Cyanophycin Production in a Phycoerythrin-Containing Marine Synechococcus Strain of Unusual Phylogenetic Affinity†

AUTOR(ES)

Wingard, Lauren L.

FONTE

American Society for Microbiology

RESUMO

Thirty-two strains of phycoerythrin-containing marine picocyanobacteria were screened for the capacity to produce cyanophycin, a nitrogen storage compound synthesized by some, but not all, cyanobacteria. We found that one of these strains, Synechococcus sp. strain G2.1 from the Arabian Sea, was able to synthesize cyanophycin. The cyanophycin extracted from the cells was composed of roughly equimolar amounts of arginine and aspartate (29 and 35 mol%, respectively), as well as a small amount of glutamate (15 mol%). Phylogenetic analysis, based on partial 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence data, showed that Synechococcus sp. strain G2.1 formed a well-supported clade with several strains of filamentous cyanobacteria. It was not closely related to several other well-studied marine picocyanobacteria, including Synechococcus strains PCC7002, WH7805, and WH8018 and Prochlorococcus sp. strain MIT9312. This is the first report of cyanophycin production in a phycoerythrin-containing strain of marine or halotolerant Synechococcus, and its discovery highlights the diversity of this ecologically important functional group.

Documentos Relacionados

• Molecular Characterization of a Thermostable Cyanophycin Synthetase from the Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain MA19 and In Vitro Synthesis of Cyanophycin and Related Polyamides
• Effect of Light on the Cell Cycle of a Marine Synechococcus Strain
• Growth Rate Regulation of rRNA Content of a Marine Synechococcus (Cyanobacterium) Strain
• A Novel Nitrate/Nitrite Permease in the Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 7002
• Regulation of ntcA Expression and Nitrite Uptake in the Marine Synechococcus sp. Strain WH 7803