.); (A.H.)
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