THE PLANT CELL, Vol 5, Issue 12 1853-1863, Copyright © 1993 by American Society of Plant Biologists

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Synechocystis sp PCC 6803 Strains Lacking Photosystem I and Phycobilisome Function

G. Shen, S. Boussiba and WFJ. Vermaas
Department of Botany and Center for the Study of Early Events in Photosynthesis, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1601

To design an in vivo system allowing detailed analysis of photosystem II (PSII) complexes without significant interference from other pigment complexes, part of the psaAB operon coding for the core proteins of photosystem I (PSI) and part of the apcE gene coding for the anchor protein linking the phycobilisome to the thylakoid membrane were deleted from the genome of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp strain PCC 6803. Upon transformation and segregation at low light intensity (5 [mu]E m-2 sec-1), a PSI deletion strain was obtained that is light tolerant and grows reasonably well under photoheterotrophic conditions at 5 [mu]E m-2 sec-1 (doubling time ~28 hr). Subsequent inactivation of apcE by an erythromycin resistance marker led to reduction of the phycobilin-to-chlorophyll ratio and to a further decrease in light sensitivity. The resulting PSI-less/apcE- strain grew photoheterotrophically at normal light intensity (50 [mu]E m-2 sec-1) with a doubling time of 18 hr. Deletion of apcE in the wild type resulted in slow photoautotrophic growth. The remaining phycobilins in apcE- strains were inactive in transferring light energy to PSII. Cells of both the PSI-less and PSI-less/apcE- strains had an approximately sixfold enrichment of PSII on a chlorophyll basis and were as active in oxygen evolution (on a per PSII basis) as the wild type at saturating light intensity. Both PSI-less strains described here are highly appropriate both for detailed PSII studies and as background strains to analyze site- and region-directed PSII mutants in vivo.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Shen, H. S. Leonard, W. M. Schluchter, and D. A. Bryant CpcM Posttranslationally Methylates Asparagine-71/72 of Phycobiliprotein Beta Subunits in Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002 and Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803 J. Bacteriol., July 15, 2008; 190(14): 4808 - 4817. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. F. J. Vermaas, J. A. Timlin, H. D. T. Jones, M. B. Sinclair, L. T. Nieman, S. W. Hamad, D. K. Melgaard, and D. M. Haaland In vivo hyperspectral confocal fluorescence imaging to determine pigment localization and distribution in cyanobacterial cells PNAS, March 11, 2008; 105(10): 4050 - 4055. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Kondo, Y. Ochiai, M. Katayama, and M. Ikeuchi The Membrane-Associated CpcG2-Phycobilisome in Synechocystis: A New Photosystem I Antenna Plant Physiology, June 1, 2007; 144(2): 1200 - 1210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Yao, T. Kieselbach, J. Komenda, K. Promnares, M. A. H. Prieto, M. Tichy, W. Vermaas, and C. Funk Localization of the Small CAB-like Proteins in Photosystem II J. Biol. Chem., January 5, 2007; 282(1): 267 - 276. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Okazaki, N. Sato, N. Tsuji, M. Tsuzuki, and I. Nishida The Significance of C16 Fatty Acids in the sn-2 Positions of Glycerolipids in the Photosynthetic Growth of Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 Plant Physiology, June 1, 2006; 141(2): 546 - 556. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. E. Mohamed and W. F. J. Vermaas Sll0254 (CrtLdiox) Is a Bifunctional Lycopene Cyclase/Dioxygenase in Cyanobacteria Producing Myxoxanthophyll J. Bacteriol., May 1, 2006; 188(9): 3337 - 3344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. I. Kufryk and W. F. J. Vermaas Sll1717 Affects the Redox State of the Plastoquinone Pool by Modulating Quinol Oxidase Activity in Thylakoids J. Bacteriol., February 15, 2006; 188(4): 1286 - 1294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Kobayashi, K. Okada, and M. Ikeuchi A Suppressor Mutation in the {alpha}-Phycocyanin Gene in the Light/Glucose-sensitive Phenotype of the psbK-disruptant of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Plant Cell Physiol., September 1, 2005; 46(9): 1561 - 1567. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Zhbanko, V. Zinchenko, M. Gutensohn, A. Schierhorn, and R. B. Klosgen Inactivation of a Predicted Leader Peptidase Prevents Photoautotrophic Growth of Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803 J. Bacteriol., May 1, 2005; 187(9): 3071 - 3078. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Xu, D. Vavilin, C. Funk, and W. Vermaas Multiple Deletions of Small Cab-like Proteins in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: CONSEQUENCES FOR PIGMENT BIOSYNTHESIS AND ACCUMULATION J. Biol. Chem., July 2, 2004; 279(27): 27971 - 27979. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Bergantino, A. Brunetta, E. Touloupakis, A. Segalla, I. Szabo, and G. M. Giacometti Role of the PSII-H Subunit in Photoprotection: NOVEL ASPECTS OF D1 TURNOVER IN SYNECHOCYSTIS 6803 J. Biol. Chem., October 24, 2003; 278(43): 41820 - 41829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Xu, D. Vavilin, and W. Vermaas The Presence of Chlorophyll b in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Disturbs Tetrapyrrole Biosynthesis and Enhances Chlorophyll Degradation J. Biol. Chem., November 1, 2002; 277(45): 42726 - 42732. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Sarcina, M. J. Tobin, and C. W. Mullineaux Diffusion of Phycobilisomes on the Thylakoid Membranes of the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus 7942. EFFECTS OF PHYCOBILISOME SIZE, TEMPERATURE, AND MEMBRANE LIPID COMPOSITION J. Biol. Chem., December 7, 2001; 276(50): 46830 - 46834. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Xu, D. Vavilin, and W. Vermaas Chlorophyll b can serve as the major pigment in functional photosystem II complexes of cyanobacteria PNAS, November 20, 2001; 98(24): 14168 - 14173. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Yamasato and K. Satoh The Establishment of Conditions to Efficiently Screen Photosynthesis-Deficient Mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by Nitrofurantoin Treatment Plant Cell Physiol., April 1, 2001; 42(4): 414 - 418. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Sato, M. Hagio, H. Wada, and M. Tsuzuki Requirement of phosphatidylglycerol for photosynthetic function in thylakoid membranes PNAS, September 12, 2000; 97(19): 10655 - 10660. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Sun, W. Xu, M. Hervas, J. A. Navarro, M. A. D. L. Rosa, and P. R. Chitnis Oxidizing Side of the Cyanobacterial Photosystem I. EVIDENCE FOR INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ELECTRON DONOR PROTEINS AND A LUMINAL SURFACE HELIX OF THE PsaB SUBUNIT J. Biol. Chem., July 2, 1999; 274(27): 19048 - 19054. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. A. Howitt, P. K. Udall, and W. F. J. Vermaas Type 2 NADH Dehydrogenases in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803 Are Involved in Regulation Rather Than Respiration J. Bacteriol., July 1, 1999; 181(13): 3994 - 4003. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Sonoda, H. Katoh, W. Vermaas, G. Schmetterer, and T. Ogawa Photosynthetic Electron Transport Involved in PxcA-Dependent Proton Extrusion in Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC6803: Effect of pxcA Inactivation on CO2, HCO3-, and NO3- Uptake J. Bacteriol., August 1, 1998; 180(15): 3799 - 3803. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				J. Yu, I. R. Vassiliev, Y.-S. Jung, J. H. Golbeck, and L. McIntosh Strains of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803with Altered PsaC. I. MUTATIONS INCORPORATED IN THE CYSTEINE LIGANDS OF THE TWO [4Fe-4S] CLUSTERS FA AND FB OF PHOTOSYSTEM I J. Biol. Chem., March 21, 1997; 272(12): 8032 - 8039. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. V. Bartsevich and H. B. Pakrasi Molecular Identification of a Novel Protein That Regulates Biogenesis of Photosystem I, a Membrane Protein Complex J. Biol. Chem., March 7, 1997; 272(10): 6382 - 6387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Szabo, R. Seraglia, F. Rigoni, P. Traldi, and G. M. Giacometti Determination of Photosystem II Subunits by Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry J. Biol. Chem., April 20, 2001; 276(17): 13784 - 13790. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Schneider, S. Berry, P. Rich, A. Seidler, and M. Rogner A Regulatory Role of the PetM Subunit in a Cyanobacterial Cytochrome b6f Complex J. Biol. Chem., May 11, 2001; 276(20): 16780 - 16785. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]