Succinate:quinol oxidoreductases in the cyanobacterium synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803: presence and function in metabolism and electron transport

A hemoprotein with a zinc-mirror heme site ties heme availability to carbon metabolism in cyanobacteria

Heme has a critical role in the chemical framework of the cell as an essential protein cofactor and signaling molecule that controls diverse processes and molecular interactions. Using a phylogenomics-based approach and complementary structural techniques, we identify a family of dimeric hemoproteins comprising a domain of unknown function DUF2470. The heme iron is axially coordinated by two zinc-bound histidine residues, forming a distinct two-fold symmetric zinc-histidine-iron-histidine-zinc site. Together with structure-guided in vitro and in vivo experiments, we further demonstrate the existence of a functional link between heme binding by Dri1 (Domain related to iron 1, formerly ssr1698) and post-translational regulation of succinate dehydrogenase in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis, suggesting an iron-dependent regulatory link between photosynthesis and respiration. Given the ubiquity of proteins containing homologous domains and connections to heme metabolism across eukaryotes and prokaryotes, we propose that DRI (Domain Related to Iron; formerly DUF2470) functions at the molecular level as a heme-dependent regulatory domain.

Modular structure of complex II: An evolutionary perspective

Succinate dehydrogenases (SDHs) and fumarate reductases (FRDs) catalyse the interconversion of succinate and fumarate, a reaction highly conserved in all domains of life. The current classification of SDH/FRDs is based on the structure of the membrane anchor subunits and their cofactors. It is, however, unknown whether this classification would hold in the context of evolution. In this work, a large-scale comparative genomic analysis of complex II addresses the questions of its taxonomic distribution and phylogeny. Our findings report that for types C, D, and F, structural classification and phylogeny go hand in hand, while for types A, B and E the situation is more complex, highlighting the possibility for their classification into subgroups. Based on these findings, we proposed a revised version of the evolutionary scenario for these enzymes in which a primordial soluble module, corresponding to the cytoplasmatic subunits, would give rise to the current diversity via several independent membrane anchor attachment events.

Manipulation of topoisomerase expression inhibits cell division but not growth and reveals a distinctive promoter structure in Synechocystis

In cyanobacteria DNA supercoiling varies over the diurnal cycle and is integrated with temporal programs of transcription and replication. We manipulated DNA supercoiling in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by CRISPRi-based knockdown of gyrase subunits and overexpression of topoisomerase I (TopoI). Cell division was blocked but cell growth continued in all strains. The small endogenous plasmids were only transiently relaxed, then became strongly supercoiled in the TopoI overexpression strain. Transcript abundances showed a pronounced 5'/3' gradient along transcription units, incl. the rRNA genes, in the gyrase knockdown strains. These observations are consistent with the basic tenets of the homeostasis and twin-domain models of supercoiling in bacteria. TopoI induction initially led to downregulation of G+C-rich and upregulation of A+T-rich genes. The transcriptional response quickly bifurcated into six groups which overlap with diurnally co-expressed gene groups. Each group shows distinct deviations from a common core promoter structure, where helically phased A-tracts are in phase with the transcription start site. Together, our data show that major co-expression groups (regulons) in Synechocystis all respond differentially to DNA supercoiling, and suggest to re-evaluate the long-standing question of the role of A-tracts in bacterial promoters.

Functional Relationship of Arabidopsis AOXs and PTOX Revealed via Transgenic Analysis

Alternative oxidase (AOX) and plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) are terminal oxidases of electron transfer in mitochondria and chloroplasts, respectively. Here, taking advantage of the variegation phenotype of the Arabidopsis PTOX deficient mutant (im), we examined the functional relationship between PTOX and its five distantly related homologs (AOX1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and AOX2). When engineered into chloroplasts, AOX1b, 1c, 1d, and AOX2 rescued the im defect, while AOX1a partially suppressed the mutant phenotype, indicating that AOXs could function as PQH₂ oxidases. When the full length AOXs were overexpressed in im, only AOX1b and AOX2 rescued its variegation phenotype. In vivo fluorescence analysis of GFP-tagged AOXs and subcellular fractionation assays showed that AOX1b and AOX2 could partially enter chloroplasts while AOX1c and AOX1d were exclusively present in mitochondria. Surprisingly, the subcellular fractionation, but not the fluorescence analysis of GFP-tagged AOX1a, revealed that a small portion of AOX1a could sort into chloroplasts. We further fused and expressed the targeting peptides of AOXs with the mature form of PTOX in im individually; and found that targeting peptides of AOX1a, AOX1b, and AOX2, but not that of AOX1c or AOX1d, could direct PTOX into chloroplasts. It demonstrated that chloroplast-localized AOXs, but not mitochondria-localized AOXs, can functionally compensate for the PTOX deficiency in chloroplasts, providing a direct evidence for the functional relevance of AOX and PTOX, shedding light on the interaction between mitochondria and chloroplasts and the complex mechanisms of protein dual targeting in plant cells.

Production of succinate by engineered strains of Synechocystis PCC 6803 overexpressing phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and a glyoxylate shunt

BACKGROUND

Cyanobacteria are promising hosts for the production of various industrially important compounds such as succinate. This study focuses on introduction of the glyoxylate shunt, which is naturally present in only a few cyanobacteria, into Synechocystis PCC 6803. In order to test its impact on cell metabolism, engineered strains were evaluated for succinate accumulation under conditions of light, darkness and anoxic darkness. Each condition was complemented by treatments with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone, an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase enzyme, and acetate, both in nitrogen replete and deplete medium.

RESULTS

We were able to introduce genes encoding the glyoxylate shunt, aceA and aceB, encoding isocitrate lyase and malate synthase respectively, into a strain of Synechocystis PCC 6803 engineered to overexpress phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. Our results show that complete expression of the glyoxylate shunt results in higher extracellular succinate accumulation compared to the wild type control strain after incubation of cells in darkness and anoxic darkness in the presence of nitrate. Addition of the inhibitor 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone increased succinate titers in all the conditions tested when nitrate was available. Addition of acetate in the presence of the inhibitor further increased the succinate accumulation, resulting in high levels when phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase was overexpressed, compared to control strain. However, the highest succinate titer was obtained after dark incubation of an engineered strain with a partial glyoxylate shunt overexpressing isocitrate lyase in addition to phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, with only 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone supplementation to the medium.

CONCLUSIONS

Heterologous expression of the glyoxylate shunt with its central link to the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) for acetate assimilation provides insight on the coordination of the carbon metabolism in the cell. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase plays an important role in directing carbon flux towards the TCA cycle.

Deficiency in flavodiiron protein Flv3 promotes cyclic electron flow and state transition under high light in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Photosynthetic organisms adjust their activity to changes in irradiance by different ways, including the operation of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I (PSI) and state transitions that redistribute amounts of light energy absorbed by PSI and PSII. In dark-acclimated wild type cells of Synechocystis PCC 6803, linear electron transport was activated after the first 500 ms of illumination, while cyclic electron flow around PSI was long predominant in the mutant deficient in flavodiiron protein Flv3. Chlorophyll P700 oxidation associated with activation of linear electron flow extended in the Flv3^- mutant to several tens of seconds and included a P700⁺ re-reduction phase. Parallel monitoring of chlorophyll fluorescence and the redox state of P700 indicated that, at low light intensity both in wild type and in the Flv3^- mutant, the transient re-reduction step coincided in time with S-M fluorescence rise, which reflected state 2-state 1 transition (Kaňa et al., 2012). Despite variations in the initial redox state of plastoquinone pool, the oxidases-deficient mutant, succinate dehydrogenase-deficient mutant, and wild type cells did not show the S-M rise under high-intensity light until additional Flv3^- mutation was introduced in these strains. Thus, the lack of available electron acceptor for PSI was the main cause for the appearance of S-M fluorescence rise under high light. It is concluded that the lack of Flv3 protein promotes cyclic electron flow around PSI and facilitates the subsequent state 2-state 1 transition in the absence of strict relation to the dark-operated pathways of plastoquinone reduction or oxidation.

Measurement of the redox state of the plastoquinone pool in cyanobacteria

Here, we developed a method for measuring the in vivo redox state of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool in the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Cells were illuminated on a glass fiber filter, PQ was extracted with ethyl acetate and determined with HPLC. Control samples with fully oxidized and reduced photoactive PQ pool were prepared by far-red and high light treatments, respectively, or by blocking the photosynthetic electron transfer chemically before or after PQ in moderate light. The photoactive pool comprised 50% of total PQ. We find that the PQ pool of cyanobacteria behaves under light treatments qualitatively similarly as in plant chloroplasts, is less reduced during growth under high than under ambient CO₂ and remains partly reduced in darkness.

Toxicity mechanisms of ZnO UV-filters used in sunscreens toward the model cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are commonly used in sunscreens for their UV-filtering properties. Their growing use can lead to their release into ecosystems, raising question about their toxicity. Effects of these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on cyanobacteria, which are important primary producers involved in many biogeochemical cycles, are unknown. In this study, we investigated by several complementary approaches the toxicological effects of two marketed ZnO-ENMs (coated and uncoated) on the model cyanobacteria Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. It was shown that despite the rapid adsorption of ENMs on cell surface, toxicity is mainly due to labile Zn released by ENMs. Zn dissipates cell membrane potential necessary for both photosynthesis and respiration, and induces oxidative stress leading to lipid peroxidation and DNA damages. It leads to global downregulation of photosystems, oxidative phosphorylation, and transcription/translation machineries. This also translates into significant decrease of intracellular ATP content and cell growth inhibition. However, there is no major loss of pigments and even rather an increase in exposed cells compared to controls. A proposed way to reduce the environmental impact of Zn would be the improvement of the coating stability to prevent solubility of ZnO-ENMs.

The plethora of membrane respiratory chains in the phyla of life

The diversity of microbial cells is reflected in differences in cell size and shape, motility, mechanisms of cell division, pathogenicity or adaptation to different environmental niches. All these variations are achieved by the distinct metabolic strategies adopted by the organisms. The respiratory chains are integral parts of those strategies especially because they perform the most or, at least, most efficient energy conservation in the cell. Respiratory chains are composed of several membrane proteins, which perform a stepwise oxidation of metabolites toward the reduction of terminal electron acceptors. Many of these membrane proteins use the energy released from the oxidoreduction reaction they catalyze to translocate charges across the membrane and thus contribute to the establishment of the membrane potential, i.e. they conserve energy. In this work we illustrate and discuss the composition of the respiratory chains of different taxonomic clades, based on bioinformatic analyses and on biochemical data available in the literature. We explore the diversity of the respiratory chains of Animals, Plants, Fungi and Protists kingdoms as well as of Prokaryotes, including Bacteria and Archaea. The prokaryotic phyla studied in this work are Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Epsilonproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, Planctomycetes, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deinococcus-Thermus, Aquificae, Thermotogae, Deferribacteres, Nitrospirae, Euryarchaeota, Crenarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota.

Physiological Significance of NAD Kinases in Cyanobacteria

Unicellular cyanobacteria are thought to be the evolutionary ancestors of plant chloroplasts and are widely used both for chemical production and as model organisms in studies of photosynthesis. Although most research focused on increasing reducing power (that is, NADPH) as target of metabolic engineering, the physiological roles of NAD(P)(H) in cyanobacteria poorly understood. In cyanobacteria such as the model species Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, most metabolic pathways share a single compartment. This complex metabolism raises the question of how cyanobacteria control the amounts of the redox pairs NADH/NAD⁺ and NADPH/NADP⁺ in the cyanobacterial metabolic pathways. For example, photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport chains share several redox components in the thylakoid lumen, including plastoquinone, cytochrome b₆f (cyt b₆f), and the redox carriers plastocyanin and cytochrome c6. In the case of photosynthesis, NADP⁺ acts as an important electron mediator on the acceptor-side of photosystem I (PSI) in the linear electron chain as well as in the plant chloroplast. Meanwhile, in respiration, most electrons derived from NADPH and NADH are transferred by NAD(P)H dehydrogenases. Therefore, it is expected that Synechocystis employs unique NAD(P)(H) -pool control mechanisms to regulate the mixed metabolic systems involved in photosynthesis and respiration. This review article summarizes the current state of knowledge of NAD(P)(H) metabolism in Synechocystis. In particular, we focus on the physiological function in Synechocystis of NAD kinase, the enzyme that phosphorylates NAD⁺ to NADP⁺.

Phosphatidylglycerol is implicated in divisome formation and metabolic processes of cyanobacteria

Phosphatidylglycerol is an essential phospholipid for photosynthesis and other cellular processes. We investigated the role of phosphatidylglycerol in cell division and metabolism in a phophatidylglycerol-auxotrophic strain of Synechococcus PCC7942. Here we show that phosphatidylglycerol is essential for the photosynthetic electron transfer and for the oligomerisation of the photosynthetic complexes, notably, we revealed that this lipid is important for non-linear electron transport. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phosphatidylglycerol starvation elevated the expressions of proteins of nitrogen and carbon metabolism. Moreover, we show that phosphatidylglycerol-deficient cells changed the morphology, became elongated, the FtsZ ring did not assemble correctly, and subsequently the division was hindered. However, supplementation with phosphatidylglycerol restored the ring-like structure at the mid-cell region and the normal cell size, demonstrating the phosphatidylglycerol is needed for normal septum formation. Taken together, central roles of phosphatidylglycerol were revealed; it is implicated in the photosynthetic activity, the metabolism and the fission of bacteria.

Natural and Synthetic Variants of the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle in Cyanobacteria: Introduction of the GABA Shunt into Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002

For nearly half a century, it was believed that cyanobacteria had an incomplete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, because 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (2-OGDH) was missing. Recently, a bypass route via succinic semialdehyde (SSA), which utilizes 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase (OgdA) and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SsaD) to convert 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG) into succinate, was identified, thus completing the TCA cycle in most cyanobacteria. In addition to the recently characterized glyoxylate shunt that occurs in a few of cyanobacteria, the existence of a third variant of the TCA cycle connecting these metabolites, the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt, was considered to be ambiguous because the GABA aminotransferase is missing in many cyanobacteria. In this study we isolated and biochemically characterized the enzymes of the GABA shunt. We show that N-acetylornithine aminotransferase (ArgD) can function as a GABA aminotransferase and that, together with glutamate decarboxylase (GadA), it can complete a functional GABA shunt. To prove the connectivity between the OgdA/SsaD bypass and the GABA shunt, the gadA gene from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was heterologously expressed in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, which naturally lacks this enzyme. Metabolite profiling of seven Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 mutant strains related to these two routes to succinate were investigated and proved the functional connectivity. Metabolite profiling also indicated that, compared to the OgdA/SsaD shunt, the GABA shunt was less efficient in converting 2-OG to SSA in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. The metabolic profiling study of these two TCA cycle variants provides new insights into carbon metabolism as well as evolution of the TCA cycle in cyanobacteria.

The Plastid Terminal Oxidase is a Key Factor Balancing the Redox State of Thylakoid Membrane

Mitochondria possess oxygen-consuming respiratory electron transfer chains (RETCs), and the oxygen-evolving photosynthetic electron transfer chain (PETC) resides in chloroplasts. Evolutionarily mitochondria and chloroplasts are derived from ancient α-proteobacteria and cyanobacteria, respectively. However, cyanobacteria harbor both RETC and PETC on their thylakoid membranes. It is proposed that chloroplasts could possess a RETC on the thylakoid membrane, in addition to PETC. Identification of a plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) in the chloroplast from the Arabidopsis variegation mutant immutans (im) demonstrated the presence of a RETC in chloroplasts, and the PTOX is the committed oxidase. PTOX is distantly related to the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX), which is responsible for the CN-insensitive alternative RETC. Similar to AOX, an ubiquinol (UQH2) oxidase, PTOX is a plastoquinol (PQH2) oxidase on the chloroplast thylakoid membrane. Lack of PTOX, Arabidopsis im showed a light-dependent variegation phenotype; and mutant plants will not survive the mediocre light intensity during its early development stage. PTOX is very important for carotenoid biosynthesis, since the phytoene desaturation, a key step in the carotenoid biosynthesis, is blocked in the white sectors of Arabidopsis im mutant. PTOX is found to be a stress-related protein in numerous research instances. It is generally believed that PTOX can protect plants from various environmental stresses, especially high light stress. PTOX also plays significant roles in chloroplast development and plant morphogenesis. Global physiological roles played by PTOX could be a direct or indirect consequence of its PQH2 oxidase activity to maintain the PQ pool redox state on the thylakoid membrane. The PTOX-dependent chloroplast RETC (so-called chlororespiration) does not contribute significantly when chloroplast PETC is normally developed and functions well. However, PTOX-mediated RETC could be the major force to regulate the PQ pool redox balance in the darkness, under conditions of stress, in nonphotosynthetic plastids, especially in the early development from proplastids to chloroplasts.

Photosystem II Activity of Wild Type Synechocystis PCC 6803 and Its Mutants with Different Plastoquinone Pool Redox States

To assess the role of redox state of photosystem II (PSII) acceptor side electron carriers in PSII photochemical activity, we studied sub-millisecond fluorescence kinetics of the wild type Synechocystis PCC 6803 and its mutants with natural variability in the redox state of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool. In cyanobacteria, dark adaptation tends to reduce PQ pool and induce a shift of the cyanobacterial photosynthetic apparatus to State 2, whereas illumination oxidizes PQ pool, leading to State 1 (Mullineaux, C. W., and Holzwarth, A. R. (1990) FEBS Lett., 260, 245-248). We show here that dark-adapted Ox(-) mutant with naturally reduced PQ is characterized by slower QA(-) reoxidation and O2 evolution rates, as well as lower quantum yield of PSII primary photochemical reactions (Fv/Fm) as compared to the wild type and SDH(-) mutant, in which the PQ pool remains oxidized in the dark. These results indicate a large portion of photochemically inactive PSII reaction centers in the Ox(-) mutant after dark adaptation. While light adaptation increases Fv/Fm in all tested strains, indicating PSII activation, by far the greatest increase in Fv/Fm and O2 evolution rates is observed in the Ox(-) mutant. Continuous illumination of Ox(-) mutant cells with low-intensity blue light, that accelerates QA(-) reoxidation, also increases Fv/Fm and PSII functional absorption cross-section (590 nm); this effect is almost absent in the wild type and SDH(-) mutant. We believe that these changes are caused by the reorganization of the photosynthetic apparatus during transition from State 2 to State 1. We propose that two processes affect the PSII activity during changes of light conditions: 1) reversible inactivation of PSII, which is associated with the reduction of electron carriers on the PSII acceptor side in the dark, and 2) PSII activation under low light related to the increase in functional absorption cross-section at 590 nm.

Distinguishing the Roles of Thylakoid Respiratory Terminal Oxidases in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Various oxygen-utilizing electron sinks, including the soluble flavodiiron proteins (Flv1/3), and the membrane-localized respiratory terminal oxidases (RTOs), cytochrome c oxidase (Cox) and cytochrome bd quinol oxidase (Cyd), are present in the photosynthetic electron transfer chain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. However, the role of individual RTOs and their relative importance compared with other electron sinks are poorly understood, particularly under light. Via membrane inlet mass spectrometry gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, P700 analysis, and inhibitor treatment of the wild type and various mutants deficient in RTOs, Flv1/3, and photosystem I, we investigated the contribution of these complexes to the alleviation of excess electrons in the photosynthetic chain. To our knowledge, for the first time, we demonstrated the activity of Cyd in oxygen uptake under light, although it was detected only upon inhibition of electron transfer at the cytochrome b6f site and in ∆flv1/3 under fluctuating light conditions, where linear electron transfer was drastically inhibited due to impaired photosystem I activity. Cox is mostly responsible for dark respiration and competes with P700 for electrons under high light. Only the ∆cox/cyd double mutant, but not single mutants, demonstrated a highly reduced plastoquinone pool in darkness and impaired gross oxygen evolution under light, indicating that thylakoid-based RTOs are able to compensate partially for each other. Thus, both electron sinks contribute to the alleviation of excess electrons under illumination: RTOs continue to function under light, operating on slower time ranges and on a limited scale, whereas Flv1/3 responds rapidly as a light-induced component and has greater capacity.

Exploring membrane respiratory chains

Acquisition of energy is central to life. In addition to the synthesis of ATP, organisms need energy for the establishment and maintenance of a transmembrane difference in electrochemical potential, in order to import and export metabolites or to their motility. The membrane potential is established by a variety of membrane bound respiratory complexes. In this work we explored the diversity of membrane respiratory chains and the presence of the different enzyme complexes in the several phyla of life. We performed taxonomic profiles of the several membrane bound respiratory proteins and complexes evaluating the presence of their respective coding genes in all species deposited in KEGG database. We evaluated 26 quinone reductases, 5 quinol:electron carriers oxidoreductases and 18 terminal electron acceptor reductases. We further included in the analyses enzymes performing redox or decarboxylation driven ion translocation, ATP synthase and transhydrogenase and we also investigated the electron carriers that perform functional connection between the membrane complexes, quinones or soluble proteins. Our results bring a novel, broad and integrated perspective of membrane bound respiratory complexes and thus of the several energetic metabolisms of living systems. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.

Photosystem-II shutdown evolved with Nitrogen fixation in the unicellular diazotroph Crocosphaera watsonii

Protection of nitrogenase from oxygen in unicellular Cyanobacteria is obtained by temporal separation of photosynthesis and diazotrophy through transcriptional and translational regulations of nitrogenase. But diazotrophs can face environmental situations in which N2 fixation occurs significantly in the light, and we believe that another control operates to make it possible. The night-time shutdown of PSII activity is a peculiar behaviour that discriminates Crocosphaera watsonii WH8501 from any other phototroph, whether prokaryote or eukaryote. This phenomenon is not only due to the plastoquinone pool redox status, and suggests that the sentinel D1 protein, expressed in periods of nitrogen fixation, is inactive. Results demonstrate a tight constraint of oxygen evolution in C. watsonii as additional protection of nitrogenase activity and suggest a possible recycling of cellular components.

A systems biology approach to reconcile metabolic network models with application to Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for biofuel production

Metabolic network models can be optimized for the production of desired materials like biofuels.

Significantly improved solvent tolerance of Escherichia coli by global transcription machinery engineering

BACKGROUND

Escherichia coli has emerged as a promising platform microorganism to produce biofuels and fine chemicals of industrial interests. Certain obstacles however remain to be overcome, among which organic-solvent tolerance is a crucial one.

RESULTS

We used global transcription machinery engineering (gTME) to improve the organic-solvent tolerance (OST) of E. coli JM109. A mutant library of σ(70) encoded by rpoD was screened under cyclohexane pressure. E. coli JM109 strain harboring σ(70) mutant C9 was identified with capability of tolerating 69 % cyclohexane. The rpoD mutant contains three amino-acid substitutes and a stop-codon mutation, resulting a truncated sequence containing regions σ(1.1) and σ(1.2). Total protein difference produced by E. coli JM109 strain harboring C9 was examined with 2D-PAGE, and 204 high-abundant proteins showed over twofold variation under different solvent stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that several genes (gapA, sdhB, pepB and dppA) play critical roles in enhanced solvent tolerance of E. coli, mainly involving in maintaining higher intracellular energy level under solvent stress. Global transcription machinery engineering is therefore a feasible and efficient approach for engineering strain with enhanced OST-phenotype.

Photosystem activity and state transitions of the photosynthetic apparatus in cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 mutants with different redox state of the plastoquinone pool

To better understand how photosystem (PS) activity is regulated during state transitions in cyanobacteria, we studied photosynthetic parameters of photosystem II (PSII) and photosystem I (PSI) in Synechocystis PCC 6803 wild type (WT) and its mutants deficient in oxidases (Ox(-)) or succinate dehydrogenase (SDH(-)). Dark-adapted Ox(-) mutant, lacking the oxidation agents, is expected to have a reduced PQ pool, while in SDH(-) mutant the PQ pool after dark adaptation will be more oxidized due to partial inhibition of the respiratory chain electron carriers. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that control of balance between linear and cyclic electron transport by the redox state of the PQ pool will affect PSII photosynthetic activity during state transition. We found that the PQ pool was reduced in Ox(-) mutant, but oxidized in SDH(-) mutant after prolonged dark adaptation, indicating different states of the photosynthetic apparatus in these mutants. Analysis of variable fluorescence and 77K fluorescence spectra revealed that the WT and SDH(-) mutant were in State 1 after dark adaptation, while the Ox(-) mutant was in State 2. State 2 was characterized by ~1.5 time lower photochemical activity of PSII, as well as high rate of P700 reduction and the low level of P700 oxidation, indicating high activity of cyclic electron transfer around PSI. Illumination with continuous light 1 (440 nm) along with flashes of light 2 (620 nm) allowed oxidation of the PQ pool in the Ox(-) mutant, thus promoting it to State 1, but it did not affect PSII activity in dark adapted WT and SDH(-) mutant. State 1 in the Ox(-) mutant was characterized by high variable fluorescence and P700(+) levels typical for WT and the SDH(-) mutant, indicating acceleration of linear electron transport. Thus, we show that PSII of cyanobacteria has a higher photosynthetic activity in State 1, while it is partially inactivated in State 2. This process is controlled by the redox state of PQ in cyanobacteria through enhancement/inhibition of electron transport on the acceptor side of PSII.

Photoheterotrophic fluxome in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 and its implications for cyanobacterial bioenergetics

This study investigated metabolic responses in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 to photosynthetic impairment. We used 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU; a photosystem II inhibitor) to block O2 evolution and ATP/NADPH generation by linear electron flow. Based on (13)C-metabolic flux analysis ((13)C-MFA) and RNA sequencing, we have found that Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 employs a unique photoheterotrophic metabolism. First, glucose catabolism forms a cyclic route that includes the oxidative pentose phosphate (OPP) pathway and the glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (PGI) reaction. Glucose-6-phosphate is extensively degraded by the OPP pathway for NADPH production and is replenished by the reversed PGI reaction. Second, the Calvin cycle is not fully functional, but RubisCO continues to fix CO2 and synthesize 3-phosphoglycerate. Third, the relative flux through the complete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and succinate dehydrogenase is small under heterotrophic conditions, indicating that the newly discovered cyanobacterial TCA cycle (via the γ-aminobutyric acid pathway or α-ketoglutarate decarboxylase/succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase) plays a minimal role in energy metabolism. Fourth, NAD(P)H oxidation and the cyclic electron flow (CEF) around photosystem I are the two main ATP sources, and the CEF accounts for at least 40% of total ATP generation from photoheterotrophic metabolism (without considering maintenance loss). This study not only demonstrates a new topology for carbohydrate oxidation but also provides quantitative insights into metabolic bioenergetics in cyanobacteria.

Metabolomic basis of laboratory evolution of butanol tolerance in photosynthetic Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

BACKGROUND

Recent efforts demonstrated the potential application of cyanobacteria as a "microbial cell factory" to produce butanol directly from CO2. However, cyanobacteria have very low tolerance to the toxic butanol, which limits the economic viability of this renewable system.

RESULTS

Through a long-term experimental evolution process, we achieved a 150% increase of the butanol tolerance in a model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 after a continuous 94 passages for 395 days in BG11 media amended with gradually increased butanol concentration from 0.2% to 0.5% (v/v). To decipher the molecular mechanism responsible for the tolerance increase, we employed an integrated GC-MS and LC-MS approach to determine metabolomic profiles of the butanol-tolerant Synechocystis strains isolated from several stages of the evolution, and then applied PCA and WGCNA network analyses to identify the key metabolites and metabolic modules related to the increased tolerance. The results showed that unstable metabolites of 3-phosphoglyceric acid (3PG), D-fructose 6-phosphate (F6P), D-glucose 6-phosphate (G6P), NADPH, phosphoenolpyruvic acid (PEP), D-ribose 5-phosphate (R5P), and stable metabolites of glycerol, L-serine and stearic acid were differentially regulated during the evolution process, which could be related to tolerance increase to butanol in Synechocystis.

CONCLUSIONS

The study provided the first time-series description of the metabolomic changes related to the gradual increase of butanol tolerance, and revealed a metabolomic basis important for rational tolerance engineering in Synechocystis.

The redox potential of the plastoquinone pool of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis species strain PCC 6803 is under strict homeostatic control

A method is presented for rapid extraction of the total plastoquinone (PQ) pool from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 cells that preserves the in vivo plastoquinol (PQH2) to -PQ ratio. Cells were rapidly transferred into ice-cold organic solvent for instantaneous extraction of the cellular PQ plus PQH2 content. After high-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of the organic phase extract, the PQH2 content was quantitatively determined via its fluorescence emission at 330 nm. The in-cell PQH2-PQ ratio then followed from comparison of the PQH2 signal in samples as collected and in an identical sample after complete reduction with sodium borohydride. Prior to PQH2 extraction, cells from steady-state chemostat cultures were exposed to a wide range of physiological conditions, including high/low availability of inorganic carbon, and various actinic illumination conditions. Well-characterized electron-transfer inhibitors were used to generate a reduced or an oxidized PQ pool for reference. The in vivo redox state of the PQ pool was correlated with the results of pulse-amplitude modulation-based chlorophyll a fluorescence emission measurements, oxygen exchange rates, and 77 K fluorescence emission spectra. Our results show that the redox state of the PQ pool of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is subject to strict homeostatic control (i.e. regulated between narrow limits), in contrast to the more dynamic chlorophyll a fluorescence signal.

13C-MFA delineates the photomixotrophic metabolism of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under light- and carbon-sufficient conditions

The central carbon metabolism of cyanobacteria is under debate. For over 50 years, the lack of α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase has led to the belief that cyanobacteria have an incomplete TCA cycle. Recent in vitro enzymatic experiments suggest that this cycle may in fact be closed. The current study employed (13) C isotopomers to delineate pathways in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. By tracing the incorporation of supplemented glutamate into the downstream metabolites in the TCA cycle, we observed a direct in vivo transformation of α-ketoglutarate to succinate. Additionally, isotopic tracing of glyoxylate did not show a functional glyoxylate shunt and glyoxylate was used for glycine synthesis. The photomixotrophic carbon metabolism was then profiled with (13) C-MFA under light and carbon-sufficient conditions. We observed that: (i) the in vivo flux through the TCA cycle reactions (α-ketoglutarate → succinate) was minimal (<2%); (ii) the flux ratio of CO2 fixation was six times higher than that of glucose utilization; (iii) the relative flux through the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway was low (<2%); (iv) high flux through malic enzyme served as a main route for pyruvate synthesis. Our results improve the understanding of the versatile metabolism in cyanobacteria and shed light on their application for photo-biorefineries.

Cyanobacterial phytochrome2 regulates the heterotrophic metabolism and has a function in the heat and high-light stress response

Cyanobacteria combine the photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport in one membrane system, the thylakoid membrane. This feature requires an elaborate regulation mechanism to maintain a certain redox status of the electron transport chain, hence allowing proper photosynthetic and respiratory energy metabolism. In this context, metabolic adaptations, as seen in the light-to-dark and dark-to-light transitions, are particularly challenging. However, the molecular basis of the underlying regulatory mechanisms is not well-understood. Here, we describe a function of cyanobacterial phytochrome2 (Cph2), a phytochrome of the cyanobacterial model system Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, in regulation of the primary energy metabolism. When cells are shifted from photoautotrophic planktonic growth to light-activated heterotrophic growth and biofilm initiation, knockout of Cph2 results in impaired growth, a decrease in the activity of Glc-6-P dehydrogenase, a decrease of the transcript abundance/activity of cytochrome-c-oxidase, and slower phycocyanin degradation. Measurements of the plastoquinone reduction confirm an impaired heterotrophic metabolism in the cph2 knockout. When cells that were adapted to heterotrophic metabolism are shifted back to light conditions, the knockout of Cph2 results in an altered photosystem II chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve, which is indicative of an impaired redox balance of the electron transport chain. Moreover, Cph2 plays a role in the heat and high-light stress response, particularly under photomixotrophic conditions. Our results show a function of Cph2 in the adaptation of the primary energy metabolism to changing trophic conditions. The physiological role of Cph2 in biofilm formation is discussed.

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry reveals the distribution of carbon metabolites during nitrogen starvation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Nitrogen availability is one of the most important factors for the survival of cyanobacteria. Previous studies on Synechocystis revealed a contradictory situation with regard to metabolism during nitrogen starvation; that is, glycogen accumulated even though the expressions of sugar catabolic genes were widely upregulated. Here, we conducted transcript and metabolomic analyses using capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry on Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under nitrogen starvation. The levels of some tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates (succinate, malate and fumarate) were greatly increased by nitrogen deprivation. Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides were markedly downregulated under nitrogen depletion. The levels of 19 amino acids changed under nitrogen deprivation, especially those of amino acids synthesized from pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate, which showed marked increases. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the amount of NADPH and the NADPH/NADH ratio decreased under nitrogen depletion. These data demonstrate that there are increases in not only glycogen but also in metabolites downstream of sugar catabolism in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under nitrogen starvation, resolving the contradiction between glycogen accumulation and induction of sugar catabolic gene expression in this unicellular cyanobacterium.

Deletion of the transcriptional regulator cyAbrB2 deregulates primary carbon metabolism in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

cyAbrB is a transcriptional regulator unique to and highly conserved among cyanobacterial species. A gene-disrupted mutant of cyabrB2 (sll0822) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 exhibited severe growth inhibition and abnormal accumulation of glycogen granules within cells under photomixotrophic conditions. Within 6 h after the shift to photomixotrophic conditions, sodium bicarbonate-dependent oxygen evolution activity markedly declined in the ΔcyabrB2 mutant, but the decrease in methyl viologen-dependent electron transport activity was much smaller, indicating inhibition in carbon dioxide fixation. Decreases in the transcript levels of several genes related to sugar catabolism, carbon dioxide fixation, and nitrogen metabolism were also observed within 6 h. Metabolome analysis by capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry revealed that several metabolites accumulated differently in the wild-type and mutant strains. For example, the amounts of pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) were significantly lower in the mutant than in the wild type, irrespective of trophic conditions. The growth rate of the ΔcyabrB2 mutant was restored to a level comparable to that under photoautotrophic conditions by addition of 2OG to the growth medium under photomixotrophic conditions. Activities of various metabolic processes, including carbon dioxide fixation, respiration, and nitrogen assimilation, seemed to be enhanced by 2OG addition. These observations suggest that cyAbrB2 is essential for the active transcription of genes related to carbon and nitrogen metabolism upon a shift to photomixotrophic conditions. Deletion of cyAbrB2 is likely to deregulate the partition of carbon between storage forms and soluble forms used for biosynthetic purposes. This disorder may cause inactivation of cellular metabolism, excess accumulation of reducing equivalents, and subsequent loss of viability under photomixotrophic conditions.

The di-heme family of respiratory complex II enzymes

The di-heme family of succinate:quinone oxidoreductases is of particular interest, because its members support electron transfer across the biological membranes in which they are embedded. In the case of the di-heme-containing succinate:menaquinone reductase (SQR) from Gram-positive bacteria and other menaquinone-containing bacteria, this results in an electrogenic reaction. This is physiologically relevant in that it allows the transmembrane electrochemical proton potential Δp to drive the endergonic oxidation of succinate by menaquinone. In the case of the reverse reaction, menaquinol oxidation by fumarate, catalysed by the di-heme-containing quinol:fumarate reductase (QFR), evidence has been obtained that this electrogenic electron transfer reaction is compensated by proton transfer via a both novel and essential transmembrane proton transfer pathway ("E-pathway"). Although the reduction of fumarate by menaquinol is exergonic, it is obviously not exergonic enough to support the generation of a Δp. This compensatory "E-pathway" appears to be required by all di-heme-containing QFR enzymes and results in the overall reaction being electroneutral. In addition to giving a brief overview of progress in the characterization of other members of this diverse family, this contribution summarizes key evidence and progress in identifying constituents of the "E-pathway" within the framework of the crystal structure of the QFR from the anaerobic epsilon-proteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes at 1.78Å resolution. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Respiratory complex II: Role in cellular physiology and disease.

Recent applications of metabolomics toward cyanobacteria

Our knowledge on cyanobacterial molecular biology increased tremendously by the application of the "omics" techniques. Only recently, metabolomics was applied systematically to model cyanobacteria. Metabolomics, the quantitative estimation of ideally the complete set of cellular metabolites, is particularly well suited to mirror cellular metabolism and its flexibility under diverse conditions. Traditionally, small sets of metabolites are quantified in targeted metabolome approaches. The development of separation technologies coupled to mass-spectroscopy- or nuclear-magnetic-resonance-based identification of low molecular mass molecules presently allows the profiling of hundreds of metabolites of diverse chemical nature. Metabolome analysis was applied to characterize changes in the cyanobacterial primary metabolism under diverse environmental conditions or in defined mutants. The resulting lists of metabolites and their steady state concentrations in combination with transcriptomics can be used in system biology approaches. The application of stable isotopes in fluxomics, i.e. the quantitative estimation of carbon and nitrogen fluxes through the biochemical network, has only rarely been applied to cyanobacteria, but particularly this technique will allow the making of kinetic models of cyanobacterial systems. The further application of metabolomics in the concert of other "omics" technologies will not only broaden our knowledge, but will also certainly strengthen the base for the biotechnological application of cyanobacteria.

Restricted capacity for PSI-dependent cyclic electron flow in ΔpetE mutant compromises the ability for acclimation to iron stress in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 cells

Exposure of wild type (WT) and plastocyanin coding petE gene deficient mutant (ΔpetE) of Synechococcus cells to low iron growth conditions was accompanied by similar iron-stress induced blue-shift of the main red Chl a absorption peak and a gradual decrease of the Phc/Chl ratio, although ΔpetE mutant was more sensitive when exposed to iron deficient conditions. Despite comparable iron stress induced phenotypic changes, the inactivation of petE gene expression was accompanied with a significant reduction of the growth rates compared to WT cells. To examine the photosynthetic electron fluxes in vivo, far-red light induced P700 redox state transients at 820nm of WT and ΔpetE mutant cells grown under iron sufficient and iron deficient conditions were compared. The extent of the absorbance change (ΔA(820)/A(820)) used for quantitative estimation of photooxidizable P700(+) indicated a 2-fold lower level of P700(+) in ΔpetE compared to WT cells under control conditions. This was accompanied by a 2-fold slower re-reduction rate of P700(+) in the ΔpetE indicating a lower capacity for cyclic electron flow around PSI in the cells lacking plastocyanin. Thermoluminescence (TL) measurements did not reveal significant differences in PSII photochemistry between control WT and ΔpetE cells. However, exposure to iron stress induced a 4.5 times lower level of P700(+), 2-fold faster re-reduction rate of P700(+) and a temperature shift of the TL peak corresponding to S(2)/S(3)Q(B)(-) charge recombination in WT cells. In contrast, the iron-stressed ΔpetE mutant exhibited only a 40% decrease of P700(+) and no significant temperature shift in S(2)/S(3)Q(B)(-) charge recombination. The role of mobile electron carriers in modulating the photosynthetic electron fluxes and physiological acclimation of cyanobacteria to low iron conditions is discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosynthesis Research for Sustainability: from Natural to Artificial.

The tricarboxylic acid cycle in cyanobacteria

It is generally accepted that cyanobacteria have an incomplete tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle because they lack 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and thus cannot convert 2-oxoglutarate to succinyl-coenzyme A (CoA). Genes encoding a novel 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase and succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase were identified in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. Together, these two enzymes convert 2-oxoglutarate to succinate and thus functionally replace 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and succinyl-CoA synthetase. These genes are present in all cyanobacterial genomes except those of Prochlorococcus and marine Synechococcus species. Closely related genes occur in the genomes of some methanogens and other anaerobic bacteria, which are also thought to have incomplete TCA cycles.

Regulation of cyclic electron transport through photosystem I in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 mutants deficient in respiratory dehydrogenases

The rate of PSI mediated cyclic electron transport was studied in wild type and mutant cells of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 deficient in NDH-1 (M55) or succinate dehydrogenase (SDH(-)) that are responsible for the dark reduction of the plastoquinone pool. Kinetics of P700 photooxidation and P700(+) dark reduction in the presence of 5·10(-5) M 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea have been registered as light induced absorbance changes at 810 nm resulting from illumination of cells with 730-nm actinic light for 1 sec. It is shown that in the absence of dehydrogenases the rate of dark reduction of P700(+) in both mutants did not decrease but even increased in NDH-1-less mutant cells as compared with the rate in wild type cells. Dibromothymoquinone drastically reduced the rate of P700(+) dark reduction both in wild type and in mutant cells. Thus, the cyclic electron transfer from ferredoxin through the plastoquinone pool to P700(+), which is independent from dehydrogenases, takes place in all the types of cells. Preillumination of cells of wild type and both mutants for 30 min or anaerobic conditions resulted in delay of P700 photooxidation and acceleration of P700(+) dark reduction, while the level of photosynthesis and respiration terminal acceptors (NAD(P)(+) and oxygen) decreased. It appears that the rate of P700 photooxidation and P700(+) dark reduction in cyclic electron transport in Synechocystis wild type and mutant cells is determined by the level of NADP+ and oxygen in stroma. A possible approach to evaluation of the levels of these acceptors in vivo is proposed, based on kinetic curve parameters of P700 photoconversions induced by 730-nm light with 1-sec duration.

New insights into the function of the iron deficiency-induced protein C from Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942

Iron limitation has a strong impact on electron transport reactions of the unicellular fresh water cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (thereafter referred to as S. elongatus). Among the various adaptational processes on different cellular levels, iron limitation induces a strongly enhanced expression of IdiC (iron-deficiency-induced protein C). In this article, we show that IdiC is loosely attached to the thylakoid and to the cytoplasmic membranes and that its expression is enhanced during conditions of iron starvation and during the late growth phase. The intracellular IdiC level was even more increased when additional iron was replenished in the late growth phase. On the basis of its amino acid sequence and of its absorbance spectrum, IdiC can be classified as a member of the family of thioredoxin (TRX)-like (2Fe-2S) ferredoxins. The presence of an iron cofactor in IdiC was detected by inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Comparative measurements of electron transport activities of S. elongatus wild type (WT) and an IdiC-merodiploid mutant called MuD, which contained a strongly reduced IdiC content under iron-sufficient as well as iron-deficient growth conditions, were performed. The results revealed that MuD had a strongly increased light sensitivity, especially under iron limitation. The measurements of photosystem II (PS II)-mediated electron transport rates in WT and MuD strain showed that PS II activity was significantly lower in MuD than in the WT strain. Moreover, P(700) (+) re-reduction rates provided evidence that the respiratory activities, which were very low in the MuD strain in the presence of iron, significantly increased in iron-starved cells. Thus, an increase in respiration may compensate for the drastic decrease of photosynthetic electron transport activity in MuD grown under iron starvation. Based on the similarity of the S. elongatus IdiC to the NuoE subunit of the NDH-1 complex in Escherichia coli, it is likely that IdiC has a function in the electron transport processes from NAD(P)H to the plastoquinone pool. This is in agreement with the up-regulation of IdiC in the late growth phase as well as under stress conditions when PS II is damaged. As absence or high reduction of the IdiC level would prevent or reduce the formation of functional NDH-1 complexes, under such conditions electron transport routes via alternative substrate dehydrogenases, donating electrons to the plastoquinone pool, can be assumed to be up-regulated.

Renewable energy from Cyanobacteria: energy production optimization by metabolic pathway engineering

The need to develop and improve sustainable energy resources is of eminent importance due to the finite nature of our fossil fuels. This review paper deals with a third generation renewable energy resource which does not compete with our food resources, cyanobacteria. We discuss the current state of the art in developing different types of bioenergy (ethanol, biodiesel, hydrogen, etc.) from cyanobacteria. The major important biochemical pathways in cyanobacteria are highlighted, and the possibility to influence these pathways to improve the production of specific types of energy forms the major part of this review.

Metabolic and transcriptomic phenotyping of inorganic carbon acclimation in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942

The amount of inorganic carbon is one of the main limiting environmental factors for photosynthetic organisms such as cyanobacteria. Using Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, we characterized metabolic and transcriptomic changes in cells that had been shifted from high to low CO(2) levels. Metabolic phenotyping indicated an activation of glycolysis, the oxidative pentose phosphate cycle, and glycolate metabolism at lowered CO(2) levels. The metabolic changes coincided with a general reprogramming of gene expression, which included not only increased transcription of inorganic carbon transporter genes but also genes for enzymes involved in glycolytic and photorespiratory metabolism. In contrast, the mRNA content for genes from nitrogen assimilatory pathways decreased. These observations indicated that cyanobacteria control the homeostasis of the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Therefore, results obtained from the wild type were compared with the MP2 mutant of Synechococcus 7942, which is defective for the carbon-nitrogen ratio-regulating PII protein. Metabolites and genes linked to nitrogen assimilation were differentially regulated, whereas the changes in metabolite concentrations and gene expression for processes related to central carbon metabolism were mostly similar in mutant and wild-type cells after shifts to low-CO(2) conditions. The PII signaling appears to down-regulate the nitrogen metabolism at lowered CO(2), whereas the specific shortage of inorganic carbon is recognized by different mechanisms.

Diurnal rhythms result in significant changes in the cellular protein complement in the cyanobacterium Cyanothece 51142

Cyanothece sp. ATCC 51142 is a diazotrophic cyanobacterium notable for its ability to perform oxygenic photosynthesis and dinitrogen fixation in the same single cell. Previous transcriptional analysis revealed that the existence of these incompatible cellular processes largely depends on tightly synchronized expression programs involving ∼30% of genes in the genome. To expand upon current knowledge, we have utilized sensitive proteomic approaches to examine the impact of diurnal rhythms on the protein complement in Cyanothece 51142. We found that 250 proteins accounting for ∼5% of the predicted ORFs from the Cyanothece 51142 genome and 20% of proteins detected under alternating light/dark conditions exhibited periodic oscillations in their abundances. Our results suggest that altered enzyme activities at different phases during the diurnal cycle can be attributed to changes in the abundance of related proteins and key compounds. The integration of global proteomics and transcriptomic data further revealed that post-transcriptional events are important for temporal regulation of processes such as photosynthesis in Cyanothece 51142. This analysis is the first comprehensive report on global quantitative proteomics in a unicellular diazotrophic cyanobacterium and uncovers novel findings about diurnal rhythms.

A day in the life of microcystis aeruginosa strain PCC 7806 as revealed by a transcriptomic analysis

The cyanobacterium, Microcystis aeruginosa, is able to proliferate in a wide range of freshwater ecosystems and to produce many secondary metabolites that are a threat to human and animal health. The dynamic of this production and more globally the metabolism of this species is still poorly known. A DNA microarray based on the genome of M. aeruginosa PCC 7806 was constructed and used to study the dynamics of gene expression in this cyanobacterium during the light/dark cycle, because light is a critical factor for this species, like for other photosynthetic microorganisms. This first application of transcriptomics to a Microcystis species has revealed that more than 25% of the genes displayed significant changes in their transcript abundance during the light/dark cycle and in particular during the dark/light transition. The metabolism of M. aeruginosa is compartmentalized between the light period, during which carbon uptake, photosynthesis and the reductive pentose phosphate pathway lead to the synthesis of glycogen, and the dark period, during which glycogen degradation, the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, the TCA branched pathway and ammonium uptake promote amino acid biosynthesis. We also show that the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, such as microcystins, aeruginosin and cyanopeptolin, occur essentially during the light period, suggesting that these metabolites may interact with the diurnal part of the central metabolism.

Nitrogen fixation and hydrogen metabolism in cyanobacteria

This review summarizes recent aspects of (di)nitrogen fixation and (di)hydrogen metabolism, with emphasis on cyanobacteria. These organisms possess several types of the enzyme complexes catalyzing N(2) fixation and/or H(2) formation or oxidation, namely, two Mo nitrogenases, a V nitrogenase, and two hydrogenases. The two cyanobacterial Ni hydrogenases are differentiated as either uptake or bidirectional hydrogenases. The different forms of both the nitrogenases and hydrogenases are encoded by different sets of genes, and their organization on the chromosome can vary from one cyanobacterium to another. Factors regulating the expression of these genes are emerging from recent studies. New ideas on the potential physiological and ecological roles of nitrogenases and hydrogenases are presented. There is a renewed interest in exploiting cyanobacteria in solar energy conversion programs to generate H(2) as a source of combustible energy. To enhance the rates of H(2) production, the emphasis perhaps needs not to be on more efficient hydrogenases and nitrogenases or on the transfer of foreign enzymes into cyanobacteria. A likely better strategy is to exploit the use of radiant solar energy by the photosynthetic electron transport system to enhance the rates of H(2) formation and so improve the chances of utilizing cyanobacteria as a source for the generation of clean energy.

Distinct roles of multiple NDH-1 complexes in the cyanobacterial electron transport network as revealed by kinetic analysis of P700+ reduction in various Ndh-deficient mutants of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803

While methyl viologen had only a small effect on P700(+) rereduction kinetics after far-red pulses in KCN-treated wild-type Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803 and an NdhF3/NdhF4 (NdhF3/F4)-defective mutant, it involved a rather slow P700(+) rereduction in an NdhF1-defective mutant. This strongly indicates that (i) active electron flow from metabolites to plastoquinone is suppressed upon deletion of ndhF1 and (ii) photosystem 1-mediated cyclic electron transport is dependent on NdhF3/F4-type NDH-1 complexes.

Combined effects of CO2 and light on the N2-fixing cyanobacterium Trichodesmium IMS101: a mechanistic view

The marine diazotrophic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium responds to elevated atmospheric CO(2) partial pressure (pCO(2)) with higher N(2) fixation and growth rates. To unveil the underlying mechanisms, we examined the combined influence of pCO(2) (150 and 900 microatm) and light (50 and 200 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1)) on Trichodesmium IMS101. We expand on a complementary study that demonstrated that while elevated pCO(2) enhanced N(2) fixation and growth, oxygen evolution and carbon fixation increased mainly as a response to high light. Here, we investigated changes in the photosynthetic fluorescence parameters of photosystem II, in ratios of the photosynthetic units (photosystem I:photosystem II), and in the pool sizes of key proteins involved in the fixation of carbon and nitrogen as well as their subsequent assimilation. We show that the combined elevation in pCO(2) and light controlled the operation of the CO(2)-concentrating mechanism and enhanced protein activity without increasing their pool size. Moreover, elevated pCO(2) and high light decreased the amounts of several key proteins (NifH, PsbA, and PsaC), while amounts of AtpB and RbcL did not significantly change. Reduced investment in protein biosynthesis, without notably changing photosynthetic fluxes, could free up energy that can be reallocated to increase N(2) fixation and growth at elevated pCO(2) and light. We suggest that changes in the redox state of the photosynthetic electron transport chain and posttranslational regulation of key proteins mediate the high flexibility in resources and energy allocation in Trichodesmium. This strategy should enable Trichodesmium to flourish in future surface oceans characterized by elevated pCO(2), higher temperatures, and high light.

Localization of cytochrome b6f complexes implies an incomplete respiratory chain in cytoplasmic membranes of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The cytochrome b(6)f complex is an integral part of the photosynthetic and respiratory electron transfer chain of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. The core of this complex is composed of four subunits, cytochrome b, cytochrome f, subunit IV and the Rieske protein (PetC). In this study deletion mutants of all three petC genes of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were constructed to investigate their localization, involvement in electron transfer, respiration and photohydrogen evolution. Immunoblots revealed that PetC1, PetC2, and all other core subunits were exclusively localized in the thylakoids, while the third Rieske protein (PetC3) was the only subunit found in the cytoplasmic membrane. Deletion of petC3 and both of the quinol oxidases failed to elicit a change in respiration rate, when compared to the respective oxidase mutant. This supports a different function of PetC3 other than respiratory electron transfer. We conclude that the cytoplasmic membrane of Synechocystis lacks both a cytochrome c oxidase and the cytochrome b(6)f complex and present a model for the major electron transfer pathways in the two membranes of Synechocystis. In this model there is no proton pumping electron transfer complex in the cytoplasmic membrane. Cyclic electron transfer was impaired in all petC1 mutants. Nonetheless, hydrogenase activity and photohydrogen evolution of all mutants were similar to wild type cells. A reduced linear electron transfer and an increased quinol oxidase activity seem to counteract an increased hydrogen evolution in this case. This adds further support to the close interplay between the cytochrome bd oxidase and the bidirectional hydrogenase.