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Differing involvement of sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol in photosystem II in two species of unicellular cyanobacteria.

Sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG) is involved in the maintenance of photosystem II (PSII) activity in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii[Minoda, A., Sato, N., Nozaki, H., Okada, K., Takahashi, H., Sonoike, K. & Tsuzuki, M. et al. (2002) Eur. J. Biochem.269, 2353-2358]. To understand the spread of the taxa in which PSII interacts with SQDG, especially in cyanobacteria, we produced a mutant defective in the putative sqdB gene responsible for SQDG synthesis from two cyanobacteria, Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Synechococcus sp. PCC7942. The mutant of PCC6803, designated SD1, lacked SQDG synthetic ability and required SQDG supplementation for its growth. After transfer from SQDG-supplemented to SQDG-free conditions, SD1 showed decreased net photosynthetic and PSII activities on a chlorophyll (Chl) basis with a decrease in the SQDG content. Moreover, the sensitivity of PSII activity to 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea and atrazine was increased in SD1. However, SD1 maintained normal amounts of cytochrome b559 and D1 protein (the subunits comprising the PSII complex) on a Chl basis, indicating that the PSII complex content changed little, irrespective of a decrease in the SQDG content. These results suggest that the role of SQDG is the conservation of the PSII properties in PCC6803, consistent with the results obtained with C. reinhardtii. In contrast, the SQDG-null mutant of PCC7942 showed the normal level of PSII activity with little effect on its sensitivity to PSII herbicides. Therefore, the difference in the SQDG requirement for PSII is species-specific in cyanobacteria; this could be of use when investigating the molecular evolution of the PSII complex.

Atrazine↗

Segregation of nitrogen fixation and oxygenic photosynthesis in the marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium.

In the modern ocean, a significant amount of nitrogen fixation is attributed to filamentous, nonheterocystous cyanobacteria of the genus Trichodesmium. In these organisms, nitrogen fixation is confined to the photoperiod and occurs simultaneously with oxygenic photosynthesis. Nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for biological N2 fixation, is irreversibly inhibited by oxygen in vitro. How nitrogenase is protected from damage by photosynthetically produced O2 was once an enigma. Using fast repetition rate fluorometry and fluorescence kinetic microscopy, we show that there is both temporal and spatial segregation of N2 fixation and photosynthesis within the photoperiod. Linear photosynthetic electron transport protects nitrogenase by reducing photosynthetically evolved O2 in photosystem I (PSI). We postulate that in the early evolutionary phase of oxygenic photosynthesis, nitrogenase served as an electron acceptor for anaerobic heterotrophic metabolism and that PSI was favored by selection because it provided a micro-anaerobic environment for N2 fixation in cyanobacteria.

Aerobiosis↗

The genetic basis of singlet oxygen-induced stress responses of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Plants under oxidative stress suffer from damages that have been interpreted as unavoidable consequences of injuries inflicted upon plants by toxic levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, this paradigm needs to be modified. Inactivation of a single gene, EXECUTER1, is sufficient to abrogate stress responses of Arabidopsis thaliana caused by the release of singlet oxygen: External conditions under which these stress responses are observed and the amounts of ROS that accumulate in plants exposed to these environmental conditions do not directly cause damages. Instead, seedling lethality and growth inhibition of mature plants result from genetic programs that are activated after the release of singlet oxygen has been perceived by the plant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Systemic signaling and acclimation in response to excess excitation energy in Arabidopsis.

Land plants are sessile and have developed sophisticated mechanisms that allow for both immediate and acclimatory responses to changing environments. Partial exposure of low light-adapted Arabidopsis plants to excess light results in a systemic acclimation to excess excitation energy and consequent photooxidative stress in unexposed leaves. Thus, plants possess a mechanism to communicate excess excitation energy systemically, allowing them to mount a defense against further episodes of such stress. Systemic redox changes in the proximity of photosystem II, hydrogen peroxide, and the induction of antioxidant defenses are key determinants of this mechanism of systemic acquired acclimation.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Two diarylurea electron transport inhibitors reduce Staphylococcus aureus hemolytic activity and protect cultured endothelial cells from lysis.

Reduction in electron transport is associated with decreased production in alpha-toxin despite the fact that Staphylococcus aureus is able to grow from 1 CFU to >10(7) CFU. Similarly, under anaerobic conditions, S. aureus does not produce alpha-toxin. Although the pathways that connect oxidative metabolism and toxin production are unknown, agents are available that exhibit greater inhibition of plant versus mammalian electron transport. Herbicides block electron transport in plants by inhibiting the formation of phosphoquinol (QH(2)) in plants. Commercial use in farming is possible because these compounds are much less active against the quinones found mammalian mitochondria. Because bacterial electron transport systems are closer to plant than mammalian systems, we hypothesized that inhibitors of respiration might be able to reduce S. aureus electron transport and block the production of alpha-toxin. We studied two compounds and found that the effective dose for the inhibition of bacterial respiration was 50 to >3,500 times lower than the concentration required to cause similar inhibition of rat mitochondrial respiration. Compounds I and II also reduced toxin production in S. aureus without causing overt toxicity to cultured endothelial cells. Finally, the compounds reduced the damage caused by S. aureus when cocultured with the endothelial cells. This raises the possibility that compounds that inhibit bacterial respiration might be prove valuable for the prevention of toxin production in S. aureus.

Animals↗

Hydrogen production by nitrogen-starved cultures of Anabaena cylindrica.

Nitrogen-starved cultures of the alga Anabaena cylindrica 629 produced hydrogen and oxygen continuously for 7 to 19 days. Hydrogen production attained a maximum level after 1 to 2 days of starvation and was followed by a slow decline. The maximum rates were 30 ml of H2 evolved per liter of culture per h or 32 mul of H2 per mg of dry weight per h. In 5 to 7 days the rate of H2 evolution by the more productive cultures fell to one-half its maximum value. The addition of 10(-4) to 5 X 10(-4) M ammonium increased the rate of oxygen evolution and the total hydrogen production of the cultures. H2-O2 ratios were 4:1 under conditions of complete nitrogen starvation and about 1.7:1 after the addition of ammonium. Thus, oxygen evolution was affected by the extent of the nitrogen starvation. Thermodynamic efficiencies of converting incident light energy to free energy of hydrogen via algal photosynthesis were 0.4%. Possible factors limiting hydrogen production were decline of reductant supply and filament breakage. Hydrogen production by filamentous, heterocystous blue-green algae could be used for development of a biophotolysis system.

Acetylene↗

Anaerobic and aerobic hydrogen gas formation by the blue-green alga Anabaena cylindrica.

An investigation was made of certain factors involved in the formation of hydrogen gas, both in an anaerobic environment (argon) and in air, by the blue-green alga Anabaena cylindrica. The alga had not been previously adapted under hydrogen gas and hence the hydrogen evolution occurred entirely within the nitrogen-fixing heterocyst cells; organisms grown in a fixed nitrogen source, and which were therefore devoid of heterocysts, did not produce hydrogen under these conditions. Use of the inhibitor dichlorophenyl-dimethyl urea showed that hydrogen formation was directly dependent on photosystem I and only indirectly dependent on photosystem II, consistent with heterocysts being the site of hydrogen formation. The uncouplers carbonyl cyanide chlorophenyl hydrazone and dinitrophenol almost completely inhibited hydrogen formation, indicating that the process occurs almost entirely via the adenosine 5'-triphosphate-dependent nitrogenase. Salicylaldoxime also inhibited hydrogen formation, again illustrating the necessity of photophosphorylation. Whereas hydrogen formation could usually only be observed in anaerobic, dinitrogen-free environments, incubation in the presence of the dinitrogen-fixing inhibitor carbon monoxide plus the hydrogenase inhibitor acetylene resulted in significant formation of hydrogen even in air. Hydrogen formation was studied in batch cultures as a function of age of the cultures and also as a function of culture concentration, in both cases the cultures being harvested in logarithmic growth. Hydrogen evolution (and acetylene-reducing activity) exhibited a distinct maximum with respect to the age of the cultures. Finally, the levels of the protective enzyme, superoxide dismutase, were measured in heterocyst and vegetative cell fractions of the organism; the level was twice as high in heterocyst cells (2.3 units/mg of protein) as in vegetative cells (1.1 units/mg of protein). A simple procedure for isolating heterocyst cells is described.

Acetylene↗

Phytoplankton uptake and excretion of assimilated nitrate in a small Canadian shield lake.

Nitrate uptake in the epilemnetic waters of a small eutrophic Canadian Shield lake was studied by using a 15N method during summer stratification. Concurrent with inhibition of primary production, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea inhibited NO3- assimilation. Nitrate up to 1 mg of N/liter did not affect the rate of primary production during 3 h of incubation. The NO3- fertilizer added to the lake weekly was consumed through algal assimilation in about 3 days. Excretion of the photoassimilated NO3- as dissolved organic nitrogen represented a significant portion of the nutrient incorporated by the cells. Only 40% of the NO3- -15N which disappeared could be accounted for in the particulate fraction. Although the rest was presumably excreted, only 15% of the 15N label was accounted for as cationic dissolved organic nitrogen by isotope assays. These excreted organic forms were predominantly serine and glycine in the dissolved free amino acid fraction. Bacteria as well as algae might be expected to contribute to and modify the extracellular nitrogen pool.

Amino Acids↗

Production of dissolved DNA, RNA, and protein by microbial populations in a Florida reservoir.

Production of dissolved macromolecules by ambient autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial populations was measured in a eutrophic Florida reservoir by in situ labeling with various radioactive substrates. When [3H]thymidine was used as the precursor, production of labeled dissolved DNA, RNA, and protein was observed. The rate of production of labeled dissolved macromolecules was 3.1% the rate of cellular incorporation of [3H]thymidine, and the production of dissolved DNA represented 2.3% the rate of cellular DNA incorporation. Microautotrophic populations labeled with NaH[14C]CO3 produced dissolved RNA and protein at rates of 0.24 and 0.11 micrograms of C/liter per h, respectively, or 1.8% the total rate of carbon fixation, with no measurable dissolved DNA production. In an attempt to specifically label phytoplankton DNA, samples were incubated with [3H]adenine or 32Pi in the presence and absence of the photosynthetic inhibitor 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). Although DCMU inhibited 14C fixation by approximately 99%, this antimetabolite had only a slight effect on [3H]adenine incorporation and no effect on 32P incorporation into cellular macromolecules. Significant amounts of dissolved DNA were produced in both [3H]adenine and 32Pi incubations, but again DCMU had no effect on the production rates. These results indicate that actively growing populations of both phytoplankton and bacterioplankton produced dissolved RNA and protein, while only active bacterioplankton produced measurable quantities of dissolved DNA. Dead or senescent phytoplankton may have produced dissolved DNA, but would not be measured in the relatively short incubations used. These findings also indicate that [3H]adenine and 32Pi primarily labeled heterotrophic bacterioplankton and not phytoplankton in this environment.

Bacterial Proteins↗

Phototrophs in high-iron-concentration microbial mats: physiological ecology of phototrophs in an iron-depositing hot spring.

At Chocolate Pots Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park the source waters have a pH near neutral, contain high concentrations of reduced iron, and lack sulfide. An iron formation that is associated with cyanobacterial mats is actively deposited. The uptake of [(14)C]bicarbonate was used to assess the impact of ferrous iron on photosynthesis in this environment. Photoautotrophy in some of the mats was stimulated by ferrous iron (1.0 mM). Microelectrodes were used to determine the impact of photosynthetic activity on the oxygen content and the pH in the mat and sediment microenvironments. Photosynthesis increased the oxygen concentration to 200% of air saturation levels in the top millimeter of the mats. The oxygen concentration decreased with depth and in the dark. Light-dependent increases in pH were observed. The penetration of light in the mats and in the sediments was determined. Visible radiation was rapidly attenuated in the top 2 mm of the iron-rich mats. Near-infrared radiation penetrated deeper. Iron was totally oxidized in the top few millimeters, but reduced iron was detected at greater depths. By increasing the pH and the oxygen concentration in the surface sediments, the cyanobacteria could potentially increase the rate of iron oxidation in situ. This high-iron-content hot spring provides a suitable model for studying the interactions of microbial photosynthesis and iron deposition and the role of photosynthesis in microbial iron cycling. This model may help clarify the potential role of photosynthesis in the deposition of Precambrian banded iron formations.

Bicarbonates↗

Design and application of a biosensor for monitoring toxicity of compounds to eukaryotes.

Here we describe an alternative approach to currently used cytotoxicity analyses through applying eukaryotic microbial biosensors. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was genetically modified to express firefly luciferase, generating a bioluminescent yeast strain. The presence of any toxic chemical that interfered with the cells' metabolism resulted in a quantitative decrease in bioluminescence. In this study, it was demonstrated that the luminescent yeast strain senses chemicals known to be toxic to eukaryotes in samples assessed as nontoxic by prokaryotic biosensors. As the cell wall and adaptive mechanisms of S. cerevisiae cells enhance stability and protect from extremes of pH, solvent exposure, and osmotic shock, these inherent properties were exploited to generate a biosensor that should detect a wide range of both organic and inorganic toxins under extreme conditions.

2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic Acid↗

Autotrophic and mixotrophic hydrogen photoproduction in sulfur-deprived chlamydomonas cells.

In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells, H2 photoproduction can be induced in conditions of sulfur deprivation in the presence of acetate. The decrease in photosystem II (PSII) activity induced by sulfur deprivation leads to anoxia, respiration becoming higher than photosynthesis, thereby allowing H2 production. Two different electron transfer pathways, one PSII dependent and the other PSII independent, have been proposed to account for H2 photoproduction. In this study, we investigated the contribution of both pathways as well as the acetate requirement for H2 production in conditions of sulfur deficiency. By using 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), a PSII inhibitor, which was added at different times after the beginning of sulfur deprivation, we show that PSII-independent H2 photoproduction depends on previously accumulated starch resulting from previous photosynthetic activity. Starch accumulation was observed in response to sulfur deprivation in mixotrophic conditions (presence of acetate) but also in photoautotrophic conditions. However, no H2 production was measured in photoautotrophy if PSII was not inhibited by DCMU, due to the fact that anoxia was not reached. When DCMU was added at optimal starch accumulation, significant H2 production was measured. H2 production was enhanced in autotrophic conditions by removing O2 using N2 bubbling, thereby showing that substantial H2 production can be achieved in the absence of acetate by using the PSII-independent pathway. Based on these data, we discuss the possibilities of designing autotrophic protocols for algal H2 photoproduction.

Acetates↗

Phototaxis and impaired motility in adenylyl cyclase and cyclase receptor protein mutants of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

We have carefully characterized and reexamined the motility and phototactic responses of Synechocystis sp. adenylyl cyclase (Cya1) and catabolite activator protein (SYCRP1) mutants to different light regimens, glucose, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, and cyclic AMP. We find that contrary to earlier reports, cya1 and sycrp1 mutants are motile and phototactic but are impaired in one particular phase of phototaxis in comparison with wild-type Synechocystis sp.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗

Photooxidative death in blue-green algae.

When incubated in the light under 100% oxygen, wild-type blue-green algae (Anacystis nidulans, Synechococcus cedrorum) die out rapidly at temperatures of 4 to 15 C, and at 35 C (or at 26 C in the case of S. cedrorum) in the absence of CO(2). Photosynthesis is impaired in these cells long before they die. Blocking of photosystem II at high temperatures in the presence of CO(2) sensitizes the algae to photooxidative death. Photooxidative death and bleaching of photosynthetic pigments are separable phenomena. Photooxidative conditions were demonstrated in Israeli fish ponds using A. nidulans as the test organism during dense summer blooms, when dissolved CO(2) is low, and in winter, when water temperatures generally drop below 15 C. This finding suggests that photooxidative death may be responsible for the sudden decomposition of blue-green blooms in summer, and may be a factor in the absence of blue-green blooms in winter.

Cyanobacteria↗