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Liistro E, Battistuzzi M, Cocola L, Claudi R, Poletto L, La Rocca N. Synechococcus sp. PCC7335 responses to far-red enriched spectra and anoxic/microoxic atmospheres: Potential for astrobiotechnological applications. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 213:108793. [PMID: 38870681 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Recently, cyanobacteria have gained attention in space exploration to support long-term crewed missions via Bioregenerative Life Support Systems. In this frame, cyanobacteria would provide biomass and profitable biomolecules through oxygenic photosynthesis, uptaking CO2, and releasing breathable O2. Their growth potential and organic matter production will depend on their ability to photoacclimate to different light intensities and spectra, maximizing incident light harvesting. Studying cyanobacteria responses to different light regimes will also benefit the broader field of astrobiology, providing data on the possibility of oxygenic photosynthetic life on planets orbiting stars with emission spectra different than the Sun. Here, we tested the acclimation and productivity of Synechococcus sp. PCC7335 (hereafter PCC7335), capable of Far-Red Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP) and type III chromatic acclimation (CA3), in an anoxic, CO2-enriched atmosphere and under a spectrum simulating the low energetic light regime of an M-dwarf star, also comparable to a subsuperficial environment. When exposed to the light spectrum, with few photons in the visible (VIS) and rich in far-red (FR), PCC7335 did not activate FaRLiP but acclimated only via CA3, achieving a biomass productivity higher than expected, considering the low VIS light availability, and a higher production of phycocyanin, a valuable pigment, with respect to solar light. Its growth or physiological responses of PCC7335 were not affected by the anoxic atmosphere. In these conditions, PCC7335 efficiently produced O2 and scavenged CO2. Results highlight the photosynthetic plasticity of PCC7335, its suitability for astrobiotechnological applications, and the importance to investigate biodiversity of oxygenic photosynthesis for searching life beyond Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariano Battistuzzi
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; CNR-IFN, Padua, Italy; Giuseppe Colombo University Center for Studies and Activities, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Claudi
- National Institute for Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Padua (INAF-OAPD), Padua, Italy; Department of Mathematics and Physics, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Nicoletta La Rocca
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; Giuseppe Colombo University Center for Studies and Activities, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
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2
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Gisriel CJ. Recent structural discoveries of photosystems I and II acclimated to absorb far-red light. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2024; 1865:149032. [PMID: 38401604 PMCID: PMC11162955 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Photosystems I and II are the photooxidoreductases central to oxygenic photosynthesis and canonically absorb visible light (400-700 nm). Recent investigations have revealed that certain cyanobacteria can acclimate to environments enriched in far-red light (700-800 nm), yet can still perform oxygenic photosynthesis in a process called far-red light photoacclimation, or FaRLiP. During this process, the photosystem subunits and pigment compositions are altered. Here, the current structural understanding of the photosystems expressed during FaRLiP is described. The design principles may be useful for guiding efforts to engineer shade tolerance in organisms that typically cannot utilize far-red light.
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Gisriel CJ, Ranepura G, Brudvig GW, Gunner MR. Assignment of chlorophyll d in the Chl D1 site of the electron transfer chain of far-red light acclimated photosystem II supported by MCCE binding calculations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2024; 1865:149496. [PMID: 39038640 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2024.149496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gehan Ranepura
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - M R Gunner
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
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4
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Schmitt FJ, Friedrich T. Adaptation processes in Halomicronema hongdechloris, an example of the light-induced optimization of the photosynthetic apparatus on hierarchical time scales. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1359195. [PMID: 39049856 PMCID: PMC11266139 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1359195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthesis in Halomicronema hongdechloris, one of a series of cyanobacteria producing red-shifted Chl f, is adapted to varying light conditions by a range of diverse processes acting over largely different time scales. Acclimation to far-red light (FRL) above 700 nm over several days is mirrored by reversible changes in the Chl f content. In several cyanobacteria that undergo FRL photoacclimation, Chl d and Chl f are directly involved in excitation energy transfer in the antenna system, form the primary donor in photosystem I (PSI), and are also involved in electron transfer within photosystem II (PSII), most probably at the ChlD1 position, with efficient charge transfer happening with comparable kinetics to reaction centers containing Chl a. In H. hongdechloris, the formation of Chl f under FRL comes along with slow adaptive proteomic shifts like the rebuilding of the D1 complex on the time scale of days. On shorter time scales, much faster adaptation mechanisms exist involving the phycobilisomes (PBSs), which mainly contain allophycocyanin upon adaptation to FRL. Short illumination with white, blue, or red light leads to reactive oxygen species-driven mobilization of the PBSs on the time scale of seconds, in effect recoupling the PBSs with Chl f-containing PSII to re-establish efficient excitation energy transfer within minutes. In summary, H. hongdechloris reorganizes PSII to act as a molecular heat pump lifting excited states from Chl f to Chl a on the picosecond time scale in combination with a light-driven PBS reorganization acting on the time scale of seconds to minutes depending on the actual light conditions. Thus, structure-function relationships in photosynthetic energy and electron transport in H. hongdechloris including long-term adaptation processes cover 10-12 to 106 seconds, i.e., 18 orders of magnitude in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz-Josef Schmitt
- Department of Physics, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Thomas Friedrich
- Department of Bioenergetics, Technische Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry PC 14, Berlin, Germany
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Sheridan KJ, Eaton-Rye JJ, Summerfield TC. Mutagenesis of Ile184 in the cd-loop of the photosystem II D1 protein modifies acceptor-side function via spontaneous mutation of D1-His252 in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 702:149595. [PMID: 38340653 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The Photosystem II water-plastoquinone oxidoreductase is a multi-subunit complex which catalyses the light-driven oxidation of water to molecular oxygen in oxygenic photosynthesis. The D1 reaction centre protein exists in multiple forms in cyanobacteria, including D1FR which is expressed under far-red light. We investigated the role of Phe184 that is found in the lumenal cd-loop of D1FR but is typically an isoleucine in other D1 isoforms. The I184F mutant in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was similar to the control strain but accumulated a spontaneous mutation that introduced a Gln residue in place of His252 located on the opposite side of the thylakoid membrane. His252 participates in the protonation of the secondary plastoquinone electron acceptor QB. The I184F:H252Q double mutant exhibited reduced high-light-induced photodamage and an altered QB-binding site that impaired herbicide binding. Additionally, the H252Q mutant had a large increase in the variable fluorescence yield although the number of photochemically active PS II centres was unchanged. In the I184F:H252Q mutant the extent of the increased fluorescence yield decreased. Our data indicates substitution of Ile184 to Phe modulates PS II-specific variable fluorescence in cells with the His252 to Gln substitution by modifying the QB-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Sheridan
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand; Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Julian J Eaton-Rye
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
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Xu Q, Vogt A, Frechen F, Yi C, Küçükerden M, Ngum N, Sitjà-Roqueta L, Greiner A, Parri R, Masana M, Wenger N, Wachten D, Möglich A. Engineering Bacteriophytochrome-coupled Photoactivated Adenylyl Cyclases for Enhanced Optogenetic cAMP Modulation. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168257. [PMID: 37657609 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Sensory photoreceptors abound in nature and enable organisms to adapt behavior, development, and physiology to environmental light. In optogenetics, photoreceptors allow spatiotemporally precise, reversible, and non-invasive control by light of cellular processes. Notwithstanding the development of numerous optogenetic circuits, an unmet demand exists for efficient systems sensitive to red light, given its superior penetration of biological tissue. Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors sense the ratio of red and far-red light to regulate the activity of enzymatic effector modules. The recombination of bacteriophytochrome photosensor modules with cyclase effectors underlies photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PAC) that catalyze the synthesis of the ubiquitous second messenger 3', 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Via homologous exchanges of the photosensor unit, we devised novel PACs, with the variant DmPAC exhibiting 40-fold activation of cyclase activity under red light, thus surpassing previous red-light-responsive PACs. Modifications of the PHY tongue modulated the responses to red and far-red light. Exchanges of the cyclase effector offer an avenue to further enhancing PACs but require optimization of the linker to the photosensor. DmPAC and a derivative for 3', 5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate allow the manipulation of cyclic-nucleotide-dependent processes in mammalian cells by red light. Taken together, we advance the optogenetic control of second-messenger signaling and provide insight into the signaling and design of bacteriophytochrome receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianzhao Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Arend Vogt
- Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, 10117 Berlin, Germany. https://twitter.com/ArendVogt
| | - Fabian Frechen
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Chengwei Yi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Melike Küçükerden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Neville Ngum
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
| | - Laia Sitjà-Roqueta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Andreas Greiner
- Macromolecular Chemistry and Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Rhein Parri
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
| | - Mercè Masana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain. https://twitter.com/mercemasana
| | - Nikolaus Wenger
- Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Department of Neurology with Experimental Neurology, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dagmar Wachten
- Institute of Innate Immunity, University of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany. https://twitter.com/DagmarWachten
| | - Andreas Möglich
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; Bayreuth Center for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany; North-Bavarian NMR Center, Universität Bayreuth, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.
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Elias E, Brache K, Schäfers J, Croce R. Coloring Outside the Lines: Exploiting Pigment-Protein Synergy for Far-Red Absorption in Plant Light-Harvesting Complexes. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:3508-3520. [PMID: 38286009 PMCID: PMC10859958 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Plants are designed to utilize visible light for photosynthesis. Expanding this light absorption toward the far-red could boost growth in low-light conditions and potentially increase crop productivity in dense canopies. A promising strategy is broadening the absorption of antenna complexes to the far-red. In this study, we investigated the capacity of the photosystem I antenna protein Lhca4 to incorporate far-red absorbing chlorophylls d and f and optimize their spectra. We demonstrate that these pigments can successfully bind to Lhca4, with the protein environment further red-shifting the chlorophyll d absorption, markedly extending the absorption range of this complex above 750 nm. Notably, chlorophyll d substitutes the canonical chlorophyll a red-forms, resulting in the most red-shifted emission observed in a plant light-harvesting complex. Using ultrafast spectroscopy, we show that the introduction of these novel chlorophylls does not interfere with the excited state decay or the energy equilibration processes within the complex. The results demonstrate the feasibility of engineering plant antennae to absorb deeper into the far-red region while preserving their functional and structural integrity, paving the way for innovative strategies to enhance photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Elias
- Department of Physics and
Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty
of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Katrin Brache
- Department of Physics and
Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty
of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Schäfers
- Department of Physics and
Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty
of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and
Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty
of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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8
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Gisriel CJ, Shen G, Brudvig GW, Bryant DA. Structure of the antenna complex expressed during far-red light photoacclimation in Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105590. [PMID: 38141759 PMCID: PMC10810746 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Far-red light photoacclimation, or FaRLiP, is a facultative response exhibited by some cyanobacteria that allows them to absorb and utilize lower energy light (700-800 nm) than the wavelengths typically used for oxygenic photosynthesis (400-700 nm). During this process, three essential components of the photosynthetic apparatus are altered: photosystem I, photosystem II, and the phycobilisome. In all three cases, at least some of the chromophores found in these pigment-protein complexes are replaced by chromophores that have red-shifted absorbance relative to the analogous complexes produced in visible light. Recent structural and spectroscopic studies have elucidated important features of the two photosystems when altered to absorb and utilize far-red light, but much less is understood about the modified phycobiliproteins made during FaRLiP. We used single-particle, cryo-EM to determine the molecular structure of a phycobiliprotein core complex comprising allophycocyanin variants that absorb far-red light during FaRLiP in the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335. The structure reveals the arrangement of the numerous red-shifted allophycocyanin variants and the probable locations of the chromophores that serve as the terminal emitters in this complex. It also suggests how energy is transferred to the photosystem II complexes produced during FaRLiP. The structure additionally allows comparisons with other previously studied allophycocyanins to gain insights into how phycocyanobilin chromophores can be tuned to absorb far-red light. These studies provide new insights into how far-red light is harvested and utilized during FaRLiP, a widespread cyanobacterial photoacclimation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Battistuzzi M, Morlino MS, Cocola L, Trainotti L, Treu L, Campanaro S, Claudi R, Poletto L, La Rocca N. Transcriptomic and photosynthetic analyses of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Chlorogloeopsis fritschii sp. PCC6912 exposed to an M-dwarf spectrum under an anoxic atmosphere. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1322052. [PMID: 38304456 PMCID: PMC10830646 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1322052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Cyanobacteria appeared in the anoxic Archean Earth, evolving for the first time oxygenic photosynthesis and deeply changing the atmosphere by introducing oxygen. Starting possibly from UV-protected environments, characterized by low visible and far-red enriched light spectra, cyanobacteria spread everywhere on Earth thanks to their adaptation capabilities in light harvesting. In the last decade, few cyanobacteria species which can acclimate to far-red light through Far-Red Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP) have been isolated. FaRLiP cyanobacteria were thus proposed as model organisms to study the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis as well as its possible functionality around stars with high far-red emission, the M-dwarfs. These stars are astrobiological targets, as their longevity could sustain life evolution and they demonstrated to host rocky terrestrial-like exoplanets within their Habitable Zone. Methods We studied the acclimation responses of the FaRLiP strain Chlorogloeopsis fritschii sp. PCC6912 and the non-FaRLiP strain Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 to the combination of three simulated light spectra (M-dwarf, solar and far-red) and two atmospheric compositions (oxic, anoxic). We first checked their growth, O2 production and pigment composition, then we studied their transcriptional responses by RNA sequencing under each combination of light spectrum and atmosphere conditions. Results and discussion PCC6803 did not show relevant differences in gene expression when comparing the responses to M-dwarf and solar-simulated lights, while far-red caused a variation in the transcriptional level of many genes. PCC6912 showed, on the contrary, different transcriptional responses to each light condition and activated the FaRLiP response under the M-dwarf simulated light. Surprisingly, the anoxic atmosphere did not impact the transcriptional profile of the 2 strains significantly. Results show that both cyanobacteria seem inherently prepared for anoxia and to harvest the photons emitted by a simulated M-dwarf star, whether they are only visible (PCC6803) or also far-red photons (PCC6912). They also show that visible photons in the simulated M-dwarf are sufficient to keep a similar metabolism with respect to solar-simulated light. Conclusion Results prove the adaptability of the cyanobacterial metabolism and enhance the plausibility of finding oxygenic biospheres on exoplanets orbiting M-dwarf stars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Battistuzzi
- National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), Padua, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Lorenzo Cocola
- National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), Padua, Italy
| | | | - Laura Treu
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Claudi
- National Institute for Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Padua (INAF-OAPD), Padua, Italy
- Department of Mathematics and Physics, University Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Poletto
- National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), Padua, Italy
| | - Nicoletta La Rocca
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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10
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Ranepura GA, Mao J, Vermaas JV, Wang J, Gisriel CJ, Wei RJ, Ortiz-Soto J, Uddin MR, Amin M, Brudvig GW, Gunner MR. Computing the Relative Affinity of Chlorophylls a and b to Light-Harvesting Complex II. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:10974-10986. [PMID: 38097367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c06273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
In plants and algae, the primary antenna protein bound to photosystem II is light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), a pigment-protein complex that binds eight chlorophyll (Chl) a molecules and six Chl b molecules. Chl a and Chl b differ only in that Chl a has a methyl group (-CH3) on one of its pyrrole rings, while Chl b has a formyl group (-CHO) at that position. This blue-shifts the Chl b absorbance relative to Chl a. It is not known how the protein selectively binds the right Chl type at each site. Knowing the selection criteria would allow the design of light-harvesting complexes that bind different Chl types, modifying an organism to utilize the light of different wavelengths. The difference in the binding affinity of Chl a and Chl b in pea and spinach LHCII was calculated using multiconformation continuum electrostatics and free energy perturbation. Both methods have identified some Chl sites where the bound Chl type (a or b) has a significantly higher affinity, especially when the protein provides a hydrogen bond for the Chl b formyl group. However, the Chl a sites often have little calculated preference for one Chl type, so they are predicted to bind a mixture of Chl a and b. The electron density of the spinach LHCII was reanalyzed, which, however, confirmed that there is negligible Chl b in the Chl a-binding sites. It is suggested that the protein chooses the correct Chl type during folding, segregating the preferred Chl to the correct binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gehan A Ranepura
- Ph.D. Program in Physics, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Junjun Mao
- Benjamin Levich Institute for Physico-Chemical Hydrodynamics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
| | - Josh V Vermaas
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, 612 Wilson Road, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Jimin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Christopher J Gisriel
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Rongmei Judy Wei
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Jose Ortiz-Soto
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Md Raihan Uddin
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
- Ph.D. Program in Biochemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
| | - Muhamed Amin
- Laboratory of Computational Biology, National Heart, Lung and Blood, Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - M R Gunner
- PhD Program in Physics, in Chemistry and in Biochemistry at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, United States
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
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11
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Gisriel CJ, Bryant DA, Brudvig GW, Cardona T. Molecular diversity and evolution of far-red light-acclimated photosystem I. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1289199. [PMID: 38053766 PMCID: PMC10694217 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1289199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
The need to acclimate to different environmental conditions is central to the evolution of cyanobacteria. Far-red light (FRL) photoacclimation, or FaRLiP, is an acclimation mechanism that enables certain cyanobacteria to use FRL to drive photosynthesis. During this process, a well-defined gene cluster is upregulated, resulting in changes to the photosystems that allow them to absorb FRL to perform photochemistry. Because FaRLiP is widespread, and because it exemplifies cyanobacterial adaptation mechanisms in nature, it is of interest to understand its molecular evolution. Here, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of the photosystem I subunits encoded in the FaRLiP gene cluster and analyzed the available structural data to predict ancestral characteristics of FRL-absorbing photosystem I. The analysis suggests that FRL-specific photosystem I subunits arose relatively late during the evolution of cyanobacteria when compared with some of the FRL-specific subunits of photosystem II, and that the order Nodosilineales, which include strains like Halomicronema hongdechloris and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335, could have obtained FaRLiP via horizontal gene transfer. We show that the ancestral form of FRL-absorbing photosystem I contained three chlorophyll f-binding sites in the PsaB2 subunit, and a rotated chlorophyll a molecule in the A0B site of the electron transfer chain. Along with our previous study of photosystem II expressed during FaRLiP, these studies describe the molecular evolution of the photosystem complexes encoded by the FaRLiP gene cluster.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Donald A. Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Gary W. Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Tanai Cardona
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Agostini A, Shen G, Bryant DA, Golbeck JH, van der Est A, Carbonera D. Optically detected magnetic resonance and mutational analysis reveal significant differences in the photochemistry and structure of chlorophyll f synthase and photosystem II. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2023; 1864:149002. [PMID: 37562512 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2023.149002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
In cyanobacteria that undergo far red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP), chlorophyll (Chl) f is produced by the ChlF synthase enzyme, probably by photo-oxidation of Chl a. The enzyme forms homodimeric complexes and the primary amino acid sequence of ChlF shows a high degree of homology with the D1 subunit of photosystem II (PSII). However, few details of the photochemistry of ChlF are known. The results of a mutational analysis and optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) data from ChlF are presented. Both sets of data show that there are significant differences in the photochemistry of ChlF and PSII. Mutation of residues that would disrupt the donor side primary electron transfer pathway in PSII do not inhibit the production of Chl f, while alteration of the putative ChlZ, P680 and QA binding sites rendered ChlF non-functional. Together with previously published transient EPR and flash photolysis data, the ODMR data show that in untreated ChlF samples, the triplet state of P680 formed by intersystem crossing is the primary species generated by light excitation. This is in contrast to PSII, in which 3P680 is only formed by charge recombination when the quinone acceptors are removed or chemically reduced. The triplet states of a carotenoid (3Car) and a small amount of 3Chl f are also observed by ODMR. The polarization pattern of 3Car is consistent with its formation by triplet energy transfer from ChlZ if the carotenoid molecule is rotated by 15° about its long axis compared to the orientation in PSII. It is proposed that the singlet oxygen formed by the interaction between molecular oxygen and 3P680 might be involved in the oxidation of Chl a to Chl f.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Agostini
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo, 1, 35131, Padova, Italy; Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, USA
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, USA
| | - John H Golbeck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, USA; Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16802, USA
| | - Art van der Est
- Department of Chemistry, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock, Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.
| | - Donatella Carbonera
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo, 1, 35131, Padova, Italy.
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13
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Antonaru LA, Selinger VM, Jung P, Di Stefano G, Sanderson ND, Barker L, Wilson DJ, Büdel B, Canniffe DP, Billi D, Nürnberg DJ. Common loss of far-red light photoacclimation in cyanobacteria from hot and cold deserts: a case study in the Chroococcidiopsidales. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:113. [PMID: 37857858 PMCID: PMC10587186 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-023-00319-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Deserts represent an extreme challenge for photosynthetic life. Despite their aridity, they are often inhabited by diverse microscopic communities of cyanobacteria. These organisms are commonly found in lithic habitats, where they are partially sheltered from extremes of temperature and UV radiation. However, living under the rock surface imposes additional constraints, such as limited light availability, and enrichment of longer wavelengths than are typically usable for oxygenic photosynthesis. Some cyanobacteria from the genus Chroococcidiopsis can use this light to photosynthesize, in a process known as far-red light photoacclimation, or FaRLiP. This genus has commonly been reported from both hot and cold deserts. However, not all Chroococcidiopsis strains carry FaRLiP genes, thus motivating our study into the interplay between FaRLiP and extreme lithic environments. The abundance of sequence data and strains provided the necessary material for an in-depth phylogenetic study, involving spectroscopy, microscopy, and determination of pigment composition, as well as gene and genome analyses. Pigment analyses revealed the presence of red-shifted chlorophylls d and f in all FaRLiP strains tested. In addition, eight genus-level taxa were defined within the encompassing Chroococcidiopsidales, clarifying the phylogeny of this long-standing polyphyletic order. FaRLiP is near universally present in a generalist genus identified in a wide variety of environments, Chroococcidiopsis sensu stricto, while it is rare or absent in closely related, extremophile taxa, including those preferentially inhabiting deserts. This likely reflects the evolutionary process of gene loss in specialist lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Antonaru
- Institute for Experimental Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Vera M Selinger
- Institute for Experimental Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Jung
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Pirmasens, Germany
| | - Giorgia Di Stefano
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- PhD Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicholas D Sanderson
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| | - Leanne Barker
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel J Wilson
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Department of Biology, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Daniel P Canniffe
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Daniela Billi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Dennis J Nürnberg
- Institute for Experimental Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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14
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Gisriel CJ, Elias E, Shen G, Soulier NT, Brudvig GW, Croce R, Bryant DA. Structural comparison of allophycocyanin variants reveals the molecular basis for their spectral differences. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023:10.1007/s11120-023-01048-4. [PMID: 37773575 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01048-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Allophycocyanins are phycobiliproteins that absorb red light and transfer the energy to the reaction centers of oxygenic photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and red algae. Recently, it was shown that some allophycocyanins absorb far-red light and that one subset of these allophycocyanins, comprising subunits from the ApcD4 and ApcB3 subfamilies (FRL-AP), form helical nanotubes. The lowest energy absorbance maximum of the oligomeric ApcD4-ApcB3 complexes occurs at 709 nm, which is unlike allophycocyanin (AP; ApcA-ApcB) and allophycocyanin B (AP-B; ApcD-ApcB) trimers that absorb maximally at ~ 650 nm and ~ 670 nm, respectively. The molecular bases of the different spectra of AP variants are presently unclear. To address this, we structurally compared FRL-AP with AP and AP-B, performed spectroscopic analyses on FRL-AP, and leveraged computational approaches. We show that among AP variants, the α-subunit constrains pyrrole ring A of its phycocyanobilin chromophore to different extents, and the coplanarity of ring A with rings B and C sets a baseline for the absorbance maximum of the chromophore. Upon oligomerization, the α-chromophores of all AP variants exhibit a red shift of the absorbance maximum of ~ 25 to 30 nm and band narrowing. We exclude excitonic coupling in FRL-AP as the basis for this red shift and extend the results to discuss AP and AP-B. Instead, we attribute these spectral changes to a conformational alteration of pyrrole ring D, which becomes more coplanar with rings B and C upon oligomerization. This study expands the molecular understanding of light-harvesting attributes of phycobiliproteins and will aid in designing phycobiliproteins for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eduard Elias
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Nathan T Soulier
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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15
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Gisriel CJ, Flesher DA, Long Z, Liu J, Wang J, Bryant DA, Batista VS, Brudvig GW. A quantitative assessment of (bacterio)chlorophyll assignments in the cryo-EM structure of the Chloracidobacterium thermophilum reaction center. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023:10.1007/s11120-023-01047-5. [PMID: 37749456 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01047-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Chlorophylls and bacteriochlorophylls are the primary pigments used by photosynthetic organisms for light harvesting, energy transfer, and electron transfer. Many molecular structures of (bacterio)chlorophyll-containing protein complexes are available, some of which contain mixtures of different (bacterio)chlorophyll types. Differentiating these, which sometimes are structurally similar, is challenging but is required for leveraging structural data to gain functional insight. The reaction center complex from Chloroacidobacterium thermophilum has a hybrid (bacterio)chlorophyll antenna system containing both chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a molecules. The recent availability of its cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure provides an opportunity for a quantitative analysis of their identities and chemical environments. Here, we describe a theoretical basis for differentiating chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a in a cryo-EM map, and apply the approach to the experimental cryo-EM maps of the (bacterio)chlorophyll sites of the chloroacidobacterial reaction center. The comparison reveals that at ~ 2.2-Å resolution, chlorophyll a and bacteriochlorophyll a are easily distinguishable, but the orientation of the bacteriochlorophyll a acetyl moiety is not; however, the latter can confidently be assigned by identifying a hydrogen bond donor from the protein environment. This study reveals the opportunities and challenges in assigning (bacterio)chlorophyll types in structural biology, the accuracy of which is vital for downstream investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David A Flesher
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Zhuoran Long
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jinchan Liu
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jimin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Victor S Batista
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
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16
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Chen M, Sawicki A, Wang F. Modeling the Characteristic Residues of Chlorophyll f Synthase (ChlF) from Halomicronema hongdechloris to Determine Its Reaction Mechanism. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2305. [PMID: 37764149 PMCID: PMC10535343 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Photosystem II (PSII) is a quinone-utilizing photosynthetic system that converts light energy into chemical energy and catalyzes water splitting. PsbA (D1) and PsbD (D2) are the core subunits of the reaction center that provide most of the ligands to redox-active cofactors and exhibit photooxidoreductase activities that convert quinone and water into quinol and dioxygen. The performed analysis explored the putative uncoupled electron transfer pathways surrounding P680+ induced by far-red light (FRL) based on photosystem II (PSII) complexes containing substituted D1 subunits in Halomicronema hongdechloris. Chlorophyll f-synthase (ChlF) is a D1 protein paralog. Modeling PSII-ChlF complexes determined several key protein motifs of ChlF. The PSII complexes included a dysfunctional Mn4CaO5 cluster where ChlF replaced the D1 protein. We propose the mechanism of chlorophyll f synthesis from chlorophyll a via free radical chemistry in an oxygenated environment created by over-excited pheophytin a and an inactive water splitting reaction owing to an uncoupled Mn4CaO5 cluster in PSII-ChlF complexes. The role of ChlF in the formation of an inactive PSII reaction center is under debate, and putative mechanisms of chlorophyll f biosynthesis are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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17
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Sheridan KJ, Brown TJ, Eaton-Rye JJ, Summerfield TC. Expression of the far-red D1 protein or introduction of conserved far-red D1 residues into Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 impairs Photosystem II. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2023; 175:e13997. [PMID: 37882270 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
The wavelengths of light harvested in oxygenic photosynthesis are ~400-700 nm. Some cyanobacteria respond to far-red light exposure via a process called far-red light photoacclimation which enables absorption of light at wavelengths >700 nm and its use to support photosynthesis. Far-red-light-induced changes include up-regulation of alternative copies of multiple proteins of Photosystem II (PS II). This includes an alternative copy of the D1 protein, D1FR . Here, we show that D1FR introduced into Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (hereafter Synechocystis 6803) can be incorporated into PS II centres that evolve oxygen at low rates but cannot support photoautotrophic growth. Using mutagenesis to modify the psbA2 gene of Synechocystis 6803, we modified residues in helices A, B, and C to be characteristic of D1FR residues. Modification of the Synechocystis 6803 helix A to resemble the D1FR helix A, with modifications in the region of the bound ß-carotene (CarD1 ) and the accessory chlorophyll, ChlZD1 , produced a strain with a similar phenotype to the D1FR strain. In contrast, the D1FR changes in helices B and C had minor impacts on photoautotrophy but impacted the function of PS II, possibly through a change in the equilibrium for electron sharing between the primary and secondary plastoquinone electron acceptors QA and QB in favour of QA - . The addition of combinations of residue changes in helix C indicates compensating effects may occur and highlight the need to experimentally determine the impact of multiple residue changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Sheridan
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Toby J Brown
- Department of Botany, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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18
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Shen LQ, Zhang ZC, Huang L, Zhang LD, Yu G, Chen M, Li R, Qiu BS. Chlorophyll f production in two new subaerial cyanobacteria of the family Oculatellaceae. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2023; 59:370-382. [PMID: 36680560 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Chlorophyll (Chl) f was recently identified in a few cyanobacteria as the fifth chlorophyll of oxygenic organisms. In this study, two Leptolyngbya-like strains of CCNU0012 and CCNU0013 were isolated from a dry ditch in Chongqing city and a brick wall in Mount Emei Scenic Area in China, respectively. These two strains were described as new species: Elainella chongqingensis sp. nov. (Oculatellaceae, Synechococcales) and Pegethrix sichuanica sp. nov. (Oculatellaceae, Synechococcales) by the polyphasic approach based on morphological features, phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and secondary structure comparison of 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer domains. Both strains produced Chl a under white light (WL) but additionally induced Chl f synthesis under far-red light (FRL). Unexpectedly, the content of Chl f in P. sichuanica was nearly half that in most Chl f-producing cyanobacteria. Red-shifted phycobiliproteins were also induced in both strains under FRL conditions. Subsequently, additional absorption peak beyond 700 nm in the FRL spectral region appeared in these two strains. This is the first report of Chl f production induced by FRL in the family Oculatellaceae. This study not only extended the diversity of Chl f-producing cyanobacteria but also provided precious samples to elucidate the essential binding sites of Chl f within cyanobacterial photosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qin Shen
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhong-Chun Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Li Huang
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lu-Dan Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Gongliang Yu
- Key Lab of Algal Biology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Min Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Renhui Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bao-Sheng Qiu
- School of Life Sciences, and Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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19
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Battistuzzi M, Cocola L, Claudi R, Pozzer AC, Segalla A, Simionato D, Morosinotto T, Poletto L, La Rocca N. Oxygenic photosynthetic responses of cyanobacteria exposed under an M-dwarf starlight simulator: Implications for exoplanet's habitability. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1070359. [PMID: 36824196 PMCID: PMC9941696 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1070359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The search for life on distant exoplanets is expected to rely on atmospheric biosignatures detection, such as oxygen of biological origin. However, it is not demonstrated how much oxygenic photosynthesis, which on Earth depends on visible light, could work under spectral conditions simulating exoplanets orbiting the Habitable Zone of M-dwarf stars, which have low light emission in the visible and high light emission in the far-red/near-infrared. By utilizing cyanobacteria, the first organisms to evolve oxygenic photosynthesis on our planet, and a starlight simulator capable of accurately reproducing the emission spectrum of an M-dwarf in the range 350-900 nm, we could answer this question. METHODS We performed experiments with the cyanobacterium Chlorogloeopsis fritschii PCC6912, capable of Far-Red Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP), which allows the strain to harvest far-red in addition to visible light for photosynthesis, and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, a species unable to perform this photoacclimation, comparing their responses when exposed to three simulated light spectra: M-dwarf, solar and far-red. We analysed growth and photosynthetic acclimation features in terms of pigment composition and photosystems organization. Finally, we determined the oxygen production of the strains directly exposed to the different spectra. RESULTS Both cyanobacteria were shown to grow and photosynthesize similarly under M-dwarf and solar light conditions: Synechocystis sp. by utilizing the few photons in the visible, C. fritschii by harvesting both visible and far-red light, activating the FaRLiP response. DISCUSSION Our results experimentally show that an M-dwarf light spectrum could support a biological oxygen production similar to that in solar light at the tested light intensities, suggesting the possibility to discover such atmospheric biosignatures on those exoplanets if other boundary conditions are met.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Battistuzzi
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cocola
- National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), Padua, Italy
| | - Riccardo Claudi
- National Institute for Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Padua (INAF-OAPD), Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Caterina Pozzer
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- National Institute for Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Padua (INAF-OAPD), Padua, Italy
| | - Anna Segalla
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Tomas Morosinotto
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Poletto
- National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), Padua, Italy
| | - Nicoletta La Rocca
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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20
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Gisriel CJ, Shen G, Flesher DA, Kurashov V, Golbeck JH, Brudvig GW, Amin M, Bryant DA. Structure of a dimeric photosystem II complex from a cyanobacterium acclimated to far-red light. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102815. [PMID: 36549647 PMCID: PMC9843442 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosystem II (PSII) is the water-splitting enzyme central to oxygenic photosynthesis. To drive water oxidation, light is harvested by accessory pigments, mostly chlorophyll (Chl) a molecules, which absorb visible light (400-700 nm). Some cyanobacteria facultatively acclimate to shaded environments by altering their photosynthetic machinery to additionally absorb far-red light (FRL, 700-800 nm), a process termed far-red light photoacclimation or FaRLiP. During far-red light photoacclimation, FRL-PSII is assembled with FRL-specific isoforms of the subunits PsbA, PsbB, PsbC, PsbD, and PsbH, and some Chl-binding sites contain Chls d or f instead of the usual Chl a. The structure of an apo-FRL-PSII monomer lacking the FRL-specific PsbH subunit has previously been determined, but visualization of the dimeric complex has remained elusive. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of a dimeric FRL-PSII complex. The site assignments for Chls d and f are consistent with those assigned in the previous apo-FRL-PSII monomeric structure. All sites that bind Chl d or Chl f at high occupancy exhibit a FRL-specific interaction of the formyl moiety of the Chl d or Chl f with the protein environment, which in some cases involves a phenylalanine sidechain. The structure retains the FRL-specific PsbH2 subunit, which appears to alter the energetic landscape of FRL-PSII, redirecting energy transfer from the phycobiliprotein complex to a Chl f molecule bound by PsbB2 that acts as a bridge for energy transfer to the electron transfer chain. Collectively, these observations extend our previous understanding of the structure-function relationship that allows PSII to function using lower energy FRL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Gisriel
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA,For correspondence: Christopher J. Gisriel; Donald A. Bryant
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David A. Flesher
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Vasily Kurashov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John H. Golbeck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA,Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gary W. Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA,Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Muhamed Amin
- Department of Sciences, University College Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands,Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands,Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Donald A. Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA,For correspondence: Christopher J. Gisriel; Donald A. Bryant
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21
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Vergara-Barros P, Alcorta J, Casanova-Katny A, Nürnberg DJ, Díez B. Compensatory Transcriptional Response of Fischerella thermalis to Thermal Damage of the Photosynthetic Electron Transfer Chain. Molecules 2022; 27:8515. [PMID: 36500606 PMCID: PMC9740203 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Key organisms in the environment, such as oxygenic photosynthetic primary producers (photosynthetic eukaryotes and cyanobacteria), are responsible for fixing most of the carbon globally. However, they are affected by environmental conditions, such as temperature, which in turn affect their distribution. Globally, the cyanobacterium Fischerella thermalis is one of the main primary producers in terrestrial hot springs with thermal gradients up to 60 °C, but the mechanisms by which F. thermalis maintains its photosynthetic activity at these high temperatures are not known. In this study, we used molecular approaches and bioinformatics, in addition to photophysiological analyses, to determine the genetic activity associated with the energy metabolism of F. thermalis both in situ and in high-temperature (40 °C to 65 °C) cultures. Our results show that photosynthesis of F. thermalis decays with temperature, while increased transcriptional activity of genes encoding photosystem II reaction center proteins, such as PsbA (D1), could help overcome thermal damage at up to 60 °C. We observed that F. thermalis tends to lose copies of the standard G4 D1 isoform while maintaining the recently described D1INT isoform, suggesting a preference for photoresistant isoforms in response to the thermal gradient. The transcriptional activity and metabolic characteristics of F. thermalis, as measured by metatranscriptomics, further suggest that carbon metabolism occurs in parallel with photosynthesis, thereby assisting in energy acquisition under high temperatures at which other photosynthetic organisms cannot survive. This study reveals that, to cope with the harsh conditions of hot springs, F. thermalis has several compensatory adaptations, and provides emerging evidence for mixotrophic metabolism as being potentially relevant to the thermotolerance of this species. Ultimately, this work increases our knowledge about thermal adaptation strategies of cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Vergara-Barros
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago 8370186, Chile
| | - Jaime Alcorta
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Angélica Casanova-Katny
- Laboratory of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Natural Resources, Campus Luis Rivas del Canto, Catholic University of Temuco, Temuco 4780000, Chile
| | - Dennis J. Nürnberg
- Institute of Experimental Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Beatriz Díez
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Biological Sciences Faculty, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation (CGR), Santiago 8370186, Chile
- Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2, Santiago 8370449, Chile
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22
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Pinevich AV, Averina SG. On the Edge of the Rainbow: Red-Shifted Chlorophylls and Far-Red Light Photoadaptation in Cyanobacteria. Microbiology (Reading) 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261722602019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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23
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Otsu T, Eki T, Hirose Y. A hybrid type of chromatic acclimation regulated by the dual green/red photosensory systems in cyanobacteria. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:779-793. [PMID: 35751608 PMCID: PMC9434153 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are phototrophic bacteria that perform oxygenic photosynthesis. They use a supermolecular light-harvesting antenna complex, the phycobilisome (PBS), to capture and transfer light energy to photosynthetic reaction centers. Certain cyanobacteria alter the absorption maxima and/or overall structure of their PBSs in response to the ambient light wavelength-a process called chromatic acclimation (CA). One of the most well-known CA types is the response to green and red light, which is controlled by either the RcaEFC or CcaSR photosensory system. Here, we characterized a hybrid type of CA in the cyanobacterium Pleurocapsa sp. Pasteur Culture Collection (PCC) 7319 that uses both RcaEFC and CcaSR systems. In vivo spectroscopy suggested that strain PCC 7319 alters the relative composition of green-absorbing phycoerythrin and red-absorbing phycocyanin in the PBS. RNA sequencing and promoter motif analyses suggested that the RcaEFC system induces a gene operon for phycocyanin under red light, whereas the CcaSR system induces a rod-membrane linker gene under green light. Induction of the phycoerythrin genes under green light may be regulated through a yet unidentified photosensory system called the Cgi system. Spectroscopy analyses of the isolated PBSs suggested that hemidiscoidal and rod-shaped PBSs enriched with phycoerythrin were produced under green light, whereas only hemidiscoidal PBSs enriched with phycocyanin were produced under red light. PCC 7319 uses the RcaEFC and CcaSR systems to regulate absorption of green or red light (CA3) and the amount of rod-shaped PBSs (CA1), respectively. Cyanobacteria can thus flexibly combine diverse CA types to acclimate to different light environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshihiko Eki
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi 441-8580, Japan
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24
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Billi D, Napoli A, Mosca C, Fagliarone C, de Carolis R, Balbi A, Scanu M, Selinger VM, Antonaru LA, Nürnberg DJ. Identification of far-red light acclimation in an endolithic Chroococcidiopsis strain and associated genomic features: Implications for oxygenic photosynthesis on exoplanets. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:933404. [PMID: 35992689 PMCID: PMC9386421 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.933404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deserts represent extreme habitats where photosynthetic life is restricted to the lithic niche. The ability of rock-inhabiting cyanobacteria to modify their photosynthetic apparatus and harvest far-red light (near-infrared) was investigated in 10 strains of the genus Chroococcidiopsis, previously isolated from diverse endolithic and hypolithic desert communities. The analysis of their growth capacity, photosynthetic pigments, and apcE2-gene presence revealed that only Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 010 was capable of far-red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP). A total of 15 FaRLiP genes were identified, encoding paralogous subunits of photosystem I, photosystem II, and the phycobilisome, along with three regulatory elements. CCMEE 010 is unique among known FaRLiP strains by undergoing this acclimation process with a significantly reduced cluster, which lacks major photosystem I paralogs psaA and psaB. The identification of an endolithic, extremotolerant cyanobacterium capable of FaRLiP not only contributes to our appreciation of this phenotype’s distribution in nature but also has implications for the possibility of oxygenic photosynthesis on exoplanets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Billi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Daniela Billi,
| | - Alessandro Napoli
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Ph.D. Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Mosca
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Amedeo Balbi
- Department of Physics, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Scanu
- Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Vera M. Selinger
- Department of Physics, Biochemistry and Biophysics of Photosynthetic Organisms, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Laura A. Antonaru
- Department of Physics, Biochemistry and Biophysics of Photosynthetic Organisms, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dennis J. Nürnberg
- Department of Physics, Biochemistry and Biophysics of Photosynthetic Organisms, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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25
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Chromatic Acclimation Processes and Their Relationships with Phycobiliprotein Complexes. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081562. [PMID: 36013980 PMCID: PMC9415938 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromatic acclimation (CA) is a widespread mechanism for optimizing the composition of phycobiliprotein complexes to maximize the cyanobacterial light capture efficiency. There are seven CA types, CA1-CA7, classified according to various photoregulatory pathways. Here, we use sequence analyses and bioinformatics to predict the presence of CA types according to three GAF (cGMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA)-containing photoreceptors, CcaS (cyanobacterial chromatic acclimation sensor), RcaE (regulator of chromatic adaptation), and RfpA (regulator for far-red photoacclimation). These photoreceptors were classified into three different phylogenetic groups leading different CA types in a diverse range of cyanobacteria. Combining with genomic information of phycobilisome compositions, the CA capabilities of various cyanobacteria were conjectured. Screening 65 accessible cyanobacterial genomes, we defined 19 cyanobacteria that have the capability to perform far-red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP) under the control of RfpA. Forty out of sixty-five cyanobacteria have the capability to perform green/red light photoacclimation, although they use different photoreceptors (RcaE and/or CcaS) and photoregulatory pathways. The reversible response of photoreceptors in CA regulation pathways trigged by changed light conditions reflects the flexibility of photoregulatory mechanisms in cyanobacteria and the putative independent evolutionary origin of photoacclimation types.
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26
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Soulier N, Walters K, Laremore TN, Shen G, Golbeck JH, Bryant DA. Acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus to low light in a thermophilic Synechococcus sp. strain. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 153:21-42. [PMID: 35441927 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-022-00918-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Depending upon their growth responses to high and low irradiance, respectively, thermophilic Synechococcus sp. isolates from microbial mats associated with the effluent channels of Mushroom Spring, an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park, can be described as either high-light (HL) or low-light (LL) ecotypes. Strains isolated from the bottom of the photic zone grow more rapidly at low irradiance compared to strains isolated from the uppermost layer of the mat, which conversely grow better at high irradiance. The LL-ecotypes develop far-red absorbance and fluorescence emission features after growth in LL. These isolates have a unique gene cluster that encodes a putative cyanobacteriochrome denoted LcyA, a putative sensor histidine kinase; an allophycocyanin (FRL-AP; ApcD4-ApcB3) that absorbs far-red light; and a putative chlorophyll a-binding protein, denoted IsiX, which is homologous to IsiA. The emergence of FRL absorbance in LL-adapted cells of Synechococcus sp. strain A1463 was analyzed in cultures responding to differences in light intensity. The far-red absorbance phenotype arises from expression of a novel antenna complex containing the FRL-AP, ApcD4-ApcB3, which is produced when cells were grown at very low irradiance. Additionally, the two GAF domains of LcyA were shown to bind phycocyanobilin and a [4Fe-4S] cluster, respectively. These ligands potentially enable this photoreceptor to respond to a variety of environmental factors including irradiance, redox potential, and/or oxygen concentration. The products of the gene clusters specific to LL-ecotypes likely facilitate growth in low-light environments through a process called Low-Light Photoacclimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Soulier
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, S-002 Frear Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Karim Walters
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, S-002 Frear Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Tatiana N Laremore
- Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facility, Huck Institute for the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, S-002 Frear Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - John H Golbeck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, S-002 Frear Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, S-002 Frear Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
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27
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Molecular Evolution of Far-Red Light-Acclimated Photosystem II. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071270. [PMID: 35888987 PMCID: PMC9325196 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are major contributors to global carbon fixation and primarily use visible light (400-700 nm) to drive oxygenic photosynthesis. When shifted into environments where visible light is attenuated, a small, but highly diverse and widespread number of cyanobacteria can express modified pigments and paralogous versions of photosystem subunits and phycobiliproteins that confer far-red light (FRL) absorbance (700-800 nm), a process termed far-red light photoacclimation, or FaRLiP. During FaRLiP, alternate photosystem II (PSII) subunits enable the complex to bind chlorophylls d and f, which absorb at lower energy than chlorophyll a but still support water oxidation. How the FaRLiP response arose remains poorly studied. Here, we report ancestral sequence reconstruction and structure-based molecular evolutionary studies of the FRL-specific subunits of FRL-PSII. We show that the duplications leading to the origin of two PsbA (D1) paralogs required to make chlorophyll f and to bind chlorophyll d in water-splitting FRL-PSII are likely the first to have occurred prior to the diversification of extant cyanobacteria. These duplications were followed by those leading to alternative PsbC (CP43) and PsbD (D2) subunits, occurring early during the diversification of cyanobacteria, and culminating with those leading to PsbB (CP47) and PsbH paralogs coincident with the radiation of the major groups. We show that the origin of FRL-PSII required the accumulation of a relatively small number of amino acid changes and that the ancestral FRL-PSII likely contained a chlorophyll d molecule in the electron transfer chain, two chlorophyll f molecules in the antenna subunits at equivalent positions, and three chlorophyll a molecules whose site energies were altered. The results suggest a minimal model for engineering far-red light absorbance into plant PSII for biotechnological applications.
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28
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Reflections on Cyanobacterial Chromatic Acclimation: Exploring the Molecular Bases of Organismal Acclimation and Motivation for Rethinking the Promotion of Equity in STEM. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2022; 86:e0010621. [PMID: 35727025 PMCID: PMC9491170 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00106-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that exhibit characteristic acclimation and developmental responses to dynamic changes in the external light environment. Photomorphogenesis is the tuning of cellular physiology, development, morphology, and metabolism in response to external light cues. The tuning of photosynthetic pigmentation, carbon fixation capacity, and cellular and filament morphologies to changes in the prevalent wavelengths and abundance of light have been investigated to understand the regulation and fitness implications of different aspects of cyanobacterial photomorphogenesis. Chromatic acclimation (CA) is the most common form of photomorphogenesis that has been explored in cyanobacteria. Multiple types of CA in cyanobacteria have been reported, and insights gained into the regulatory pathways and networks controlling some of these CA types. I examine the recent expansion of CA types that occur in nature and provide an overview of known regulatory factors involved in distinct aspects of cyanobacterial photomorphogenesis. Additionally, I explore lessons for cultivating success in scientific communities that can be drawn from a reflection on existing knowledge of and approaches to studying CA.
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29
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The antenna of far-red absorbing cyanobacteria increases both absorption and quantum efficiency of Photosystem II. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3562. [PMID: 35729108 PMCID: PMC9213480 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria carry out photosynthetic light-energy conversion using phycobiliproteins for light harvesting and the chlorophyll-rich photosystems for photochemistry. While most cyanobacteria only absorb visible photons, some of them can acclimate to harvest far-red light (FRL, 700-800 nm) by integrating chlorophyll f and d in their photosystems and producing red-shifted allophycocyanin. Chlorophyll f insertion enables the photosystems to use FRL but slows down charge separation, reducing photosynthetic efficiency. Here we demonstrate with time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy that on average charge separation in chlorophyll-f-containing Photosystem II becomes faster in the presence of red-shifted allophycocyanin antennas. This is different from all known photosynthetic systems, where additional light-harvesting complexes increase the overall absorption cross section but slow down charge separation. This remarkable property can be explained with the available structural and spectroscopic information. The unique design is probably important for these cyanobacteria to efficiently switch between visible and far-red light.
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30
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Adaptation of Cyanobacteria to the Endolithic Light Spectrum in Hyper-Arid Deserts. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10061198. [PMID: 35744716 PMCID: PMC9228357 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10061198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In hyper-arid deserts, endolithic microbial communities survive in the pore spaces and cracks of rocks, an environment that enhances water retention and filters UV radiation. The rock colonization zone is enriched in far-red light (FRL) and depleted in visible light. This poses a challenge to cyanobacteria, which are the primary producers of endolithic communities. Many species of cyanobacteria are capable of Far-Red-Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP), a process in which FRL induces the synthesis of specialized chlorophylls and remodeling of the photosynthetic apparatus, providing the ability to grow in FRL. While FaRLiP has been reported in cyanobacteria from various low-light environments, our understanding of light adaptations for endolithic cyanobacteria remains limited. Here, we demonstrated that endolithic Chroococcidiopsis isolates from deserts around the world synthesize chlorophyll f, an FRL-specialized chlorophyll when FRL is the sole light source. The metagenome-assembled genomes of these isolates encoded chlorophyll f synthase and all the genes required to implement the FaRLiP response. We also present evidence of FRL-induced changes to the major light-harvesting complexes of a Chroococcidiopsis isolate. These findings indicate that endolithic cyanobacteria from hyper-arid deserts use FRL photoacclimation as an adaptation to the unique light transmission spectrum of their rocky habitat.
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31
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Shen LQ, Zhang ZC, Shang JL, Li ZK, Chen M, Li R, Qiu BS. Kovacikia minuta sp. nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae, Cyanobacteria), a new freshwater chlorophyll f-producing cyanobacterium. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2022; 58:424-435. [PMID: 35279831 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A few groups of cyanobacteria have been characterized as having far-red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP) that results from chlorophyll f (Chl f) production. In this study, using a polyphasic approach, we taxonomically transferred the Cf. Leptolyngbya sp. CCNUW1 isolated from a shaded freshwater pond, which produces Chl f under far-red light, to the genus Kovacikia and named this taxon Kovacikia minuta sp. nov. This strain was morphologically similar to Leptolyngbya-like strains. The thin filaments were purplish-brown under white light but became grass green under far-red light. The 31-gene phylogeny grouped K. minuta CCNU0001 into order Synechococcales and family Leptolyngbyaceae. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences further showed that K. minuta CCNU0001 was clustered into Kovacikia with similarities of 97.2-97.4% to the recently reported type species of Kovacikia muscicola HA7619-LM3. Additionally, the internal transcribed spacer region between 16S-23S rRNA genes had a unique sequence and secondary structure compared with other Kovacikia strains and phylogenetically related taxa. Draft genome sequences of K. minuta CCNU0001 (8,564,336 bp) were assembled into one circular chromosome and two circular plasmids. A FaRLiP 20-gene cluster comprised two operons with the unique organization. In sum, K. minuta was established as a new species, and it is the first species reported to produce Chl f and for which a draft genome was produced in genus Kovacikia. This study expanded our knowledge regarding the diversity of Chl f-producing cyanobacteria in far-red light-enriched environments and provides important foundational information for future investigations of FaRLiP evolution in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Qin Shen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zhong-Chun Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Jin-Long Shang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Zheng-Ke Li
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
| | - Min Chen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Renhui Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Bao-Sheng Qiu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, 430079, China
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32
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Homologs of Phycobilisome Abundance Regulator PsoR Are Widespread across Cyanobacteria. MICROBIOLOGY RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/microbiolres13020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During chromatic acclimation (CA), cyanobacteria undergo shifts in their physiology and metabolism in response to changes in their light environment. Various forms of CA, which involves the tuning of light-harvesting accessory complexes known as phycobilisomes (PBS) in response to distinct wavelengths of light, have been recognized. Recently, a negative regulator of PBS abundance, PsoR, about which little was known, was identified. We used sequence analyses and bioinformatics to predict the role of PsoR in cyanobacteria and PBS regulation and to examine its presence in a diverse range of cyanobacteria. PsoR has sequence similarities to the β-CASP family of proteins involved in DNA and RNA processing. PsoR is a putative nuclease widespread across Cyanobacteria, of which over 700 homologs have been observed. Promoter analysis suggested that psoR is co-transcribed with upstream gene tcpA. Multiple transcription factors involved in global gene regulation and stress responses were predicted to bind to the psoR-tcpA promoter. The predicted protein–protein interactions with PsoR homologs included proteins involved in DNA and RNA metabolism, as well as a phycocyanin-associated protein predicted to interact with PsoR from Fremyella diplosiphon (FdPsoR). The widespread presence of PsoR homologs in Cyanobacteria and their ties to DNA- and RNA-metabolizing proteins indicated a potentially unique role for PsoR in CA and PBS abundance regulation.
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33
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Rockwell NC, Moreno MV, Martin SS, Lagarias JC. Protein-chromophore interactions controlling photoisomerization in red/green cyanobacteriochromes. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2022; 21:471-491. [PMID: 35411484 PMCID: PMC9609751 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-022-00213-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Photoreceptors in the phytochrome superfamily use 15,16-photoisomerization of a linear tetrapyrrole (bilin) chromophore to photoconvert between two states with distinct spectral and biochemical properties. Canonical phytochromes include master regulators of plant growth and development in which light signals trigger interconversion between a red-absorbing 15Z dark-adapted state and a metastable, far-red-absorbing 15E photoproduct state. Distantly related cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) carry out a diverse range of photoregulatory functions in cyanobacteria and exhibit considerable spectral diversity. One widespread CBCR subfamily typically exhibits a red-absorbing 15Z dark-adapted state similar to that of phytochrome that gives rise to a distinct green-absorbing 15E photoproduct. This red/green CBCR subfamily also includes red-inactive examples that fail to undergo photoconversion, providing an opportunity to study protein-chromophore interactions that either promote photoisomerization or block it. In this work, we identified a conserved lineage of red-inactive CBCRs. This enabled us to identify three substitutions sufficient to block photoisomerization in photoactive red/green CBCRs. The resulting red-inactive variants faithfully replicated the fluorescence and circular dichroism properties of naturally occurring examples. Converse substitutions restored photoconversion in naturally red-inactive CBCRs. This work thus identifies protein-chromophore interactions that control the fate of the excited-state population in red/green cyanobacteriochromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan C Rockwell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Marcus V Moreno
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Shelley S Martin
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - J Clark Lagarias
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
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34
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Hernández-Prieto MA, Hiller R, Chen M. Chlorophyll f can replace chlorophyll a in the soluble antenna of dinoflagellates. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 152:13-22. [PMID: 34988868 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-021-00890-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chlorophyll f is a new type of chlorophyll isolated from cyanobacteria. The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of chlorophyll f permit these oxygenic-photosynthetic organisms to thrive in environments where white light is scarce but far-red light is abundant. To explore the ligand properties of chlorophyll f and its energy transfer profiles we established two different in vitro reconstitution systems. The reconstituted peridinin-chlorophyll f protein complex (chlorophyll f-PCP) showed a stoichiometry ratio of 4:1 between peridinin and chlorophyll f, consistent with the peridinin:chlorophyll a ratio from native PCP complexes. Using emission wavelength at 712 nm, the excitation fluorescence featured a broad peak at 453 nm and a shoulder at 511 nm confirming energy transfer from peridinin to chlorophyll f. In addition, by using a synthetic peptide mimicking the first transmembrane helix of light-harvesting chlorophyll proteins of plants, we report that chlorophyll f, similarly to chlorophyll b, did not interact with the peptide contrarily to chlorophyll a, confirming the accessory role of chlorophyll f in photosystems. The binding of chlorophyll f, even in the presence of chlorophylls a and b, by PCP complexes shows the flexibility of chlorophyll-protein complexes and provides an opportunity for the introduction of new chlorophyll species to extend the photosynthetic spectral range.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roger Hiller
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Min Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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35
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Li Y, Chen M. The specificity of the bilin lyase CpcS for chromophore attachment to allophycocyanin in the chlorophyll f-containing cyanobacterium Halomicronima hongdechloris. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2022; 151:213-223. [PMID: 34564824 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-021-00878-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Phycobilisomes are light-harvesting antenna complexes of cyanobacteria and red algae that are comprised of chromoproteins called phycobiliproteins. PBS core structures are made up of allophycocyanin subunits. Halomicronema hongdechloris (H. hongdechloris) is one of the cyanobacteria that produce chlorophyll f (Chl f) under far-red light and is regulated by the Far-Red Light Photoacclimation gene cluster. There are five genes encoding APC in this specific gene cluster, and they are responsible for assembling the red-shifted PBS in H. hongdechloris grown under far-red light. In this study, the five apc genes located in the FaRLiP gene cluster were heterologously expressed in an Escherichia coli reconstitution system. The canonical APC-encoding genes were also constructed in the same system for comparison. Additionally, five annotated phycobiliprotein lyase-encoding genes (cpcS) from the H. hongdechloris genome were phylogenetically classified and experimentally tested for their catalytic properties including their contribution to the shifted absorption of PBS. Through analysis of recombinant proteins, we determined that the heterodimer of CpcS-I and CpcU are able to ligate a chromophore to the APC-α/APC-β subunits. We discuss some hypotheses towards understanding the roles of the specialised APC and contributions of PBP lyases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Li
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Min Chen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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36
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MacGregor-Chatwin C, Nürnberg DJ, Jackson PJ, Vasilev C, Hitchcock A, Ho MY, Shen G, Gisriel CJ, Wood WH, Mahbub M, Selinger VM, Johnson MP, Dickman MJ, Rutherford AW, Bryant DA, Hunter CN. Changes in supramolecular organization of cyanobacterial thylakoid membrane complexes in response to far-red light photoacclimation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabj4437. [PMID: 35138895 PMCID: PMC8827656 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj4437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous in nature and have developed numerous strategies that allow them to live in a diverse range of environments. Certain cyanobacteria synthesize chlorophylls d and f to acclimate to niches enriched in far-red light (FRL) and incorporate paralogous photosynthetic proteins into their photosynthetic apparatus in a process called FRL-induced photoacclimation (FaRLiP). We characterized the macromolecular changes involved in FRL-driven photosynthesis and used atomic force microscopy to examine the supramolecular organization of photosystem I associated with FaRLiP in three cyanobacterial species. Mass spectrometry showed the changes in the proteome of Chroococcidiopsis thermalis PCC 7203 that accompany FaRLiP. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and electron microscopy reveal an altered cellular distribution of photosystem complexes and illustrate the cell-to-cell variability of the FaRLiP response.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dennis J. Nürnberg
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Physics Department, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philip J. Jackson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Ming-Yang Ho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Christopher J. Gisriel
- Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Moontaha Mahbub
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Mark J. Dickman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Donald A. Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - C. Neil Hunter
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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37
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Gisriel CJ, Shen G, Ho MY, Kurashov V, Flesher DA, Wang J, Armstrong WH, Golbeck JH, Gunner MR, Vinyard DJ, Debus RJ, Brudvig GW, Bryant DA. Structure of a monomeric photosystem II core complex from a cyanobacterium acclimated to far-red light reveals the functions of chlorophylls d and f. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101424. [PMID: 34801554 PMCID: PMC8689208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Far-red light (FRL) photoacclimation in cyanobacteria provides a selective growth advantage for some terrestrial cyanobacteria by expanding the range of photosynthetically active radiation to include far-red/near-infrared light (700-800 nm). During this photoacclimation process, photosystem II (PSII), the water:plastoquinone photooxidoreductase involved in oxygenic photosynthesis, is modified. The resulting FRL-PSII is comprised of FRL-specific core subunits and binds chlorophyll (Chl) d and Chl f molecules in place of several of the Chl a molecules found when cells are grown in visible light. These new Chls effectively lower the energy canonically thought to define the "red limit" for light required to drive photochemical catalysis of water oxidation. Changes to the architecture of FRL-PSII were previously unknown, and the positions of Chl d and Chl f molecules had only been proposed from indirect evidence. Here, we describe the 2.25 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of a monomeric FRL-PSII core complex from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7335 cells that were acclimated to FRL. We identify one Chl d molecule in the ChlD1 position of the electron transfer chain and four Chl f molecules in the core antenna. We also make observations that enhance our understanding of PSII biogenesis, especially on the acceptor side of the complex where a bicarbonate molecule is replaced by a glutamate side chain in the absence of the assembly factor Psb28. In conclusion, these results provide a structural basis for the lower energy limit required to drive water oxidation, which is the gateway for most solar energy utilization on earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gaozhong Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Ming-Yang Ho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Vasily Kurashov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David A Flesher
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jimin Wang
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - John H Golbeck
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marilyn R Gunner
- Department of Physics, City College of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - David J Vinyard
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Richard J Debus
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Gary W Brudvig
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
| | - Donald A Bryant
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Intercollege Graduate Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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38
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Tang K, Beyer HM, Zurbriggen MD, Gärtner W. The Red Edge: Bilin-Binding Photoreceptors as Optogenetic Tools and Fluorescence Reporters. Chem Rev 2021; 121:14906-14956. [PMID: 34669383 PMCID: PMC8707292 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review adds the bilin-binding phytochromes to the Chemical Reviews thematic issue "Optogenetics and Photopharmacology". The work is structured into two parts. We first outline the photochemistry of the covalently bound tetrapyrrole chromophore and summarize relevant spectroscopic, kinetic, biochemical, and physiological properties of the different families of phytochromes. Based on this knowledge, we then describe the engineering of phytochromes to further improve these chromoproteins as photoswitches and review their employment in an ever-growing number of different optogenetic applications. Most applications rely on the light-controlled complex formation between the plant photoreceptor PhyB and phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) or C-terminal light-regulated domains with enzymatic functions present in many bacterial and algal phytochromes. Phytochrome-based optogenetic tools are currently implemented in bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals to achieve light control of a wide range of biological activities. These cover the regulation of gene expression, protein transport into cell organelles, and the recruitment of phytochrome- or PIF-tagged proteins to membranes and other cellular compartments. This compilation illustrates the intrinsic advantages of phytochromes compared to other photoreceptor classes, e.g., their bidirectional dual-wavelength control enabling instant ON and OFF regulation. In particular, the long wavelength range of absorption and fluorescence within the "transparent window" makes phytochromes attractive for complex applications requiring deep tissue penetration or dual-wavelength control in combination with blue and UV light-sensing photoreceptors. In addition to the wide variability of applications employing natural and engineered phytochromes, we also discuss recent progress in the development of bilin-based fluorescent proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Tang
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hannes M. Beyer
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matias D. Zurbriggen
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology and CEPLAS, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse
1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Retired: Max Planck Institute
for Chemical Energy Conversion. At present: Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University
Leipzig, Linnéstrasse
3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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39
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Sirohiwal A, Pantazis DA. Electrostatic profiling of photosynthetic pigments: implications for directed spectral tuning. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:24677-24684. [PMID: 34708851 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp02580e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes harvest solar energy with a high quantum efficiency. Protein scaffolds are known to tune the spectral properties of embedded pigments principally through structured electrostatic environments. Although the physical nature of electrostatic tuning is straightforward, the precise spatial principles of electrostatic preorganization remain poorly explored for different protein matrices and incompletely characterized with respect to the intrinsic properties of different photosynthetic pigments. In this work, we study the electronic structure features associated with the lowest excited state of a series of eight naturally occurring (bacterio)chlorophylls and pheophytins to describe the precise topological differences in electrostatic potentials and hence determine intrinsic differences in the expected mode and impact of electrostatic tuning. The difference electrostatic potentials between the ground and first excited states are used as fingerprints. Both the spatial profile and the propensity for spectral tuning are found to be unique for each pigment, indicating spatially and directionally distinct modes of electrostatic tuning. The results define a specific partitioning of the protein matrix around each pigment as an aid to identify regions with a maximal impact on spectral tuning and have direct implications for dimensionality reduction in protein design and engineering. Thus, a quantum mechanical basis is provided for understanding, predicting, and ultimately designing sequence-modified or pigment-exchanged biological systems, as suggested for selected examples of pigment-reconstituted proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Sirohiwal
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
| | - Dimitrios A Pantazis
- Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Platz 1, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany.
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40
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Averina S, Polyakova E, Senatskaya E, Pinevich A. A new cyanobacterial genus Altericista and three species, A. lacusladogae sp. nov., A. violacea sp. nov., and A. variichlora sp. nov., described using a polyphasic approach. JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY 2021; 57:1517-1529. [PMID: 34107051 DOI: 10.1111/jpy.13188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Several strains of unicellular cyanobacteria from the culture collection of St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia (CALU), which were preliminary identified as Synechocystis sp., are reclassified in the new genus Altericista. Three new species are proposed, A. lacusladogae, A. violacea, and A. variichlora. The last species produces accessory chlorophylls d and f in cultures illuminated by far-red light, an attribute rarely observed in cyanobacteria, especially in unicellular strains. This genus is morphologically similar to Synechocysis having coccoid cells that divide in two successive planes at right angles, containing no sheath or capsule, and having the lamellar system represented by peripheral concentric thylakoids. Altericista shows ecological, biochemical, and physiological characters unlike those in Synechocystis and has the distinguishing phenotypic characters as follows: freshwater, non-halotolerant ecotype; palmitate and α-linoleate as major fatty acids; and the ability to photoacclimate, including several types of complementary chromatic adaptation. Genetic differences from Synechocystis sp. include 16S rRNA, rpoC1, and rbcL gene sequences, as well as sequence and folding of 16S-23S ITS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Averina
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Elena Polyakova
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Senatskaya
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
| | - Alexander Pinevich
- Department of Microbiology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199178, Russia
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41
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Hu C, Nawrocki WJ, Croce R. Long-term adaptation of Arabidopsis thaliana to far-red light. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:3002-3014. [PMID: 33599977 PMCID: PMC8453498 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Vascular plants use carotenoids and chlorophylls a and b to harvest solar energy in the visible region (400-700 nm), but they make little use of the far-red (FR) light. Instead, some cyanobacteria have developed the ability to use FR light by redesigning their photosynthetic apparatus and synthesizing red-shifted chlorophylls. Implementing this strategy in plants is considered promising to increase crop yield. To prepare for this, a characterization of the FR light-induced changes in plants is necessary. Here, we explore the behaviour of Arabidopsis thaliana upon exposure to FR light by following the changes in morphology, physiology and composition of the photosynthetic complexes. We found that after FR-light treatment, the ratio between the photosystems and their antenna size drastically readjust in an attempt to rebalance the energy input to support electron transfer. Despite a large increase in PSBS accumulation, these adjustments result in strong photoinhibition when FR-adapted plants are exposed to light again. Crucially, FR light-induced changes in the photosynthetic membrane are not the result of senescence, but are a response to the excitation imbalance between the photosystems. This indicates that an increase in the FR absorption by the photosystems should be sufficient for boosting photosynthetic activity in FR light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Hu
- Biophysics of Photosynthesis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of ScienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Wojciech J. Nawrocki
- Biophysics of Photosynthesis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of ScienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Biophysics of Photosynthesis, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of ScienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
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42
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Elias E, Liguori N, Saga Y, Schäfers J, Croce R. Harvesting Far-Red Light with Plant Antenna Complexes Incorporating Chlorophyll d. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:3313-3322. [PMID: 34269578 PMCID: PMC8356222 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Increasing the absorption cross section of plants by introducing far-red absorbing chlorophylls (Chls) has been proposed as a strategy to boost crop yields. To make this strategy effective, these Chls should bind to the photosynthetic complexes without altering their functional architecture. To investigate if plant-specific antenna complexes can provide the protein scaffold to accommodate these Chls, we have reconstituted the main light-harvesting complex (LHC) of plants LHCII in vitro and in silico, with Chl d. The results demonstrate that LHCII can bind Chl d in a number of binding sites, shifting the maximum absorption ∼25 nm toward the red with respect to the wild-type complex (LHCII with Chl a and b) while maintaining the native LHC architecture. Ultrafast spectroscopic measurements show that the complex is functional in light harvesting and excitation energy transfer. Overall, we here demonstrate that it is possible to obtain plant LHCs with enhanced far-red absorption and intact functional properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Elias
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicoletta Liguori
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yoshitaka Saga
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502, Osaka, Japan
| | - Judith Schäfers
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics,
Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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43
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Oliver T, Sánchez-Baracaldo P, Larkum AW, Rutherford AW, Cardona T. Time-resolved comparative molecular evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOENERGETICS 2021; 1862:148400. [PMID: 33617856 PMCID: PMC8047818 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2021.148400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oxygenic photosynthesis starts with the oxidation of water to O2, a light-driven reaction catalysed by photosystem II. Cyanobacteria are the only prokaryotes capable of water oxidation and therefore, it is assumed that the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis is a late innovation relative to the origin of life and bioenergetics. However, when exactly water oxidation originated remains an unanswered question. Here we use phylogenetic analysis to study a gene duplication event that is unique to photosystem II: the duplication that led to the evolution of the core antenna subunits CP43 and CP47. We compare the changes in the rates of evolution of this duplication with those of some of the oldest well-described events in the history of life: namely, the duplication leading to the Alpha and Beta subunits of the catalytic head of ATP synthase, and the divergence of archaeal and bacterial RNA polymerases and ribosomes. We also compare it with more recent events such as the duplication of Cyanobacteria-specific FtsH metalloprotease subunits and the radiation leading to Margulisbacteria, Sericytochromatia, Vampirovibrionia, and other clades containing anoxygenic phototrophs. We demonstrate that the ancestral core duplication of photosystem II exhibits patterns in the rates of protein evolution through geological time that are nearly identical to those of the ATP synthase, RNA polymerase, or the ribosome. Furthermore, we use ancestral sequence reconstruction in combination with comparative structural biology of photosystem subunits, to provide additional evidence supporting the premise that water oxidation had originated before the ancestral core duplications. Our work suggests that photosynthetic water oxidation originated closer to the origin of life and bioenergetics than can be documented based on phylogenetic or phylogenomic species trees alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Oliver
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Tanai Cardona
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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44
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Gwizdala M, Lebre PH, Maggs-Kölling G, Marais E, Cowan DA, Krüger TPJ. Sub-lithic photosynthesis in hot desert habitats. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:3867-3880. [PMID: 33817951 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In hyper-arid soil environments, photosynthetic microorganisms are largely restricted to hypolithic (sub-lithic) habitats: i.e., on the ventral surfaces of translucent pebbles in desert pavements. Here, we combined fluorometric, spectroscopic, biochemical and metagenomic approaches to investigate in situ the light transmission properties of quartz stones in the Namib Desert, and assess the photosynthetic activity of the underlying hypolithic cyanobacterial biofilms. Quartz pebbles greatly reduced the total photon flux to the ventral surface biofilms and filtered out primarily the short wavelength portion of the solar spectrum. Chlorophylls d and f were not detected in biofilm pigment extracts; however, hypolithic cyanobacterial communities showed some evidence of adaptation to sub-lithic conditions, including the prevalence of genes encoding Helical Carotenoid Proteins, which are associated with desiccation stress. Under water-saturated conditions, hypolithic communities showed no evidence of light stress, even when the quartz stones were exposed to full midday sunlight. This initial study creates a foundation for future in-situ and laboratory exploration of various adaptation mechanisms employed by photosynthetic organisms forming hypolithic microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Gwizdala
- Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Pedro H Lebre
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | | | - Eugene Marais
- Gobabeb-Namib Research Institute, Walvis Bay, Namibia
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Tjaart P J Krüger
- Department of Physics, University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.,Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Lynnwood Road, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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45
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Russo M, Casazza AP, Cerullo G, Santabarbara S, Maiuri M. Direct Evidence for Excitation Energy Transfer Limitations Imposed by Low-Energy Chlorophylls in Photosystem I-Light Harvesting Complex I of Land Plants. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3566-3573. [PMID: 33788560 PMCID: PMC8154617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c01498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The overall efficiency
of photosynthetic energy conversion depends
both on photochemical and excitation energy transfer processes from
extended light-harvesting antenna networks. Understanding the trade-offs
between increase in the antenna cross section and bandwidth and photochemical
conversion efficiency is of central importance both from a biological
perspective and for the design of biomimetic artificial photosynthetic
complexes. Here, we employ two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy
to spectrally resolve the excitation energy transfer dynamics and
directly correlate them with the initial site of excitation in photosystem
I–light harvesting complex I (PSI-LHCI) supercomplex of land
plants, which has both a large antenna dimension and a wide optical
bandwidth extending to energies lower than the peak of the reaction
center chlorophylls. Upon preferential excitation of the low-energy
chlorophylls (red forms), the average relaxation time in the bulk
supercomplex increases by a factor of 2–3 with respect to unselective
excitation at higher photon energies. This slowdown is interpreted
in terms of an excitation energy transfer limitation from low-energy
chlorophyll forms in the PSI-LHCI. These results aid in defining the
optimum balance between the extension of the antenna bandwidth to
the near-infrared region, which increases light-harvesting capacity,
and high photoconversion quantum efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Russo
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Paola Casazza
- Istituto di Biologia e Biotecnologia Agraria, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Bassini 15a, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Giulio Cerullo
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Stefano Santabarbara
- Photosynthesis Research Unit, Centro Studi sulla Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare delle Piante, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Margherita Maiuri
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Phytochromes and Cyanobacteriochromes: Photoreceptor Molecules Incorporating a Linear Tetrapyrrole Chromophore. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1293:167-187. [PMID: 33398813 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-8763-4_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In this chapter, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of the linear tetrapyrrole-binding photoreceptors, phytochromes, and cyanobacteriochromes. We especially focus on the color-tuning mechanisms and conformational changes during the photoconversion process. Furthermore, we introduce current status of development of the optogenetic tools based on these molecules. Huge repertoire of these photoreceptors with diverse spectral properties would contribute to development of multiplex optogenetic regulation. Among them, the photoreceptors incorporating the biliverdin IXα chromophore is advantageous for in vivo optogenetics because this is intrinsic in the mammalian cells, and absorbs far-red light penetrating into deep mammalian tissues.
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Abstract
Cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) are photoswitchable linear tetrapyrrole (bilin)-based light sensors in the phytochrome superfamily with a broad spectral range from the near UV through the far red (330 to 760 nm). The recent discovery of far-red absorbing CBCRs (frCBCRs) has garnered considerable interest from the optogenetic and imaging communities because of the deep penetrance of far-red light into mammalian tissue and the small size of the CBCR protein scaffold. The present studies were undertaken to determine the structural basis for far-red absorption by JSC1_58120g3, a frCBCR from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Leptolyngbya sp. JSC-1 that is a representative member of a phylogenetically distinct class. Unlike most CBCRs that bind phycocyanobilin (PCB), a phycobilin naturally occurring in cyanobacteria and only a few eukaryotic phototrophs, JSC1_58120g3's far-red absorption arises from incorporation of the PCB biosynthetic intermediate 181,182-dihydrobiliverdin (181,182-DHBV) rather than the more reduced and more abundant PCB. JSC1_58120g3 can also yield a far-red-absorbing adduct with the more widespread linear tetrapyrrole biliverdin IXα (BV), thus circumventing the need to coproduce or supplement optogenetic cell lines with PCB. Using high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of 181,182-DHBV and BV adducts of JSC1_58120g3 along with structure-guided mutagenesis, we have defined residues critical for its verdin-binding preference and far-red absorption. Far-red sensing and verdin incorporation make this frCBCR lineage an attractive template for developing robust optogenetic and imaging reagents for deep tissue applications.
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Walter JM, Coutinho FH, Leomil L, Hargreaves PI, Campeão ME, Vieira VV, Silva BS, Fistarol GO, Salomon PS, Sawabe T, Mino S, Hosokawa M, Miyashita H, Maruyama F, van Verk MC, Dutilh BE, Thompson CC, Thompson FL. Ecogenomics of the Marine Benthic Filamentous Cyanobacterium Adonisia. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2020; 80:249-265. [PMID: 32060621 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-019-01480-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Turfs are among the major benthic components of reef systems worldwide. The nearly complete genome sequences, basic physiological characteristics, and phylogenomic reconstruction of two phycobiliprotein-rich filamentous cyanobacteria strains isolated from turf assemblages from the Abrolhos Bank (Brazil) are investigated. Both Adonisia turfae CCMR0081T (= CBAS 745T) and CCMR0082 contain approximately 8 Mbp in genome size and experiments identified that both strains exhibit chromatic acclimation. Whereas CCMR0081T exhibits chromatic acclimation type 3 (CA3) regulating both phycocyanin (PC) and phycoerythrin (PE), CCMR0082 strain exhibits chromatic acclimation type 2 (CA2), in correspondence with genes encoding specific photosensors and regulators for PC and PE. Furthermore, a high number and diversity of secondary metabolite synthesis gene clusters were identified in both genomes, and they were able to grow at high temperatures (28 °C, with scant growth at 30 °C). These characteristics provide insights into their widespread distribution in reef systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juline M Walter
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics (CMBI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Felipe H Coutinho
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics (CMBI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Luciana Leomil
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paulo I Hargreaves
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana E Campeão
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Beatriz S Silva
- Marine Phytoplankton Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Giovana O Fistarol
- Marine Phytoplankton Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paulo S Salomon
- Marine Phytoplankton Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tomoo Sawabe
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
| | - Sayaka Mino
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
| | - Masashi Hosokawa
- Faculty of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan
| | - Hideaki Miyashita
- Office of Academic Research and Industry-Government Collaboration, Hiroshima University, 739-8530, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Fumito Maruyama
- Office of Academic Research and Industry-Government Collaboration, Hiroshima University, 739-8530, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Marcel C van Verk
- Plant-Microbe Interactions, Bioinformatics, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bas E Dutilh
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics (CMBI), Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cristiane C Thompson
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabiano L Thompson
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Center of Technology-CT2, SAGE-COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373, CCS-IB-Biomar, Lab. de Microbiologia, Bloco A3, (Anexo), sl. 102, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP 21941-599, Brazil.
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Harvesting far-red light: Functional integration of chlorophyll f into Photosystem I complexes of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2020; 1861:148206. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Mascoli V, Bersanini L, Croce R. Far-red absorption and light-use efficiency trade-offs in chlorophyll f photosynthesis. NATURE PLANTS 2020; 6:1044-1053. [PMID: 32661277 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-020-0718-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Plants and cyanobacteria use the chlorophylls embedded in their photosystems to absorb photons and perform charge separation, the first step of converting solar energy to chemical energy. While oxygenic photosynthesis is primarily based on chlorophyll a photochemistry, which is powered by red light, a few cyanobacterial species can harness less energetic photons when growing in far-red light. Acclimatization to far-red light involves the incorporation of a small number of molecules of red-shifted chlorophyll f in the photosystems, whereas the most abundant pigment remains chlorophyll a. Due to its different energetics, chlorophyll f is expected to alter the excited-state dynamics of the photosynthetic units and, ultimately, their performances. Here we combined time-resolved fluorescence measurements on intact cells and isolated complexes to show that chlorophyll f insertion slows down the overall energy trapping in both photosystems. While this marginally affects the efficiency of photosystem I, it substantially decreases that of photosystem II. Nevertheless, we show that despite the lower energy output, the insertion of red-shifted chlorophylls in the photosystems remains advantageous in environments that are enriched in far-red light and therefore represents a viable strategy for extending the photosynthetically active spectrum in other organisms, including plants. However, careful design of the new photosynthetic units will be required to preserve their efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Mascoli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Luca Bersanini
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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