Effect of iron on growth and ultrastructure of Acaryochloris marina

Linking differences in microbial network structure with changes in coral larval settlement

Coral cover and recruitment have decreased on reefs worldwide due to climate change-related disturbances. Achieving reliable coral larval settlement under aquaculture conditions is critical for reef restoration programmes; however, this can be challenging due to the lack of reliable and universal larval settlement cues. To investigate the role of microorganisms in coral larval settlement, we undertook a settlement choice experiment with larvae of the coral Acropora tenuis and microbial biofilms grown for different periods on the reef and in aquaria. Biofilm community composition across conditioning types and time was profiled using 16S and 18S rRNA gene sequencing. Co-occurrence networks revealed that strong larval settlement correlated with diverse biofilm communities, with specific nodes in the network facilitating connections between modules comprised of low- vs high-settlement communities. Taxa associated with high-settlement communities were identified as Myxoccales sp., Granulosicoccus sp., Alcanivoraceae sp., unassigned JTB23 sp. (Gammaproteobacteria), and Pseudovibrio denitrificans. Meanwhile, taxa closely related to Reichenbachiella agariperforans, Pleurocapsa sp., Alcanivorax sp., Sneathiella limmimaris, as well as several diatom and brown algae were associated with low settlement. Our results characterise high-settlement biofilm communities and identify transitionary taxa that may develop settlement-inducing biofilms to improve coral larval settlement in aquaculture.

Discovery of Chlorophyll d: Isolation and Characterization of a Far-Red Cyanobacterium from the Original Site of Manning and Strain (1943) at Moss Beach, California

We have isolated a chlorophyll-d-containing cyanobacterium from the intertidal field site at Moss Beach, on the coast of Central California, USA, where Manning and Strain (1943) originally discovered this far-red chlorophyll. Here, we present the cyanobacterium’s environmental description, culturing procedure, pigment composition, ultrastructure, and full genome sequence. Among cultures of far-red cyanobacteria obtained from red algae from the same site, this strain was an epiphyte on a brown macroalgae. Its Q_yin vivo absorbance peak is centered at 704–705 nm, the shortest wavelength observed thus far among the various known Acaryochloris strains. Its Chl a/Chl d ratio was 0.01, with Chl d accounting for 99% of the total Chl d and Chl a mass. TEM imagery indicates the absence of phycobilisomes, corroborated by both pigment spectra and genome analysis. The Moss Beach strain codes for only a single set of genes for producing allophycocyanin. Genomic sequencing yielded a 7.25 Mbp circular chromosome and 10 circular plasmids ranging from 16 kbp to 394 kbp. We have determined that this strain shares high similarity with strain S15, an epiphyte of red algae, while its distinct gene complement and ecological niche suggest that this strain could be the closest known relative to the original Chl d source of Manning and Strain (1943). The Moss Beach strain is designated Acaryochloris sp. (marina) strain Moss Beach.

Expression of Novel Gene Content Drives Adaptation to Low Iron in the Cyanobacterium Acaryochloris

Variation in genome content is a potent mechanism of microbial adaptation. The genomes of members of the cyanobacterial genus Acaryochloris vary greatly in gene content as a consequence of the idiosyncratic retention of both recent gene duplicates and plasmid-encoded genes acquired by horizontal transfer. For example, the genome of Acaryochloris strain MBIC11017, which was isolated from an iron-limited environment, is enriched in duplicated and novel genes involved in iron assimilation. Here, we took an integrative approach to characterize the adaptation of Acaryochloris MBIC11017 to low environmental iron availability and the relative contributions of the expression of duplicated versus novel genes. We observed that Acaryochloris MBIC11017 grew faster and to a higher yield in the presence of nanomolar concentrations of iron than did a closely related strain. These differences were associated with both a higher rate of iron assimilation and a greater abundance of iron assimilation transcripts. However, recently duplicated genes contributed little to increased transcript dosage; rather, the maintenance of these duplicates in the MBIC11017 genome is likely due to the sharing of ancestral dosage by expression reduction. Instead, novel, horizontally transferred genes are responsible for the differences in transcript abundance. The study provides insights on the mechanisms of adaptive genome evolution and gene expression in Acaryochloris.

The identification of IsiA proteins binding chlorophyll d in the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina

The bioavailable iron in many aquatic ecosystems is extremely low, and limits the growth and photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton. In response to iron limitation, a group of chlorophyll-binding proteins known as iron stress-induced proteins are induced and serve as accessory light-harvesting components for photosystems under iron limitation. In the present study, we investigated physiological features of Acaryochloris marina in response to iron-deficient conditions. The growth doubling time under iron-deficient conditions was prolonged to ~3.4 days compared with 1.9 days under normal culture conditions, accompanied with dramatically decreased chlorophyll content. The isolation of chlorophyll-binding protein complexes using sucrose density gradient centrifugation shows six main green bands and three main fluorescence components of 712, 728, and 748 nm from the iron-deficient culture. The fluorescence components of 712 and 728 nm co-exist in the samples collected from iron-deficient and iron-replete cultures and are attributed to Chl d-binding accessory chlorophyll-binding antenna proteins and also from photosystem II. A new chlorophyll-binding protein complex with its main fluorescence peak at 748 nm was observed and enriched in the heaviest fraction from the samples collected from the iron-deficient culture only. Combining western blotting analysis using antibodies of CP47 (PSII), PsaC (PSI) and IsiA and proteomic analysis on an excised protein band at ~37 kDa, the heaviest fraction (-F6) isolated from iron-deficient culture contained Chl d-bound PSI-IsiA supercomplexes. The PSII-antenna supercomplexes isolated from iron-replete conditions showed two fluorescence peaks of 712 and 728 nm, which can be assigned as 6-transmembrane helix chlorophyll-binding antenna and photosystem II fluorescence, respectively, which is supported by protein analysis of the fractions (F5 and F6).

Transcriptomic analysis illuminates genes involved in chlorophyll synthesis after nitrogen starvation in Acaryochloris sp. CCMEE 5410

Acaryochloris species are a genus of cyanobacteria that utilize chlorophyll (chl) d as their primary chlorophyll molecule during oxygenic photosynthesis. Chl d allows Acaryochloris to harvest red-shifted light, which gives them the ability to live in filtered light environments that are depleted in visible light. Although genomes of multiple Acaryochloris species have been sequenced, their analysis has not revealed how chl d is synthesized. Here, we demonstrate that Acaryochloris sp. CCMEE 5410 cells undergo chlorosis by nitrogen depletion and exhibit robust regeneration of chl d by nitrogen repletion. We performed a time course RNA-Seq experiment to quantify global transcriptomic changes during chlorophyll recovery. We observed upregulation of numerous known chl biosynthesis genes and also identified an oxygenase gene with a similar transcriptional profile as these chl biosynthesis genes, suggesting its possible involvement in chl d biosynthesis. Moreover, our data suggest that multiple prochlorophyte chlorophyll-binding homologs are important during chlorophyll recovery, and light-independent chl synthesis genes are more dominant than the light-dependent gene at the transcription level. Transcriptomic characterization of this organism provides crucial clues toward mechanistic elucidation of chl d biosynthesis.

Two Unrelated 8-Vinyl Reductases Ensure Production of Mature Chlorophylls in Acaryochloris marina

The major photopigment of the cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina is chlorophyll d, while its direct biosynthetic precursor, chlorophyll a, is also present in the cell. These pigments, along with the majority of chlorophylls utilized by oxygenic phototrophs, carry an ethyl group at the C-8 position of the molecule, having undergone reduction of a vinyl group during biosynthesis. Two unrelated classes of 8-vinyl reductase involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophylls are known to exist, BciA and BciB. The genome of Acaryochloris marina contains open reading frames (ORFs) encoding proteins displaying high sequence similarity to BciA or BciB, although they are annotated as genes involved in transcriptional control (nmrA) and methanogenesis (frhB), respectively. These genes were introduced into an 8-vinyl chlorophyll a-producing ΔbciB strain of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803, and both were shown to restore synthesis of the pigment with an ethyl group at C-8, demonstrating their activities as 8-vinyl reductases. We propose that nmrA and frhB be reassigned as bciA and bciB, respectively; transcript and proteomic analysis of Acaryochloris marina reveal that both bciA and bciB are expressed and their encoded proteins are present in the cell, possibly in order to ensure that all synthesized chlorophyll pigment carries an ethyl group at C-8. Potential reasons for the presence of two 8-vinyl reductases in this strain, which is unique for cyanobacteria, are discussed.

IMPORTANCE The cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina is the best-studied phototrophic organism that uses chlorophyll d for photosynthesis. Unique among cyanobacteria sequenced to date, its genome contains ORFs encoding two unrelated enzymes that catalyze the reduction of the C-8 vinyl group of a precursor molecule to an ethyl group. Carrying a reduced C-8 group may be of particular importance to organisms containing chlorophyll d. Plant genomes also contain orthologs of both of these genes; thus, the bacterial progenitor of the chloroplast may also have contained both bciA and bciB.

Chlorophyll d and Acaryochloris marina: current status

The discovery of the chlorophyll d-containing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina in 1996 precipitated a shift in our understanding of oxygenic photosynthesis. The presence of the red-shifted chlorophyll d in the reaction centre of the photosystems of Acaryochloris has opened up new avenues of research on photosystem energetics and challenged the unique status of chlorophyll a in oxygenic photosynthesis. In this review, we detail the chemistry and role of chlorophyll d in photosynthesis and summarise the unique adaptations that have allowed the proliferation of Acaryochloris in diverse ecological niches around the world.

Long term effects of divalent ferrous ion on the activity of anammox biomass

In this study, we explored the effects of Fe(II) on the activity of anammox biomass both in short and long terms. With the influent Fe(II) at 0.09 and 0.12 mM, continuous experiments demonstrated that the nitrogen removal rates increased 32.2% and 29.9% compared to that with normal Fe(II) level (0.03 mM). Influent Fe(II) variation could affect the total Fe, heme c levels and hydrazine dehydrogenase activity. At the Fe(II) concentration of 0.09 mM, the total Fe, heme c levels inside anammox cell and hydrazine dehydrogenase activity could increase about 2.0, 2.1 and 2.35 folds as much as that with normal Fe(II) level. However, when the Fe(II) elevated to 0.18 mM, it would cause a mal-effect on anammox bacteria and further deteriorate nitrogen removal performance. It was indicated that the appropriate increase of Fe(II) was beneficial for more heme c synthesis, enhancement of hydrazine dehydrogenase activity, the growth of anammox bacteria.

Biofilm growth and near-infrared radiation-driven photosynthesis of the chlorophyll d-containing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina

The cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina is the only known phototroph harboring chlorophyll (Chl) d. It is easy to cultivate it in a planktonic growth mode, and A. marina cultures have been subject to detailed biochemical and biophysical characterization. In natural situations, A. marina is mainly found associated with surfaces, but this growth mode has not been studied yet. Here, we show that the A. marina type strain MBIC11017 inoculated into alginate beads forms dense biofilm-like cell clusters, as in natural A. marina biofilms, characterized by strong O(2) concentration gradients that change with irradiance. Biofilm growth under both visible radiation (VIS, 400 to 700 nm) and near-infrared radiation (NIR, ∼700 to 730 nm) yielded maximal cell-specific growth rates of 0.38 per day and 0.64 per day, respectively. The population doubling times were 1.09 and 1.82 days for NIR and visible light, respectively. The photosynthesis versus irradiance curves showed saturation at a photon irradiance of E(k) (saturating irradiance) >250 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1) for blue light but no clear saturation at 365 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1) for NIR. The maximal gross photosynthesis rates in the aggregates were ∼1,272 μmol O(2) mg Chl d(-1) h(-1) (NIR) and ∼1,128 μmol O(2) mg Chl d(-1) h(-1) (VIS). The photosynthetic efficiency (α) values were higher in NIR-irradiated cells [(268 ± 0.29) × 10(-6) m(2) mg Chl d(-1) (mean ± standard deviation)] than under blue light [(231 ± 0.22) × 10(-6) m(2) mg Chl d(-1)]. A. marina is well adapted to a biofilm growth mode under both visible and NIR irradiance and under O(2) conditions ranging from anoxia to hyperoxia, explaining its presence in natural niches with similar environmental conditions.

Cationic state distribution over the chlorophyll d-containing P(D1)/P(D2) pair in photosystem II

Most of the chlorophyll (Chl) cofactors in photosystem II (PSII) from Acaryochloris marina are Chld, although a few Chla molecules are also present. To evaluate the possibility that Chla may participate in the P(D1)/P(D2) Chl pair in PSII from A. marina, the P(D1)(•+)/P(D2)(•+) charge ratio was investigated using the PSII crystal structure analyzed at 1.9-Å resolution, while considering all possibilities for the Chld-containing P(D1)/P(D2) pair, i.e., Chld/Chld, Chla/Chld, and Chld/Chla pairs. Chld/Chld and Chla/Chld pairs resulted in a large P(D1)(•+) population relative to P(D2)(•+), as identified in Chla/Chla homodimer pairs in PSII from other species, e.g., Thermosynechococcus elongatus PSII. However, the Chld/Chla pair possessed a P(D1)(•+)/P(D2)(•+) ratio of approximately 50/50, which is in contrast to previous spectroscopic studies on A. marina PSII. The present results strongly exclude the possibility that the Chld/Chla pair serves as P(D1)/P(D2) in A. marina PSII. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial.

Cyanobacterial diversity and a new acaryochloris-like symbiont from Bahamian sea-squirts

Symbiotic interactions between ascidians (sea-squirts) and microbes are poorly understood. Here we characterized the cyanobacteria in the tissues of 8 distinct didemnid taxa from shallow-water marine habitats in the Bahamas Islands by sequencing a fragment of the cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene and the entire 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and by examining symbiont morphology with transmission electron (TEM) and confocal microscopy (CM). As described previously for other species, Trididemnum spp. mostly contained symbionts associated with the Prochloron-Synechocystis group. However, sequence analysis of the symbionts in Lissoclinum revealed two unique clades. The first contained a novel cyanobacterial clade, while the second clade was closely associated with Acaryochloris marina. CM revealed the presence of chlorophyll d (chl d) and phycobiliproteins (PBPs) within these symbiont cells, as is characteristic of Acaryochloris species. The presence of symbionts was also observed by TEM inside the tunic of both the adult and larvae of L. fragile, indicating vertical transmission to progeny. Based on molecular phylogenetic and microscopic analyses, Candidatus Acaryochloris bahamiensis nov. sp. is proposed for this symbiotic cyanobacterium. Our results support the hypothesis that photosymbiont communities in ascidians are structured by host phylogeny, but in some cases, also by sampling location.

Harnessing the self-harvesting capability of benthic cyanobacteria for use in benthic photobioreactors

Benthic species of algae and cyanobacteria (i.e., those that grow on surfaces), may provide potential advantages over planktonic species for some commercial-scale biotechnological applications. A multitude of different designs of photobioreactor (PBR) are available for growing planktonic species but to date there has been little research on PBR for benthic algae or cyanobacteria. One notable advantage of some benthic cyanobacterial species is that during their growth cycle they become positively buoyant, detach from the growth surface and form floating mats. This 'self-harvesting' capability could be advantageous in commercial PBRs as it would greatly reduce dewatering costs. In this study we compared the growth rates and efficiency of 'self-harvesting' among three species of benthic cyanobacteria; Phormidium autumnale; Phormidium murrayi and Planktothrix sp.. Phormidium autumnale produced the greatest biomass and formed cohesive mats once detached. Using this strain and an optimised MLA media, a variety of geometries of benthic PBRs (bPBRs) were trialed. The geometry and composition of growth surface had a marked effect on cyanobacterial growth. The highest biomass was achieved in a bPBR comprising of a vertical polyethylene bag with loops of silicone tubing to provide additional growth surfaces. The productivity achieved in this bPBR was a similar order of magnitude as planktonic species, with the additional advantage that towards the end of the exponential phase the bulk of the biomass detached forming a dense mat at the surface of the medium.

Dynamics of gene duplication in the genomes of chlorophyll d-producing cyanobacteria: implications for the ecological niche

Gene duplication may be an important mechanism for the evolution of new functions and for the adaptive modulation of gene expression via dosage effects. Here, we analyzed the fate of gene duplicates for two strains of a novel group of cyanobacteria (genus Acaryochloris) that produces the far-red light absorbing chlorophyll d as its main photosynthetic pigment. The genomes of both strains contain an unusually high number of gene duplicates for bacteria. As has been observed for eukaryotic genomes, we find that the demography of gene duplicates can be well modeled by a birth-death process. Most duplicated Acaryochloris genes are of comparatively recent origin, are strain-specific, and tend to be located on different genetic elements. Analyses of selection on duplicates of different divergence classes suggest that a minority of paralogs exhibit near neutral evolutionary dynamics immediately following duplication but that most duplicate pairs (including those which have been retained for long periods) are under strong purifying selection against amino acid change. The likelihood of duplicate retention varied among gene functional classes, and the pronounced differences between strains in the pool of retained recent duplicates likely reflects differences in the nutrient status and other characteristics of their respective environments. We conclude that most duplicates are quickly purged from Acaryochloris genomes and that those which are retained likely make important contributions to organism ecology by conferring fitness benefits via gene dosage effects. The mechanism of enhanced duplication may involve homologous recombination between genetic elements mediated by paralogous copies of recA.

Triphenyltin induced growth inhibition and antioxidative responses in the green microalga Scenedesmus quadricauda

The toxicity of organotin compounds in the environment is closely related to their uptake by microorganisms and delivery through the food chain. The population at low trophic levels like microalgae plays an important role in this aspect. In this study, the toxic effects of triphenyltin (TPT) on Scenedesmus quadricauda were assessed at the population, cellular and subcellular levels. The alga was exposed to TPT of up to 64 μg l(-1) (nearly lethal concentration), but the algal growth was inhibited significantly when TPT was elevated to 8 μg l(-1). This growth inhibition was correlated to the presence of oxidative stress as evidenced by the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and confirmed by fluorescent probing of the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. The imbalanced activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) may lead to an accumulation of intracellular H(2)O(2), which can initiate an oxidative damage to cell components and cause growth inhibition and finally cell death. The detachment of plasma membrane from cell wall, the structural change of chloroplasts as well as the increased number and size of starch granules together with electron-dense deposits in chloroplasts were noticed through electron microscopic examination. It was suggested that mitochondria, chloroplasts and protoplasm might be the direct targets of TPT toxicity. This study confirmed that TPT poisoning on phytoplankton can happen at very low concentrations. There existed different defense mechanisms e.g., antioxidant enzyme activation, starch accumulation and possibly metal sequestration in algal species as the means to resist TPT toxicity.

Purification and characterization of cytochrome c(6) from Acaryochloris marina

Cytochrome c(6), (cyt c(6)) a soluble monoheme electron transport protein, was isolated and characterized from the chlorophyll d-containing cyanobacterium Acaryochoris marina, the type strain MBIC11017. The protein was purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion exchange and gel filtration column chromatography, and fast performance liquid chromatography. Its molecular mass and pI have been determined to be 8.87 kDa and less than 4.2, respectively, by mass spectrometry and isoelectrofocusing (IEF). The protein has an alpha helical structure as indicated by CD (circular dichroism) spectroscopy and a reduction midpoint potential (E(m)) of +327 mV versus the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE) as determined by redox potentiometry. Its potential role in electron transfer processes is discussed.

Functional evolution of photochemical energy transformations in oxygen-producing organisms

Chlorophyll a is the photochemical agent accounting for most oxygenic photosynthesis, that is, over 99.9% of photosynthetic primary activity on Earth. The spectral and energetic properties of chlorophyll a can, at least in part, be rationalised in terms of the solar spectral output and the energetics of oxygen production and carbon dioxide reduction with two photochemical reactions. The long wavelength limit on in vivo chlorophyll a absorption is probably close to the energetic limit: longer wavelengths could not support a high rate and efficiency of oxygenic photosynthesis. Retinal, a β-carotene derivative that is the chromophore of rhodopsin, acts not only as a sensory pigment, but also as an ion-pumping photochemical transducer. Both sensory and energy-transforming rhodopsins occur in oxygenic phototrophs, although the extent of expression and the function of the latter are not well understood.

The effect of iron and zinc dietary restriction of pregnant rats on physical growth of litters

Evidence suggests that micronutrient deficiencies may be associated with problems in early growth. Iron (Fe) and Zinc (Zn) deficiency (D) are prevalent during gestation in low-income countries. For pregnant dams, adequate amount of these micronutrients are needed in the diet to ensure the capacity for increased physical growth. In this study, the role of Fe and Zn dietary restriction of pregnant rats on physical growth of litters was investigated. Pregnant rats after to mating were divided to three groups. Control group fed a standard diet and a FeD group fed a diet deficient in Fe and a ZnD group fed a diet deficient in Zn. All the diets were exposed during the last third of pregnancy. The results showed serum Fe and Zn concentration after to exert dietary compared to before to exert dietary in FeD and ZnD groups was significant. There was a significant difference in the physical growth indexes (body weight, body length, tail length, and head length) between FeD and ZnD groups compared to the Control group, but a significant difference in head width and brain weight between FeD and ZnD groups compared to the Control group was not seen. The results of this study suggest that adequate Fe and Zn affect the physical growth of litters.

Niche adaptation and genome expansion in the chlorophyll d-producing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina

Acaryochloris marina is a unique cyanobacterium that is able to produce chlorophyll d as its primary photosynthetic pigment and thus efficiently use far-red light for photosynthesis. Acaryochloris species have been isolated from marine environments in association with other oxygenic phototrophs, which may have driven the niche-filling introduction of chlorophyll d. To investigate these unique adaptations, we have sequenced the complete genome of A. marina. The DNA content of A. marina is composed of 8.3 million base pairs, which is among the largest bacterial genomes sequenced thus far. This large array of genomic data is distributed into nine single-copy plasmids that code for >25% of the putative ORFs. Heavy duplication of genes related to DNA repair and recombination (primarily recA) and transposable elements could account for genetic mobility and genome expansion. We discuss points of interest for the biosynthesis of the unusual pigments chlorophyll d and alpha-carotene and genes responsible for previously studied phycobilin aggregates. Our analysis also reveals that A. marina carries a unique complement of genes for these phycobiliproteins in relation to those coding for antenna proteins related to those in Prochlorococcus species. The global replacement of major photosynthetic pigments appears to have incurred only minimal specializations in reaction center proteins to accommodate these alternate pigments. These features clearly show that the genus Acaryochloris is a fitting candidate for understanding genome expansion, gene acquisition, ecological adaptation, and photosystem modification in the cyanobacteria.

Both chlorophylls a and d are essential for the photochemistry in photosystem II of the cyanobacteria, Acaryochloris marina

We have measured the flash-induced absorbance difference spectrum attributed to the formation of the secondary radical pair, P(+)Q(-), between 270 nm and 1000 nm at 77 K in photosystem II of the chlorophyll d containing cyanobacterium, Acaryochloris marina. Despite the high level of chlorophyll d present, the flash-induced absorption difference spectrum of an approximately 2 ms decay component shows a number of features which are typical of the difference spectrum seen in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms containing no chlorophyll d. The spectral shape in the near-UV indicates that a plastoquinone is the secondary acceptor molecule (Q(A)). The strong C-550 change at 543 nm confirms previous reports that pheophytin a is the primary electron acceptor. The bleach at 435 nm and increase in absorption at 820 nm indicates that the positive charge is stabilized on a chlorophyll a molecule. In addition a strong electrochromic band shift, centred at 723 nm, has been observed. It is assigned to a shift of the Qy band of the neighbouring accessory chlorophyll d, Chl(D1). It seems highly likely that it accepts excitation energy from the chlorophyll d containing antenna. We therefore propose that primary charge separation is initiated from this chlorophyll d molecule and functions as the primary electron donor. Despite its lower excited state energy (0.1 V less), as compared to chlorophyll a, this chlorophyll d molecule is capable of driving the plastoquinone oxidoreductase activity of photosystem II. However, chlorophyll a is used to stabilize the positive charge and ultimately to drive water oxidation.

Pigment composition and adaptation in free-living and symbiotic strains of Acaryochloris marina

Acaryochloris marina strains have been isolated from several varied locations and habitats worldwide demonstrating a diverse and dynamic ecology. In this study, the whole cell photophysiologies of strain MBIC11017, originally isolated from a colonial ascidian, and the free-living epilithic strain CCMEE5410 are analyzed by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, laser scanning confocal microscopy, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and subsequent protein analysis. We demonstrate pigment adaptation in MBIC11017 and CCMEE5410 under different light regimes. We show that the higher the incident growth light intensity for both strains, the greater the decrease in their chlorophyll d content. However, the strain MBIC11017 loses its phycobiliproteins relative to its chlorophyll d content when grown at light intensities of 40 microE m(-2) s(-1) without shaking and 100 microE m(-2) s(-1) with shaking. We also conclude that phycobiliproteins are absent in the free-living strain CCMEE5410.

Chromatic photoacclimation, photosynthetic electron transport and oxygen evolution in the Chlorophyll d-containing oxyphotobacterium Acaryochloris marina

Changes in photosynthetic pigment ratios showed that the Chlorophyll d-dominated oxyphotobacterium Acaryochloris marina was able to photoacclimate to different light regimes. Chl d per cell were higher in cultures grown under low irradiance and red or green light compared to those found when grown under high white light, but phycocyanin/Chl d and carotenoid/Chl d indices under the corresponding conditions were lower. Chl a, considered an accessory pigment in this organism, decreased respective to Chl d in low irradiance and low intensity non-white light sources. Blue diode PAM (Pulse Amplitude Modulation) fluorometry was able to be used to measure photosynthesis in Acaryochloris. Light response curves for Acaryochloris were created using both PAM and O(2) electrode. A linear relationship was found between electron transport rate (ETR), measured using a PAM fluorometer, and oxygen evolution (net and gross photosynthesis). Gross photosynthesis and ETR were directly proportional to one another. The optimum light for white light (quartz halogen) was about 206+/-51 micromol m(-2) s(-1) (PAR) (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), whereas for red light (red diodes) the optimum light was lower (109+/-27 micromol m(-2) s(-1) (PAR)). The maximum mean gross photosynthetic rate of Acaryochloris was 73+/-7 micromol mg Chl d(-1) h(-1). The gross photosynthesis/respiration ratio (P(g)/R) of Acaryochloris under optimum conditions was about 4.02+/-1.69. The implications of our findings will be discussed in relation to how photosynthesis is regulated in Acaryochloris.