Two distinct ferredoxins are essential for nitrogen fixation by the iron nitrogenase in Rhodobacter capsulatus

Nitrogenases are the only enzymes able to fix gaseous nitrogen into bioavailable ammonia and hence are essential for sustaining life. Catalysis by nitrogenases requires both a large amount of ATP and electrons donated by strongly reducing ferredoxins or flavodoxins. Our knowledge about the mechanisms of electron transfer to nitrogenase enzymes is limited: The electron transport to the iron (Fe)-nitrogenase has hardly been investigated. Here, we characterized the electron transfer pathway to the Fe-nitrogenase in Rhodobacter capsulatus via proteome analyses, genetic deletions, complementation studies, and phylogenetics. Proteome analyses revealed an upregulation of four ferredoxins under nitrogen-fixing conditions reliant on the Fe-nitrogenase in a molybdenum nitrogenase knockout strain, compared to non-nitrogen-fixing conditions. Based on these findings, R. capsulatus strains with deletions of ferredoxin (fdx) and flavodoxin (fld, nifF) genes were constructed to investigate their roles in nitrogen fixation by the Fe-nitrogenase. R. capsulatus deletion strains were characterized by monitoring diazotrophic growth and Fe-nitrogenase activity in vivo. Only deletions of fdxC or fdxN resulted in slower growth and reduced Fe-nitrogenase activity, whereas the double deletion of both fdxC and fdxN abolished diazotrophic growth. Differences in the proteomes of ∆fdxC and ∆fdxN strains, in conjunction with differing plasmid complementation behaviors of fdxC and fdxN, indicate that the two Fds likely possess different roles and functions. These findings will guide future engineering of the electron transport systems to nitrogenase enzymes, with the aim of increased electron flux and product formation.IMPORTANCENitrogenases are essential for biological nitrogen fixation, converting atmospheric nitrogen gas to bioavailable ammonia. The production of ammonia by diazotrophic organisms, harboring nitrogenases, is essential for sustaining plant growth. Hence, there is a large scientific interest in understanding the cellular mechanisms for nitrogen fixation via nitrogenases. Nitrogenases rely on highly reduced electrons to power catalysis, although we lack knowledge as to which proteins shuttle the electrons to nitrogenases within cells. Here, we characterized the electron transport to the iron (Fe)-nitrogenase in the model diazotroph Rhodobacter capsulatus, showing that two distinct ferredoxins are very important for nitrogen fixation despite having different redox centers. In addition, our research expands upon the debate on whether ferredoxins have functional redundancy or perform distinct roles within cells. Here, we observe that both essential ferredoxins likely have distinct roles based on differential proteome shifts of deletion strains and different complementation behaviors.

Diel Cycle Proteomics: Illuminating Molecular Dynamics in Purple Bacteria for Optimized Biotechnological Applications

Circadian rhythms, characterized by approximately 24 h cycles, play a pivotal role in enabling various organisms to synchronize their biological activities with daily variations. While ubiquitous in Eukaryotes, circadian clocks remain exclusively characterized in Cyanobacteria among Prokaryotes. These rhythms are regulated by a core oscillator, which is controlled by a cluster of three genes: kaiA, kaiB, and kaiC. Interestingly, recent studies revealed rhythmic activities, potentially tied to a circadian clock, in other Prokaryotes, including purple bacteria such as Rhodospirillum rubrum, known for its applications in fuel and plastic bioproduction. However, the pivotal question of how light and dark cycles influence protein dynamics and the expression of putative circadian clock genes remains unexplored in purple non-sulfur bacteria. Unraveling the regulation of these molecular clocks holds the key to unlocking optimal conditions for harnessing the biotechnological potential of R. rubrum. Understanding how its proteome responds to different light regimes-whether under continuous light or alternating light and dark cycles-could pave the way for precisely fine-tuning bioproduction processes. Here, we report for the first time the expressed proteome of R. rubrum grown under continuous light versus light and dark cycle conditions using a shotgun proteomic analysis. In addition, we measured the impact of light regimes on the expression of four putative circadian clock genes (kaiB1, kaiB2, kaiC1, kaiC2) at the transcriptional and translational levels using RT-qPCR and targeted proteomic (MRM-MS), respectively. The data revealed significant effects of light conditions on the overall differential regulation of the proteome, particularly during the early growth stages. Notably, several proteins were found to be differentially regulated during the light or dark period, thus impacting crucial biological processes such as energy conversion pathways and the general stress response. Furthermore, our study unveiled distinct regulation of the four kai genes at both the mRNA and protein levels in response to varying light conditions. Deciphering the impact of the diel cycle on purple bacteria not only enhances our understanding of their ecology but also holds promise for optimizing their applications in biotechnology, providing valuable insights into the origin and evolution of prokaryotic clock mechanisms.

Elucidating interprotein energy transfer dynamics within the antenna network from purple bacteria

In photosynthesis, absorbed light energy transfers through a network of antenna proteins with near-unity quantum efficiency to reach the reaction center, which initiates the downstream biochemical reactions. While the energy transfer dynamics within individual antenna proteins have been extensively studied over the past decades, the dynamics between the proteins are poorly understood due to the heterogeneous organization of the network. Previously reported timescales averaged over such heterogeneity, obscuring individual interprotein energy transfer steps. Here, we isolated and interrogated interprotein energy transfer by embedding two variants of the primary antenna protein from purple bacteria, light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2), together into a near-native membrane disc, known as a nanodisc. We integrated ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, quantum dynamics simulations, and cryogenic electron microscopy to determine interprotein energy transfer timescales. By varying the diameter of the nanodiscs, we replicated a range of distances between the proteins. The closest distance possible between neighboring LH2, which is the most common in native membranes, is 25 Å and resulted in a timescale of 5.7 ps. Larger distances of 28 to 31 Å resulted in timescales of 10 to 14 ps. Corresponding simulations showed that the fast energy transfer steps between closely spaced LH2 increase transport distances by ∼15%. Overall, our results introduce a framework for well-controlled studies of interprotein energy transfer dynamics and suggest that protein pairs serve as the primary pathway for the efficient transport of solar energy.

The structure and assembly of reaction centre-light-harvesting 1 complexes in photosynthetic bacteria

Chlorophototrophic organisms have a charge-separating reaction centre (RC) complex that receives energy from a dedicated light-harvesting (LH) antenna. In the purple phototrophic bacteria these two functions are embodied by the 'core' photosynthetic component, the RC-LH1 complex. RC-LH1 complexes sit within a membrane bilayer, with the central RC wholly or partly surrounded by a curved array of LH1 subunits that bind a series of bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) and carotenoid pigments. Decades of research have shown that the absorption of light initiates a cascade of energy, electron, and proton transfers that culminate in the formation of a quinol, which is subsequently oxidized by the cytochrome bc1 complex. However, a full understanding of all these processes, from femtosecond absorption of light to millisecond quinone diffusion, requires a level of molecular detail that was lacking until the remarkable recent upsurge in the availability of RC-LH1 structures. Here, we survey thirteen recently determined RC-LH1 assemblies, and we compare the precise molecular arrangements of pigments and proteins that allow efficient light absorption and the transfer of energy, electrons and protons. We highlight shared structural features, as well as differences that span the bound pigments and cofactors, the structures of individual subunits, the overall architecture of the complexes, and the roles of additional subunits newly identified in just one or a few species. We discuss RC-LH1 structures in the context of prior biochemical and spectroscopic investigations, which together enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis in the purple phototrophic bacteria. A particular emphasis is placed on...

Intracytoplasmic-membrane development in alphaproteobacteria involves the homolog of the mitochondrial crista-developing protein Mic60

Mitochondrial cristae expand the surface area of respiratory membranes and ultimately allow for the evolutionary scaling of respiration with cell volume across eukaryotes. The discovery of Mic60 homologs among alphaproteobacteria, the closest extant relatives of mitochondria, suggested that cristae might have evolved from bacterial intracytoplasmic membranes (ICMs). Here, we investigated the predicted structure and function of alphaproteobacterial Mic60, and a protein encoded by an adjacent gene Orf52, in two distantly related purple alphaproteobacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Rhodopseudomonas palustris. In addition, we assessed the potential physical interactors of Mic60 and Orf52 in R. sphaeroides. We show that the three α helices of mitochondrial Mic60's mitofilin domain, as well as its adjacent membrane-binding amphipathic helix, are present in alphaproteobacterial Mic60. The disruption of Mic60 and Orf52 caused photoheterotrophic growth defects, which are most severe under low light conditions, and both their disruption and overexpression led to enlarged ICMs in both studied alphaproteobacteria. We also found that alphaproteobacterial Mic60 physically interacts with BamA, the homolog of Sam50, one of the main physical interactors of eukaryotic Mic60. This interaction, responsible for making contact sites at mitochondrial envelopes, has been conserved in modern alphaproteobacteria despite more than a billion years of evolutionary divergence. Our results suggest a role for Mic60 in photosynthetic ICM development and contact site formation at alphaproteobacterial envelopes. Overall, we provide support for the hypothesis that mitochondrial cristae evolved from alphaproteobacterial ICMs and have therefore improved our understanding of the nature of the mitochondrial ancestor.

Properties and Crystal Structure of the Cereibacter sphaeroides Photosynthetic Reaction Center with Double Amino Acid Substitution I(L177)H + F(M197)H

The photosynthetic reaction center of the purple bacterium Cereibacter sphaeroides with two site-directed mutations Ile-L177-His and M197 Phe-His is of double interest. The substitution I(L177)H results in strong binding of a bacteriochlorophyll molecule with L-subunit. The second mutation F(M197)H introduces a new H-bond between the C2-acetyl carbonyl group of the bacteriochlorophyll P_B and His-M197, which is known to enhance the stability of the complex. Due to this H-bond, π -electron system of P finds itself connected to an extensive H-bonding network on the periplasmic surface of the complex. The crystal structure of the double mutant reaction center obtained with 2.6 Å resolution allows clarifying consequences of the Ile L177 - His substitution. The value of the P/P⁺ midpoint potential in the double mutant RC was found to be ~20 mV less than the sum of potentials measured in the two RCs with single mutations I(L177)H and F(M197)H. The protein environment of the BChls P_A and B_B were found to be similar to that in the RC with single substitution I(L177)H, whereas an altered pattern of the H-bonding networks was found in the vicinity of bacteriochlorophyll P_B. The data obtained are consistent with our previous assumption on a correlation between the bulk of the H-bonding network connected with the π-electron system of the primary electron donor P and the value of its oxidation potential.

Transcriptome and Deletion Mutant Analyses Revealed that an RpoH Family Sigma Factor Is Essential for Photosystem Production in Roseateles depolymerans under Carbon Starvation

Roseateles depolymerans is an obligately aerobic bacterium that produces a photosynthetic apparatus only under the scarcity of carbon substrates. We herein examined changes in the transcriptomes of R. depolymerans cells to clarify the expression of photosynthesis genes and their upstream regulatory factors under carbon starvation. Transcriptomes 0, 1, and 6‍ ‍h after the depletion of a carbon substrate indicated that transcripts showing the greatest variations (a 500-fold increase [6 h/0 h]) were light-harvesting proteins (PufA and PufB). Moreover, loci with more than 50-fold increases (6 h/0‍ ‍h) were fully related to the photosynthetic gene cluster. Among 13 sigma factor genes, the transcripts of a sigma 70 family sigma factor related to RpoH (SP70) increased along photosynthesis genes under starvation; therefore, a knockout experiment of SP70 was performed. ΔSP70 mutants were found to lack photosynthetic pigments (carotenoids and bacteriochlo-rophyll a) regardless of carbon starvation. We also examined the effects of heat stress on ΔSP70 mutants, and found that SP70 was also related to heat stress tolerance, similar to other RpoH sigma factors (while heat stress did not trigger photosystem production). The deficient accumulation of photosynthetic pigments and the heat stress tolerance of ΔSP70 mutants were both complemented by the introduction of an intact SP70 gene. Furthermore, the transcription of photosynthetic gene operons (puf, puh, and bch) was markedly reduced in the ΔSP70 mutant. The RpoH homologue SP70 was concluded to be a sigma factor that is essential for the transcription of photosynthetic gene operons in R. depolymerans.

Bio-Inspired Redox-Adhesive Polydopamine Matrix for Intact Bacteria Biohybrid Photoanodes

Interfacing intact and metabolically active photosynthetic bacteria with abiotic electrodes requires both establishing extracellular electron transfer and immobilizing the biocatalyst on electrode surfaces. Artificial approaches for photoinduced electron harvesting through redox polymers reported in literature require the separate synthesis of artificial polymeric matrices and their subsequent combination with bacterial cells, making the development of biophotoanodes complex and less sustainable. Herein, we report a one-pot biocompatible and sustainable approach, inspired by the byssus of mussels, that provides bacterial cells adhesion on multiple surfaces under wet conditions to obtain biohybrid photoanodes with facilitated photoinduced electron harvesting. Purple bacteria were utilized as a model organism, as they are of great interest for the development of photobioelectrochemical systems for H2 and NH3 synthesis, biosensing, and bioremediation purposes. The polydopamine matrix preparation strategy allowed the entrapment of active purple bacteria cells by initial oxygenic polymerization followed by electrochemical polymerization. Our results unveil that the deposition of bacterial cells with simultaneous polymerization of polydopamine on the electrode surface enables a 5-fold enhancement in extracellular electron transfer at the biotic/abiotic interface while maintaining the viability of the cells. The presented approach paves the way for a more sustainable development of biohybrid photoelectrodes.

New Approach for the Construction and Calibration of Gas-Tight Setups for Biohydrogen Production at the Small Laboratory Scale

Biohydrogen production in small laboratory scale culture vessels is often difficult to perform and quantitate. One problem is that commonly used silicon tubing and improvised plastic connections used for constructing apparatus are cheap and easy to connect but are generally not robust for gases such as hydrogen. In addition, this type of apparatus presents significant safety concerns. Here, we demonstrate the construction of hydrogen-tight apparatus using a commercially available modular system, where plastic tubing and connections are made of explosion-proof dissipative plastic material. Using this system, we introduce a gas chromatograph calibration procedure, which can be easily performed without necessarily resorting to expensive commercial gas standards for the calibration of hydrogen gas concentrations. In this procedure, the amount of hydrogen produced by the reaction of sodium borohydride with water in a closed air-filled bottle is deduced from the observed decrease of the oxygen partial pressure, using the ideal gas law. Finally, the determined calibration coefficients and the gas-tight apparatus are used for the analysis of simultaneous oxygen consumption and hydrogen production of the purple photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodospirillum rubrum, during semi-aerobic growth in the dark.

Effects of Mixing Volatile Fatty Acids as Carbon Sources on Rhodospirillum rubrum Carbon Metabolism and Redox Balance Mechanisms

Rhodospirillum rubrum has a versatile metabolism, and as such can assimilate a broad range of carbon sources, including volatile fatty acids. These carbon sources are gaining increasing interest for biotechnological processes, since they reduce the production costs for numerous value-added compounds and contribute to the development of a more circular economy. Usually, studies characterizing carbon metabolism are performed by supplying a single carbon source; however, in both environmental and engineered conditions, cells would rather grow on mixtures of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) generated via anaerobic fermentation. In this study, we show that the use of a mixture of VFAs as carbon source appears to have a synergy effect on growth phenotype. In addition, while propionate and butyrate assimilation in Rs. rubrum is known to require an excess of bicarbonate in the culture medium, mixing them reduces the requirement for bicarbonate supplementation. The fixation of CO2 is one of the main electron sinks in purple bacteria; therefore, this observation suggests an adaptation of both metabolic pathways used for the assimilation of these VFAs and redox homeostasis mechanism. Based on proteomic data, modification of the propionate assimilation pathway seems to occur with a switch from a methylmalonyl-CoA intermediate to the methylcitrate cycle. Moreover, it seems that the presence of a mixture of VFAs switches electron sinking from CO2 fixation to H2 and isoleucine production.

Analysis of the Involvement of the Isoleucine Biosynthesis Pathway in Photoheterotrophic Metabolism of Rhodospirillum rubrum

Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) are recognized as a highly versatile group of bacteria that assimilate a broad range of carbon sources. Growing heterotrophically, PNSB such as Rhodospirillum rubrum (Rs. rubrum) generate reduced equivalents that are used for biomass production. However, under photoheterotrophic conditions, more reduced electron carriers than required to produce biomass are generated. The excess of reduced equivalents still needs to be oxidized for the metabolism to optimally operate. These metabolic reactions are known as electron sinks. Most PNSB rely on the CO2-fixing Calvin cycle and H2 production to oxidize these reduced equivalents. In addition to these well-described electron sinks, the involvement of some pathways, such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis, in redox poise is still controversial and requires further studies. Among them, isoleucine biosynthesis has been recently highlighted as one of these potential pathways. Here, we explore the role of isoleucine biosynthesis in Rs. rubrum. Our results demonstrate that the isoleucine content is higher under illuminated conditions and that submitting Rs. rubrum to light stress further increases this phenomenon. Moreover, we explore the production of (p)ppGpp in Rs. rubrum and its potential link with light stress. We further demonstrate that a fully functional isoleucine biosynthesis pathway could be an important feature for the onset of Rs. rubrum growth under photoheterotrophic conditions even in the presence of an exogenous isoleucine source. Altogether, our data suggest that isoleucine biosynthesis could play a key role in redox homeostasis.

The Relationship between the Spatial Arrangement of Pigments and Exciton Transition Moments in Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complexes

Considering bacteriochlorophyll molecules embedded in the protein matrix of the light-harvesting complexes of purple bacteria (known as LH2 and LH1-RC) as examples of systems of interacting pigment molecules, we investigated the relationship between the spatial arrangement of the pigments and their exciton transition moments. Based on the recently reported crystal structures of LH2 and LH1-RC and the outcomes of previous theoretical studies, as well as adopting the Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian for two-level molecules, we performed visualizations of the LH2 and LH1 exciton transition moments. To make the electron transition moments in the exciton representation invariant with respect to the position of the system in space, a system of pigments must be translated to the center of mass before starting the calculations. As a result, the visualization of the transition moments for LH2 provided the following pattern: two strong transitions were outside of LH2 and the other two were perpendicular and at the center of LH2. The antenna of LH1-RC was characterized as having the same location of the strongest moments in the center of the complex, exactly as in the B850 ring, which actually coincides with the RC. Considering LH2 and LH1 as supermolecules, each of which has excitation energies and corresponding transition moments, we propose that the outer transitions of LH2 can be important for inter-complex energy exchange, while the inner transitions keep the energy in the complex; moreover, in the case of LH1, the inner transitions increased the rate of antenna-to-RC energy transfer.

Engineering Photosynthetic Bioprocesses for Sustainable Chemical Production: A Review

Microbial production of chemicals using renewable feedstocks such as glucose has emerged as a green alternative to conventional chemical production processes that rely primarily on petroleum-based feedstocks. The carbon footprint of such processes can further be reduced by using engineered cells that harness solar energy to consume feedstocks traditionally considered to be wastes as their carbon sources. Photosynthetic bacteria utilize sophisticated photosystems to capture the energy from photons to generate reduction potential with such rapidity and abundance that cells often cannot use it fast enough and much of it is lost as heat and light. Engineering photosynthetic organisms could enable us to take advantage of this energy surplus by redirecting it toward the synthesis of commercially important products such as biofuels, bioplastics, commodity chemicals, and terpenoids. In this work, we review photosynthetic pathways in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to better understand how these organisms have naturally evolved to harness solar energy. We also discuss more recent attempts at engineering both the photosystems and downstream reactions that transfer reducing power to improve target chemical production. Further, we discuss different methods for the optimization of photosynthetic bioprocess including the immobilization of cells and the optimization of light delivery. We anticipate this review will serve as an important resource for future efforts to engineer and harness photosynthetic bacteria for chemical production.

Photoheterotrophic Assimilation of Valerate and Associated Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production by Rhodospirillum rubrum

Purple nonsulfur bacteria are increasingly recognized for industrial applications in bioplastics, pigment, and biomass production. In order to optimize the yield of future biotechnological processes, the assimilation of different carbon sources by Rhodospirillum rubrum has to be understood. As they are released from several fermentation processes, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) represent a promising carbon source in the development of circular industrial applications. To obtain an exhaustive characterization of the photoheterotrophic metabolism of R. rubrum in the presence of valerate, we combined phenotypic, proteomic, and genomic approaches. We obtained evidence that valerate is cleaved into acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and propionyl-CoA and depends on the presence of bicarbonate ions. Genomic and enzyme inhibition data showed that a functional methylmalonyl-CoA pathway is essential. Our proteomic data showed that the photoheterotrophic assimilation of valerate induces an intracellular redox stress which is accompanied by an increased abundance of phasins (the main proteins present in polyhydroxyalkanoate [PHA] granules). Finally, we observed a significant increase in the production of the copolymer P(HB-co-HV), accounting for a very high (>80%) percentage of HV monomer. Moreover, an increase in the PHA content was obtained when bicarbonate ions were progressively added to the medium. The experimental conditions used in this study suggest that the redox imbalance is responsible for PHA production. These findings also reinforce the idea that purple nonsulfur bacteria are suitable for PHA production through a strategy other than the well-known feast-and-famine process.IMPORTANCE The use and the littering of plastics represent major issues that humanity has to face. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are good candidates for the replacement of oil-based plastics, as they exhibit comparable physicochemical properties but are biobased and biodegradable. However, the current industrial production of PHAs is curbed by the production costs, which are mainly linked to the carbon source. Volatile fatty acids issued from the fermentation processes constitute interesting carbon sources, since they are inexpensive and readily available. Among them, valerate is gaining interest regarding the ability of many bacteria to produce a copolymer of PHAs. Here, we describe the photoheterotrophic assimilation of valerate by Rhodospirillum rubrum, a purple nonsulfur bacterium mainly known for its metabolic versatility. Using a knowledge-based optimization process, we present a new strategy for the improvement of PHA production, paving the way for the use of R. rubrum in industrial processes.

Global Proteomic Analysis Reveals High Light Intensity Adaptation Strategies and Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production in Rhodospirillum rubrum Cultivated With Acetate as Carbon Source

Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSBs) are well known for their metabolic versatility. Among them, Rhodospirillum rubrum can assimilate a broad range of carbon sources, including volatile fatty acids (VFAs), such as acetate, propionate or butyrate. These carbon sources are gaining increasing interest in bioindustrial processes since they allow reduction of the production costs. Recently, our lab discovered that, after long term cultivation with acetate as unique carbon source, Rs. rubrum got acclimated to this carbon source which resulted in a drastic reduction of the lag phase. This acclimation was characterized by the amplification of the genomic region containing, among others, genes belonging to the ethylmalonyl-CoA (EMC) pathway, which has been demonstrated to be required for acetate assimilation in Rs. rubrum. In this paper, we combined bacterial growth analysis with proteomic (SWATH -Sequential Windowed Acquisition of All Theoretical Fragment Ion Mass Spectra-processing) investigation to better understand the bacterial response to a sudden increase of the light intensity. We compared the impact of suddenly increasing light intensity on the WT strain to that on the newly described acetate-competent strain in the presence of acetate. Contrary to what was observed with the WT strain, we observed that the acetate-competent strain was tolerant to the light stress. Proteomic analysis revealed that increasing light intensity had a significant impact on the photosynthetic apparatus, especially in the wild-type strain cultivated in the presence of acetate and low concentration of HCO₃^–. This phenomenon was accompanied by a relatively higher abundance of certain stress related proteins. Our results suggested that the production of PHA, but also potentially of branched chain amino acids synthesis, could be part of the mechanism used by Rs. rubrum to adapt to the light stress and the redox imbalance it triggered.

Diversity of Chlorophototrophic Bacteria Revealed in the Omics Era

Because of recent advances in omics methodologies, knowledge of chlorophototrophy (i.e., chlorophyll-based phototrophy) in bacteria has rapidly increased. Chlorophototrophs currently are known to occur in seven bacterial phyla: Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, Chlorobi, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes. Other organisms that can produce chlorophylls and photochemical reaction centers may still be undiscovered. Here we summarize the current status of the taxonomy and phylogeny of chlorophototrophic bacteria as revealed by genomic methods. In specific cases, we briefly describe important ecophysiological and metabolic insights that have been gained from the application of genomic methods to these bacteria. In the 20 years since the completion of the Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 genome in 1996, approximately 1,100 genomes have been sequenced, which represents nearly the complete diversity of known chlorophototrophic bacteria. These data are leading to new insights into many important processes, including photosynthesis, nitrogen and carbon fixation, cellular differentiation and development, symbiosis, and ecosystem functionality.

Recipient-Biased Competition for an Intracellularly Generated Cross-Fed Nutrient Is Required for Coexistence of Microbial Mutualists

Many mutualistic microbial relationships are based on nutrient cross-feeding. Traditionally, cross-feeding is viewed as being unidirectional, from the producer to the recipient. This is likely true when a producer’s waste, such as a fermentation product, has value only for a recipient. However, in some cases the cross-fed nutrient holds value for both the producer and the recipient. In such cases, there is potential for nutrient reacquisition by producer cells in a population, leading to competition against recipients. Here, we investigated the consequences of interpartner competition for cross-fed nutrients on mutualism dynamics by using an anaerobic coculture pairing fermentative Escherichia coli and phototrophic Rhodopseudomonas palustris. In this coculture, E. coli excretes waste organic acids that provide a carbon source for R. palustris. In return, R. palustris cross-feeds E. coli ammonium (NH₄⁺), a compound that both species value. To explore the potential for interpartner competition, we first used a kinetic model to simulate cocultures with varied affinities for NH₄⁺ in each species. The model predicted that interpartner competition for NH₄⁺ could profoundly impact population dynamics. We then experimentally tested the predictions by culturing mutants lacking NH₄⁺ transporters in both NH₄⁺ competition assays and mutualistic cocultures. Both theoretical and experimental results indicated that the recipient must have a competitive advantage in acquiring cross-fed NH₄⁺ to sustain the mutualism. This recipient-biased competitive advantage is predicted to be crucial, particularly when the communally valuable nutrient is generated intracellularly. Thus, the very metabolites that form the basis for mutualistic cross-feeding can also be subject to competition between mutualistic partners.

Mutualistic relationships, particularly those based on nutrient cross-feeding, promote stability of diverse ecosystems and drive global biogeochemical cycles. Cross-fed nutrients within these systems can be either waste products valued by only one partner or nutrients valued by both partners. Here, we explored how interpartner competition for a communally valuable cross-fed nutrient impacts mutualism dynamics. We discovered that mutualism stability necessitates that the recipient have a competitive advantage against the producer in obtaining the cross-fed nutrient, provided that the nutrient is generated intracellularly. We propose that the requirement for recipient-biased competition is a general rule for mutualistic coexistence based on the transfer of intracellularly generated, communally valuable resources.

The Origin of Mitochondrial Cristae from Alphaproteobacteria

Mitochondria are the respiratory organelles of eukaryotes and their evolutionary history is deeply intertwined with that of eukaryotes. The compartmentalization of respiration in mitochondria occurs within cristae, whose evolutionary origin has remained unclear. Recent discoveries, however, have revived the old notion that mitochondrial cristae could have had a pre-endosymbiotic origin. Mitochondrial cristae are likely homologous to the intracytoplasmic membranes (ICMs) used by diverse alphaproteobacteria for harnessing energy. Because the Mitochondrial Contact site and Cristae Organizing System (MICOS) that controls the development of cristae evolved from a simplified version that is phylogenetically restricted to Alphaproteobacteria (alphaMICOS), ICMs most probably transformed into cristae during the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria. This inference is supported by the sequence and structural similarities between MICOS and alphaMICOS, and the expression pattern and cellular localization of alphaMICOS. Given that cristae and ICMs develop similarly, alphaMICOS likely functions analogously to mitochondrial MICOS by culminating ICM development with the creation of tubular connections and membrane contact sites at the alphaproteobacterial envelope. Mitochondria thus inherited a pre-existing ultrastructure adapted to efficient energy transduction from their alphaproteobacterial ancestors. The widespread nature of purple bacteria among alphaproteobacteria raises the possibility that cristae evolved from photosynthetic ICMs.

Sulfide-responsive transcriptional repressor SqrR functions as a master regulator of sulfide-dependent photosynthesis

Sulfide was used as an electron donor early in the evolution of photosynthesis, with many extant photosynthetic bacteria still capable of using sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a photosynthetic electron donor. Although enzymes involved in H2S oxidation have been characterized, mechanisms of regulation of sulfide-dependent photosynthesis have not been elucidated. In this study, we have identified a sulfide-responsive transcriptional repressor, SqrR, that functions as a master regulator of sulfide-dependent gene expression in the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus SqrR has three cysteine residues, two of which, C41 and C107, are conserved in SqrR homologs from other bacteria. Analysis with liquid chromatography coupled with an electrospray-interface tandem-mass spectrometer reveals that SqrR forms an intramolecular tetrasulfide bond between C41 and C107 when incubated with the sulfur donor glutathione persulfide. SqrR is oxidized in sulfide-stressed cells, and tetrasulfide-cross-linked SqrR binds more weakly to a target promoter relative to unmodified SqrR. C41S and C107S R. capsulatus SqrRs lack the ability to respond to sulfide, and constitutively repress target gene expression in cells. These results establish that SqrR is a sensor of H2S-derived reactive sulfur species that maintain sulfide homeostasis in this photosynthetic bacterium and reveal the mechanism of sulfide-dependent transcriptional derepression of genes involved in sulfide metabolism.

Strong Coupling of Localized Surface Plasmons to Excitons in Light-Harvesting Complexes

Gold nanostructure arrays exhibit surface plasmon resonances that split after attaching light harvesting complexes 1 and 2 (LH1 and LH2) from purple bacteria. The splitting is attributed to strong coupling between the localized surface plasmon resonances and excitons in the light-harvesting complexes. Wild-type and mutant LH1 and LH2 from Rhodobacter sphaeroides containing different carotenoids yield different splitting energies, demonstrating that the coupling mechanism is sensitive to the electronic states in the light harvesting complexes. Plasmon-exciton coupling models reveal different coupling strengths depending on the molecular organization and the protein coverage, consistent with strong coupling. Strong coupling was also observed for self-assembling polypeptide maquettes that contain only chlorins. However, it is not observed for monolayers of bacteriochlorophyll, indicating that strong plasmon-exciton coupling is sensitive to the specific presentation of the pigment molecules.

Single-molecule spectroscopy reveals photosynthetic LH2 complexes switch between emissive states

Photosynthetic organisms flourish under low light intensities by converting photoenergy to chemical energy with near unity quantum efficiency and under high light intensities by safely dissipating excess photoenergy and deleterious photoproducts. The molecular mechanisms balancing these two functions remain incompletely described. One critical barrier to characterizing the mechanisms responsible for these processes is that they occur within proteins whose excited-state properties vary drastically among individual proteins and even within a single protein over time. In ensemble measurements, these excited-state properties appear only as the average value. To overcome this averaging, we investigate the purple bacterial antenna protein light harvesting complex 2 (LH2) from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila at the single-protein level. We use a room-temperature, single-molecule technique, the anti-Brownian electrokinetic trap, to study LH2 in a solution-phase (nonperturbative) environment. By performing simultaneous measurements of fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and spectra of single LH2 complexes, we identify three distinct states and observe transitions occurring among them on a timescale of seconds. Our results reveal that LH2 complexes undergo photoactivated switching to a quenched state, likely by a conformational change, and thermally revert to the ground state. This is a previously unobserved, reversible quenching pathway, and is one mechanism through which photosynthetic organisms can adapt to changes in light intensities.

How Quantum Coherence Assists Photosynthetic Light Harvesting

This perspective examines how hundreds of pigment molecules in purple bacteria cooperate through quantum coherence to achieve remarkable light harvesting efficiency. Quantum coherent sharing of excitation, which modifies excited state energy levels and combines transition dipole moments, enables rapid transfer of excitation over large distances. Purple bacteria exploit the resulting excitation transfer to engage many antenna proteins in light harvesting, thereby increasing the rate of photon absorption and energy conversion. We highlight here how quantum coherence comes about and plays a key role in the photosynthetic apparatus of purple bacteria.