The Making of a Heterocyst in Cyanobacteria

The role of FraI in cell-cell communication and differentiation in the hormogonia-forming cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme

Multicellular cyanobacteria, like Nostoc punctiforme, rely on septal junctions for cell-cell communication, which is crucial for coordinating various physiological processes including differentiation of N2-fixing heterocysts, spore-like akinetes, and hormogonia-short, motile filaments important for dispersal. In this study, we functionally characterize a protein, encoded by gene Npun_F4142, which in a random mutagenesis approach, initially showed a motility-related function. The reconstructed Npun_F4142 knockout mutant exhibits further distinct phenotypic traits, including altered hormogonia formation with significant reduced motility, inability to differentiate heterocysts and filament fragmentation. For that reason, we named the protein FraI (fragmentation phenotype). The mutant displays severely impaired cell-cell communication, due to almost complete absence of the nanopore array in the septal cell wall, which is an essential part of the septal junctions. Despite lack of communication, hormogonia in the ΔfraI mutant maintain motility and phototactic behavior, even though less pronounced than the wild type (WT). This suggests an alternative mechanism for coordinated movement beyond septal junctions. Our study underscores the significance of FraI in nanopore formation and cell differentiation, and provides additional evidence for the importance of septal junction formation and communication in various differentiation traits of cyanobacteria. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the regulatory networks governing multicellular cyanobacterial behavior, with implications for broader insights into microbial multicellularity.

IMPORTANCE

The filament-forming cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme serves as a valuable model for studying cell differentiation, including the formation of nitrogen-fixing heterocysts and hormogonia. Hormogonia filaments play a crucial role in dispersal and plant colonization, providing a nitrogen source through atmospheric nitrogen fixation, thus holding promise for fertilizer-free agriculture. The coordination among the hormogonia cells enabling uniform movement toward the positive signal remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of septal junction-mediated communication in hormogonia differentiation and motility, by studying a ΔfraI mutant with significantly impaired communication. Surprisingly, impaired communication does not abolish synchronized filament movement, suggesting an alternative coordination mechanism. These findings deepen our understanding of cyanobacterial biology and have broader implications for multicellular behavior in prokaryotes.

Three enzymes governed the rise of O2 on Earth

Current views of O2 accumulation in Earth history depict three phases: The onset of O2 production by ∼2.4 billion years ago; 2 billion years of stasis at ∼1 % of modern atmospheric levels; and a rising phase, starting about 500 million years ago, in which oxygen eventually reached modern values. Purely geochemical mechanisms have been proposed to account for this tripartite time course of Earth oxygenation. In particular the second phase, the long period of stasis between the advent of O2 and the late rise to modern levels, has posed a puzzle. Proposed solutions involve Earth processes (geochemical, ecosystem, day length). Here we suggest that Earth oxygenation was not determined by geochemical processes. Rather it resulted from emergent biological innovations associated with photosynthesis and the activity of only three enzymes: 1) The oxygen evolving complex of cyanobacteria that makes O2; 2) Nitrogenase, with its inhibition by O2 causing two billion years of oxygen level stasis; 3) Cellulose synthase of land plants, which caused mass deposition and burial of carbon, thus removing an oxygen sink and therefore increasing atmospheric O2. These three enzymes are endogenously produced by, and contained within, cells that have the capacity for exponential growth. The catalytic properties of these three enzymes paved the path of Earth's atmospheric oxygenation, requiring no help from Earth other than the provision of water, CO2, salts, colonizable habitats, and sunlight.

Restoration of the Functional nif Gene Cluster by Complex Recombination Events during Heterocyst Development in the Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacterium Calothrix sp. NIES-4101

In the genome of the heterocystous cyanobacterium Calothrix sp. NIES-4101 (NIES-4101), the four genes essential for nitrogen fixation (nifB, nifH, nifD and nifK) are highly fragmented into 13 parts in a 350-kb chromosomal region, and four of these parts are encoded in the reverse strand. Such a complex fragmentation feature makes it difficult to restore the intact nifBHDK genes by the excision mechanism found in the nifD gene of the Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 heterocyst. To examine the nitrogen-fixing ability of NIES-4101, we confirmed that NIES-4101 grew well on a combined nitrogen-free medium and showed high nitrogenase activity, which strongly suggested that the complete nifBHDK genes are restored by a complex recombination process in heterocysts. Next, we resequenced the genome prepared from cells grown under nitrogen-fixing conditions. Two contigs covering the complete nifHDK and nifB genes were found by de novo assembly of the sequencing reads. In addition, the DNA fragments covering the nifBHDK operon were successfully amplified by PCR. We propose that the process of nifBHDK restoration occurs as follows. First, the nifD-nifK genes are restored by four excision events. Then, the complete nifH and nifB genes are restored by two excision events followed by two successive inversion events between the inverted repeat sequences and one excision event, forming the functional nif gene cluster, nifB-fdxN-nifS-nifU-nifH-nifD-nifK. All genes coding recombinases responsible for these nine recombination events are located close to the terminal repeat sequences. The restoration of the nifBHDK genes in NIES-4101 is the most complex genome reorganization reported in heterocystous cyanobacteria.

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria enhance microbial carbon utilization by modulating the microbial community composition in paddy soils of the Mollisols region

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria (NFC) are photosynthetic prokaryotic microorganisms capable of nitrogen fixation. They can be used as biofertilizers in paddy fields, thereby improving the rice tillering capacity and yield. To reveal the microbiological mechanisms by which nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria alter soil carbon storage, we conducted a field experiment using NFC as a partial substitute for nitrogen fertilizer in paddy fields in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China's Mollisols region. Using metagenomic sequencing technology and Biolog Ecoplate™ carbon matrix metabolism measurements, we explored the changes in the soil microbial community structure and carbon utilization in paddy fields. The results indicated that the replacement of nitrogen fertilizer with NFC predisposed the soil microbial community to host a great number of copiotrophic bacterial taxa, and Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were closely associated with the metabolism of soil carbon sources. Moreover, through co-occurrence network analysis, we found that copiotrophic bacteria clustered in modules that were positively correlated with the metabolic level of carbon sources. The addition of NFC promoted the growth of copiotrophic bacteria, which increased the carbon utilization level of soil microorganisms, improved the diversity of the microbial communities, and had a potential impact on the soil carbon stock. The findings of this study are helpful for assessing the impact of NFC on the ecological function of soil microbial communities in paddy fields in the black soil area of Northeast China, which is highly important for promoting sustainable agricultural development and providing scientific reference for promoting the use of algal-derived nitrogen fertilizers.

A cobalt concentration sensitive Btu-like system facilitates cobalamin uptake in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

Metal homeostasis is central to all forms of life, as metals are essential micronutrients with toxic effects at elevated levels. Macromolecular machines facilitate metal uptake into the cells and their intracellular level is regulated by multiple means, which can involve RNA elements and proteinaceous components. While the general principles and components for uptake and cellular content regulation of, e.g., cobalt have been identified for proteobacteria, the corresponding mechanism in other Gram-negative bacteria such as cyanobacteria remain to be established. Based on their photosynthetic activity, cyanobacteria are known to exhibit a special metal demand in comparison to other bacteria. Here, the regulation by cobalt and cobalamin as well as their uptake is described for Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, a model filamentous heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium. Anabaena contains at least three cobalamin riboswitches in its genome, for one of which the functionality is confirmed here. Moreover, two outer membrane-localized cobalamin TonB-dependent transporters, namely BtuB1 and BtuB2, were identified. BtuB2 is important for fast uptake of cobalamin under conditions with low external cobalt, whereas BtuB1 appears to function in cobalamin uptake under conditions of sufficient cobalt supply. While the general function is comparable, the specific function of the two genes differs and mutants thereof show distinct phenotypes. The uptake of cobalamin depends further on the TonB and a BtuFCD machinery, as mutants of tonB3 and btuD show reduced cobalamin uptake rates. Thus, our results provide novel information on the uptake of cobalamin and the regulation of the cellular cobalt content in cyanobacteria.

CyanoCyc cyanobacterial web portal

CyanoCyc is a web portal that integrates an exceptionally rich database collection of information about cyanobacterial genomes with an extensive suite of bioinformatics tools. It was developed to address the needs of the cyanobacterial research and biotechnology communities. The 277 annotated cyanobacterial genomes currently in CyanoCyc are supplemented with computational inferences including predicted metabolic pathways, operons, protein complexes, and orthologs; and with data imported from external databases, such as protein features and Gene Ontology (GO) terms imported from UniProt. Five of the genome databases have undergone manual curation with input from more than a dozen cyanobacteria experts to correct errors and integrate information from more than 1,765 published articles. CyanoCyc has bioinformatics tools that encompass genome, metabolic pathway and regulatory informatics; omics data analysis; and comparative analyses, including visualizations of multiple genomes aligned at orthologous genes, and comparisons of metabolic networks for multiple organisms. CyanoCyc is a high-quality, reliable knowledgebase that accelerates scientists' work by enabling users to quickly find accurate information using its powerful set of search tools, to understand gene function through expert mini-reviews with citations, to acquire information quickly using its interactive visualization tools, and to inform better decision-making for fundamental and applied research.

Tradeoffs between phage resistance and nitrogen fixation drive the evolution of genes essential for cyanobacterial heterocyst functionality

Harmful blooms caused by diazotrophic (nitrogen-fixing) Cyanobacteria are becoming increasingly frequent and negatively impact aquatic environments worldwide. Cyanophages (viruses infecting Cyanobacteria) can potentially regulate cyanobacterial blooms, yet Cyanobacteria can rapidly acquire mutations that provide protection against phage infection. Here, we provide novel insights into cyanophage:Cyanobacteria interactions by characterizing the resistance to phages in two species of diazotrophic Cyanobacteria: Nostoc sp. and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Our results demonstrate that phage resistance is associated with a fitness tradeoff by which resistant Cyanobacteria have reduced ability to fix nitrogen and/or to survive nitrogen starvation. Furthermore, we use whole-genome sequence analysis of 58 Nostoc-resistant strains to identify several mutations associated with phage resistance, including in cell surface-related genes and regulatory genes involved in the development and function of heterocysts (cells specialized in nitrogen fixation). Finally, we employ phylogenetic analyses to show that most of these resistance genes are accessory genes whose evolution is impacted by lateral gene transfer events. Together, these results further our understanding of the interplay between diazotrophic Cyanobacteria and their phages and suggest that a tradeoff between phage resistance and nitrogen fixation affects the evolution of cell surface-related genes and of genes involved in heterocyst differentiation and nitrogen fixation.

PatU3 plays a central role in coordinating cell division and differentiation in pattern formation of filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

Spatial periodic signal for cell differentiation in some multicellular organisms is generated according to Turing's principle for pattern formation. How a dividing cell responds to the signal of differentiation is addressed with the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 7120, which forms the patterned distribution of heterocysts. We show that differentiation of a dividing cell was delayed until its division was completed and only one daughter cell became heterocyst. A mutant of patU3, which encodes an inhibitor of heterocyst formation, showed no such delay and formed heterocyst pairs from the daughter cells of cell division or dumbbell-shaped heterocysts from the cells undergoing cytokinesis. The patA mutant, which forms heterocysts only at the filament ends, restored intercalary heterocysts by a single nucleotide mutation of patU3, and double mutants of patU3/patA and patU3/hetF had the phenotypes of the patU3 mutant. We provide evidence that HetF, which can degrade PatU3, is recruited to cell divisome through its C-terminal domain. A HetF mutant with its N-terminal peptidase domain but lacking the C-terminal domain could not prevent the formation of heterocyst pairs, suggesting that the divisome recruitment of HetF is needed to sequester HetF for the delay of differentiation in dividing cells. Our study demonstrates that PatU3 plays a key role in cell-division coupled control of differentiation.

The role of SepF in cell division and diazotrophic growth in the multicellular cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120

The cyanobacterium Anabaena forms filaments of cells that grow by intercalary cell division producing adjoined daughter cells connected by septal junction protein complexes that provide filament cohesion and intercellular communication, representing a genuine case of bacterial multicellularity. In spite of their diderm character, cyanobacterial genomes encode homologs of SepF, a protein normally found in Gram-positive bacteria. In Anabaena, SepF is an essential protein that localized to the cell division ring and the intercellular septa. Overexpression of sepF had detrimental effects on growth, provoking conspicuous alterations in cell morphology that resemble the phenotype of mutants impaired in cell division, and altered the localization of the division-ring. SepF interacted with FtsZ and with the essential FtsZ tether ZipN. Whereas SepF from unicellular bacteria generally induces the bundling of FtsZ filaments, Anabaena SepF inhibited FtsZ bundling, reducing the thickness of the toroidal aggregates formed by FtsZ alone and eventually preventing FtsZ polymerization. Thus, in Anabaena SepF appears to have an essential role in cell division by limiting the polymerization of FtsZ to allow the correct formation and localization of the Z-ring. Expression of sepF is downregulated during heterocyst differentiation, likely contributing to the inhibition of Z-ring formation in heterocysts. Finally, the localization of SepF in intercellular septa and its interaction with the septal-junction related proteins SepJ and SepI suggest a role of SepF in the formation or stability of the septal complexes that mediate cell-cell adhesion and communication, processes that are key for the multicellular behavior of Anabaena.

SepT, a novel protein specific to multicellular cyanobacteria, influences peptidoglycan growth and septal nanopore formation in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

IMPORTANCE

Multicellular organization is a requirement for the development of complex organisms, and filamentous cyanobacteria such as Anabaena represent a paradigmatic case of bacterial multicellularity. The Anabaena filament can include hundreds of communicated cells that exchange nutrients and regulators and, depending on environmental conditions, can include different cell types specialized in distinct biological functions. Hence, the specific features of the Anabaena filament and how they are propagated during cell division represent outstanding biological issues. Here, we studied SepT, a novel coiled-coil-rich protein of Anabaena that is located in the intercellular septa and influences the formation of the septal specialized structures that allow communication between neighboring cells along the filament, a fundamental trait for the performance of Anabaena as a multicellular organism.

The Role of Heterocysts in Cyanotoxin Production during Nitrogen Limitation

Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) can have impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. Nutrient management is an important mitigation and even remediation strategy. In this work, the paralytic shellfish toxin (PST)-producing Aphanizomenon (Aphan.) flos-aquae (Linnaeus) Ralfs ex Bornet & Flahault (now identified as Aphan. sp.) single filament isolate NH-5 was grown in P-depleted media, N-depleted media, and complete BG-11 media. Growth and heterocyst and vegetative cells were monitored using dry weight and cell counts. Ultrasonication was used to separate heterocysts from vegetative cells. HPLC-FLD with post-column derivatization was used to determine the saxitoxin (STX) and neosaxitoxin (NEOSTX) concentration per cell. Aphan. sp. NH-5 biomass was lower in the P-depleted media than in the N-depleted media and the control, though higher heterocyst counts were detected in the N-depleted media. The heterocyst toxin concentration was significantly higher compared to the vegetative cells for the N-depleted media, control, and P-depleted media. However, no significant differences were found among all preparations with regard to the STX-to-NEOSTX ratio. We conclude that N limitation induced higher heterocyst numbers and that N fixation activity is a factor behind the increase in the STX and NEOSTX production of Aphan. sp. NH-5.

Microalgal and Nitrogen-Fixing Bacterial Consortia: From Interaction to Biotechnological Potential

Microalgae are used in various biotechnological processes, such as biofuel production due to their high biomass yields, agriculture as biofertilizers, production of high-value-added products, decontamination of wastewater, or as biological models for carbon sequestration. The number of these biotechnological applications is increasing, and as such, any advances that contribute to reducing costs and increasing economic profitability can have a significant impact. Nitrogen fixing organisms, often called diazotroph, also have great biotechnological potential, mainly in agriculture as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. Microbial consortia typically perform more complex tasks than monocultures and can execute functions that are challenging or even impossible for individual strains or species. Interestingly, microalgae and diazotrophic organisms are capable to embrace different types of symbiotic associations. Certain corals and lichens exhibit this symbiotic relationship in nature, which enhances their fitness. However, this relationship can also be artificially created in laboratory conditions with the objective of enhancing some of the biotechnological processes that each organism carries out independently. As a result, the utilization of microalgae and diazotrophic organisms in consortia is garnering significant interest as a potential alternative for reducing production costs and increasing yields of microalgae biomass, as well as for producing derived products and serving biotechnological purposes. This review makes an effort to examine the associations of microalgae and diazotrophic organisms, with the aim of highlighting the potential of these associations in improving various biotechnological processes.

Hormogonium Development and Motility in Filamentous Cyanobacteria

Filamentous cyanobacteria exhibit some of the greatest developmental complexity observed in the prokaryotic domain. This includes the ability to differentiate nitrogen-fixing cells known as heterocysts, spore-like akinetes, and hormogonia, which are specialized motile filaments capable of gliding on solid surfaces. Hormogonia and motility play critical roles in several aspects of the biology of filamentous cyanobacteria, including dispersal, phototaxis, the formation of supracellular structures, and the establishment of nitrogen-fixing symbioses with plants. While heterocyst development has been investigated extensively at the molecular level, much less is known about akinete or hormogonium development and motility. This is due, in part, to the loss of developmental complexity during prolonged laboratory culture in commonly employed model filamentous cyanobacteria. In this review, recent progress in understanding the molecular level regulation of hormogonium development and motility in filamentous cyanobacteria is discussed, with a focus on experiments performed using the genetically tractable model filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme, which retains the developmental complexity of field isolates.

Global translational control by the transcriptional repressor TrcR in the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

Transcriptional and translational regulations are important mechanisms for cell adaptation to environmental conditions. In addition to house-keeping tRNAs, the genome of the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 (Anabaena) has a long tRNA operon (trn operon) consisting of 26 genes present on a megaplasmid. The trn operon is repressed under standard culture conditions, but is activated under translational stress in the presence of antibiotics targeting translation. Using the toxic amino acid analog β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) as a tool, we isolated and characterized several BMAA-resistance mutants from Anabaena, and identified one gene of unknown function, all0854, named as trcR, encoding a transcription factor belonging to the ribbon-helix-helix (RHH) family. We provide evidence that TrcR represses the expression of the trn operon and is thus the missing link between the trn operon and translational stress response. TrcR represses the expression of several other genes involved in translational control, and is required for maintaining translational fidelity. TrcR, as well as its binding sites, are highly conserved in cyanobacteria, and its functions represent an important mechanism for the coupling of the transcriptional and translational regulations in cyanobacteria.

Nitrogen-regulated antisense transcription in the adaptation to nitrogen deficiency in Nostoc sp. PCC 7120

Transcriptomic analyses using high-throughput methods have revealed abundant antisense transcription in bacteria. Antisense transcription is often due to the overlap of mRNAs with long 5' or 3' regions that extend beyond the coding sequence. In addition, antisense RNAs that do not contain any coding sequence are also observed. Nostoc sp. PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium that, under nitrogen limitation, behaves as a multicellular organism with division of labor among two different cell types that depend on each other, the vegetative CO₂-fixing cells and the nitrogen-fixing heterocysts. The differentiation of heterocysts depends on the global nitrogen regulator NtcA and requires the specific regulator HetR. To identify antisense RNAs potentially involved in heterocyst differentiation, we assembled the Nostoc transcriptome using RNA-seq analysis of cells subjected to nitrogen limitation (9 or 24 h after nitrogen removal) in combination with a genome-wide set of transcriptional start sites and a prediction of transcriptional terminators. Our analysis resulted in the definition of a transcriptional map that includes >4,000 transcripts, 65% of which contain regions in antisense orientation to other transcripts. In addition to overlapping mRNAs, we identified nitrogen-regulated noncoding antisense RNAs transcribed from NtcA- or HetR-dependent promoters. As an example of this last category, we further analyzed an antisense (as_gltA) of the gene-encoding citrate synthase and showed that transcription of as_gltA takes place specifically in heterocysts. Since the overexpression of as_gltA reduces citrate synthase activity, this antisense RNA could eventually contribute to the metabolic remodeling that occurs during the differentiation of vegetative cells into heterocysts.

Control of Cell Size by c-di-GMP Requires a Two-Component Signaling System in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. Strain PCC 7120

Each bacterial species possesses a specific cell size and morphology, which constitute important and recognizable physical traits. How bacteria maintain their particular cell size and morphology remains an essential question in microbiology. Cyanobacteria are oxygen-evolving photosynthetic prokaryotes. Although monophyletic, these organisms are highly diverse in their cell morphology and cell size. How these physical traits of cyanobacteria are controlled is poorly understood. Here, we report the identification of a two-component signaling system, composed of a histidine kinase CdgK and a response regulator CdgS, involved in cell size regulation in the filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Inactivation of cdgK or cdgS led to reduction of cell length and width with little effect on cell growth capacity. CdgS has a GGDEF domain responsible for the synthesis of the second messenger c-di-GMP. Based on genetic and biochemical studies, we proposed a signaling pathway initiated by CdgK, leading to the phosphorylation of CdgS, and thereby an enhanced enzymatic activity for c-di-GMP synthesis of the latter. The GGDEF domain of CdgS was essential in cell size control, and the reduction of cell size observed in various mutants could be rescued by the expression of a c-di-GMP synthetase from E. coli. These results provided evidence that a minimal threshold of c-di-GMP level was required for maintaining cell size in Anabaena. IMPORTANCE Cyanobacteria are considered the first organisms to produce oxygen on Earth, and their activities shaped the evolution of our ecosystems. Cell size is an important trait fixed early in evolution, with the diversification of micro- and macrocyanobacterial species during the Great Oxidation Event. However, the genetic basis underlying cell size control in cyanobacteria was not understood. Our studies demonstrated that the CdgK-CdgS signaling pathway participates in the control of cell size, and their absence did not affect cell growth. CdgK has multiple domains susceptible to signal input, which are necessary for cell size regulation. This observation suggests that cell size in Anabaena could respond to environmental signals. These studies paved the way for genetic dissection of cell size regulation in cyanobacteria.

Three-dimensional coordination of cell-division site positioning in a filamentous cyanobacterium

Bacterial cells mostly divide symmetrically. In the filamentous, multicellular cyanobacterium Anabaena, cell-division planes are aligned vertically relative to the long axis of every single cell. This observation suggests that both the placement and the angle of the division planes are controlled in every single cell so that the filament can grow in one single dimension along the long axis. In this study, we showed that inactivation of patU3 encoding a cell-division inhibitor led cells to divide asymmetrically in two dimensions leading to twisted filaments, indicating that PatU3 controls not only the position but also the angle of the division planes. Deletion of the conserved minC and minD genes affected cell division symmetry, but not the angle of the division planes. Remarkably, when both patU3 and minCD were inactivated, cells could divide asymmetrically over 360° angles in three dimensions across different cellular sections, producing not only cells with irregular sizes, but also branching filaments. This study demonstrated the existence of a system operating in a three-dimensional manner for the control of cell division in Anabaena. Such a regulation may have been evolved to accommodate multicellular behaviors, a hallmark in evolution.

SepN is a septal junction component required for gated cell-cell communication in the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc

Multicellular organisms require controlled intercellular communication for their survival. Strains of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc regulate cell-cell communication between sister cells via a conformational change in septal junctions. These multi-protein cell junctions consist of a septum spanning tube with a membrane-embedded plug at both ends, and a cap covering the plug on the cytoplasmic side. The identities of septal junction components are unknown, with exception of the protein FraD. Here, we identify and characterize a FraD-interacting protein, SepN, as the second component of septal junctions in Nostoc. We use cryo-electron tomography of cryo-focused ion beam-thinned cyanobacterial filaments to show that septal junctions in a sepN mutant lack a plug module and display an aberrant cap. The sepN mutant exhibits highly reduced cell-cell communication rates, as shown by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments. Furthermore, the mutant is unable to gate molecule exchange through septal junctions and displays reduced filament survival after stress. Our data demonstrate the importance of controlling molecular diffusion between cells to ensure the survival of a multicellular organism.

Mathematical models of nitrogen-fixing cell patterns in filamentous cyanobacteria

The Anabaena genus is a model organism of filamentous cyanobacteria whose vegetative cells can differentiate under nitrogen-limited conditions into a type of cell called a heterocyst. These heterocysts lose the possibility to divide and are necessary for the filament because they can fix and share environmental nitrogen. In order to distribute the nitrogen efficiently, heterocysts are arranged to form a quasi-regular pattern whose features are maintained as the filament grows. Recent efforts have allowed advances in the understanding of the interactions and genetic mechanisms underlying this dynamic pattern. Here, we present a systematic review of the existing theoretical models of nitrogen-fixing cell differentiation in filamentous cyanobacteria. These filaments constitute one of the simplest forms of multicellular organization, and this allows for several modeling scales of this emergent pattern. The system has been approached at three different levels. From bigger to smaller scale, the system has been considered as follows: at the population level, by defining a mean-field simplified system to study the ratio of heterocysts and vegetative cells; at the filament level, with a continuous simplification as a reaction-diffusion system; and at the cellular level, by studying the genetic regulation that produces the patterning for each cell. In this review, we compare these different approaches noting both the virtues and shortcomings of each one of them.

The Role of MreB, MreC and MreD in the Morphology of the Diazotrophic Filament of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 forms filaments of communicating cells. Under conditions of nitrogen scarcity, some cells differentiate into heterocysts, allowing the oxygen-sensitive N₂-reduction system to be expressed and operated in oxic environments. The key to diazotrophic growth is the exchange of molecules with nutritional and signaling functions between the two types of cells of the filament. During heterocyst differentiation, the peptidoglycan sacculus grows to allow cell enlargement, and the intercellular septa are rebuilt to narrow the contact surface with neighboring cells and to hold specific transport systems, including the septal junction complexes for intercellular molecular transfer, which traverse the periplasm between heterocysts and neighboring vegetative cells through peptidoglycan nanopores. Here we have followed the spatiotemporal pattern of peptidoglycan incorporation during heterocyst differentiation by Van-FL labeling and the localization and role of proteins MreB, MreC and MreD. We observed strong transitory incorporation of peptidoglycan in the periphery and septa of proheterocysts and a maintained focal activity in the center of mature septa. During differentiation, MreB, MreC and MreD localized throughout the cell periphery and at the cell poles. In mreB, mreC or mreD mutants, instances of strongly increased peripheral and septal peptidoglycan incorporation were detected, as were also heterocysts with aberrant polar morphology, even producing filament breakage, frequently lacking the septal protein SepJ. These results suggest a role of Mre proteins in the regulation of peptidoglycan growth and the formation of the heterocyst neck during differentiation, as well as in the maintenance of polar structures for intercellular communication in the mature heterocyst. Finally, as previously observed in filaments growing with combined nitrogen, in the vegetative cells of diazotrophic filaments, the lack of MreB, MreC or MreD led to altered localization of septal peptidoglycan-growth bands reproducing an altered localization of FtsZ and ZipN rings during cell division.

A proteolytic pathway coordinates cell division and heterocyst differentiation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

The filamentous, multicellular cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 (Anabaena) is a prokaryotic model for the study of cell differentiation and cell-cell interactions. Upon combined-nitrogen deprivation, Anabaena forms a particular cell type, heterocyst, for aerobic nitrogen fixation. Heterocysts are semiregularly spaced among vegetative cells. Heterocyst differentiation is coupled to cell division, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This mechanism could be mediated by the putative protease HetF, which is a divisome component and is necessary for heterocyst differentiation. In this study, by suppressor screening, we identified PatU3, as a negative regulator acting downstream of HetF for cell division and heterocyst development. The inactivation of patU3 restored the capacity of cell division and heterocyst differentiation in the ΔhetF mutant, and overexpression of patU3 inhibited both processes in the wild-type background. We demonstrated that PatU3 was a specific substrate of the protease activity of HetF. Consequently, PatU3 accumulated in the hetF-deficient mutant, which was responsible for the resultant mutant phenotype. The cleavage site of PatU3 by HetF was mapped after the Arg117 residue, whose mutation made PatU3 resistant to HetF processing, and mimicked the effect of hetF deletion. Our results provided evidence that HetF regulated cell division and heterocyst differentiation by controlling the inhibitory effects of PatU3. This proteolytic pathway constituted a mechanism for the coordination between cell division and differentiation in a prokaryotic model used for studies on developmental biology and multicellularity.