The glycine decarboxylase complex is not essential for the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803

In order to investigate the metabolic importance of glycine decarboxylase (GDC) in cyanobacteria, mutants were generated defective in the genes encoding GDC subunits and the serine hydroxymethyl-transferase (SHMT). It was possible to mutate the genes for GDC subunits P, T, or H protein in the cyanobacterial model strain Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, indicating that GDC is not necessary for cell viability under standard conditions. In contrast, the SHMT coding gene was found to be essential. Almost no changes in growth, pigmentation, or photosynthesis were detected in the GDC subunit mutants, regardless of whether or not they were cultivated at ambient or high CO2 concentrations. The mutation of GDC led to an increased glycine/serine ratio in the mutant cells. Furthermore, supplementation of the medium with low glycine concentrations was toxic for the mutants but not for wild type cells. Conditions stimulating photorespiration in plants, such as low CO2 concentrations, did not induce but decrease the expression of the GDC and SHMT genes in Synechocystis. It appears that, in contrast to heterotrophic bacteria and plants, GDC is dispensable for Synechocystis and possibly other cyanobacteria.

Detection of the isiA gene across cyanobacterial strains: potential for probing iron deficiency

The use of isiA expression to monitor the iron status of cyanobacteria was investigated. Studies of laboratory cultures of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 showed that isiA expression is dependent on the organism's response to iron deficiency; isiA expression starts as soon as a decline in the rate of growth begins. isiA expression is switched on at concentrations of iron citrate of less than 0.7 microM. A PCR method was developed for the specific amplification of the iron-regulated isiA gene from a variety of cyanobacteria. After we developed degenerate primers, 15 new internal isiA fragments (840 bp) were amplified, cloned, and sequenced from strains obtained from algal collections, from new isolates, and from enriched field samples. Furthermore, isiA expression could be detected by means of reverse transcription-PCR when enriched field samples were exposed to restricted iron availability. These results imply that determining the level of iron-regulated isiA expression can serve to indicate iron deficiency in cyanobacterial samples of differing origins from the field.

The iron-regulated isiA gene of Fischerella muscicola strain PCC 73103 is linked to a likewise regulated gene encoding a Pcb-like chlorophyll-binding protein

The expression of the chlorophyll a-binding, iron stress-induced protein IsiA is part of the cyanobacterial response to iron deficiency. A new isiA gene from the filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterial strain, Fischerella muscicola PCC 73103, was identified using standard and inverse PCR. While in unicellular cyanobacterial strains isiA is organized in an operon with isiB (encoding flavodoxin), in Fischerella not an isiB gene but another chlorophyll-binding protein encoding gene was identified downstream of isiA, which shows significant similarities to Pcb-like protein encoding genes known from prochlorophytes. The expression of both genes was clearly activated under iron deficiency. Although isiA and pcbC were independently transcribed, the size of the pcbC transcript indicates a large iron-regulated operon. Beside a 10-fold increase of isiA transcript content iron-starved cells of Fischerella showed a blue-shift in the red chlorophyll a absorption peak. In addition, chlorophyll fluorescence at 77 K was dominated by an emission peak at 685 nm. These features are in accordance with the characteristics of IsiA accumulation in iron-starved unicellular cyanobacteria, suggesting identical IsiA function in heterocystous strains in spite of different genetic organization.

Identification of salt-regulated genes in the genome of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 by subtractive RNA hybridization

To identify genes transcribed preferentially under salt stress, a subtractive RNA hybridization procedure was applied to the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. The screening of a genomic library led to the identification of several RNA species that were more abundant in salt-stressed cells than in control cells. Salt-dependent transcription of the identified genes was verified in Northern blot experiments. In addition to the previously characterized genes cpn60 (encoding GroEL; a molecular chaperone) and isiA (encoding a chlorophyll-binding protein), genes encoding a protein of unknown function (slr0082) and a putative RNA helicase (slr0083) were identified as salt-regulated genes in Synechocystis. Genes slr0082 and slr0083, located at sites adjacent to each other on the Synechocystis chromosome, were transcribed from separate promoters and showed the most significant induction 1-3 h after salt shock. The salt-regulated promoters of these two genes were mapped. Genes cpn60, slr0082, and slr0083 were also found to be induced by a cold shock. The possible role of the identified gene products for salt adaptation of Synechocystis is discussed.

Transcriptional analysis of the isiAB operon in salt-stressed cells of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Expression of the isiA and isiB genes was analysed in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 grown in high salt or in iron-deficient medium. The detection of a 2.3-knt transcript in Northern blot experiments indicated cotranscription of isiAB in an operon, which was confirmed by reverse transcriptase PCR. The abundance of a monocistronic 1.25-knt isiA-specific mRNA was about 10-fold higher than the dicistronic message. The isiAB-specific transcripts were most abundant in cells adapted to 342 mM NaCl and under iron deficiency. The promoter of the operon was mapped to 211 bp upstream of the translational start. A putative Fur binding site was detected immediately upstream of the GTG start codon. A preliminary transcript of about 0.2 knt was detected in cells grown in conditions in which the isiAB operon was not transcribed. This indicates that a repressor binds to the identified Fur binding site and thus inhibits isiAB transcription under low salt and iron replete conditions.