Isolation and genome sequencing of four Arctic marine Psychrobacter strains exhibiting multicopper oxidase activity

Moghadam MS, Albersmeier A, Winkler A, et al. Isolation and genome sequencing of four Arctic marine Psychrobacter strains exhibiting multicopper oxidase activity. BMC Genomics. 2016;17(1): 117

Cyanobacterial siderophores - physiology, structure, biosynthesis, and applications

Siderophores are low-molecular-weight metal chelators that function in microbial iron uptake. As iron limits primary productivity in many environments, siderophores are of great ecological importance. Additionally, their metal binding properties have attracted interest for uses in medicine and bioremediation. Here, we review the current state of knowledge concerning the siderophores produced by cyanobacteria. We give an overview of all cyanobacterial species with known siderophore production, finding siderophores produced in all but the most basal clades, and in a wide variety of environments. We explore what is known about the structure, biosynthesis, and cycling of the cyanobacterial siderophores that have been characterized: Synechobactin, schizokinen and anachelin. We also highlight alternative siderophore functionality and technological potential, finding allelopathic effects on competing phytoplankton and likely roles in limiting heavy-metal toxicity. Methodological improvements in siderophore characterization and detection are briefly described. Since most known cyanobacterial siderophores have not been structurally characterized, the application of mass spectrometry techniques will likely reveal a breadth of variation within these important molecules

Manganese acquisition is facilitated by PilA in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Manganese is an essential element required by cyanobacteria, as it is an essential part of the oxygen-evolving center of photosystem II. In the presence of atmospheric oxygen, manganese is present as manganese oxides, which have low solubility and consequently provide low bioavailability. It is unknown if cyanobacteria are able to utilize these manganese sources, and what mechanisms may be employed to do so. Recent evidence suggests that type IV pili in non-photosynthetic bacteria facilitate electron donation to extracellular electron acceptors, thereby enabling metal acquisition. Our present study investigates whether PilA1 (major pilin protein of type IV pili) enables the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6808 to access to Mn from manganese oxides. We present physiological and spectroscopic data, which indicate that the presence of PilA1 enhances the ability of cyanobacteria to grow on manganese oxides. These observations suggest a role of PilA1-containing pili in cyanobacterial manganese acquisition

Anaerobic data, figure 1, 2, 3a

Data from anaerobic experiment, used in figure 1, 2, and 3

Data from: The plastoquinone pool of Nannochloropsis oceanica is not completely reduced during bright light pulses

The lipid-producing model alga Nannochloropsis oceanica has a distinct photosynthetic machinery. This organism possesses chlorophyll a as its only chlorophyll species, and has a high ratio of PSI to PSII. This high ratio of PSI to PSII may affect the redox state of the plastoquinone pool during exposure to light, and consequently may play a role in activating photoprotection mechanisms. We utilized pulse-amplitude modulated fluorometry to investigate the redox state of the plastoquinone pool during and after bright light pulses. Our data indicate that even very intense (5910 μmol photons s-1m-2 of blue light having a wavelength of 440 nm) light pulses of 0.8 second duration are not sufficient to completely reduce the plastoquinone pool in Nannochloropsis. In order to achieve extensive reduction of the plastoquinone pool by bright light pulses, anaerobic conditions or an inhibitor of the photosynthetic electron transport chain has to be utilized. The implication of this finding for the application of the widely used saturating pulse method in algae is discussed

High light + DBMIB data, figure 1, 2, 3a

Data from high light experiment performed with DBMIB, used in figure 1, 2, and 3

Light_pulse_intensity_experiment_figure_3b

Data from experiment investigating the effect of light pulse intensity, used to generate figure 3

An adjustable algal chloroplast plug-and-play model for genome-scale metabolic models

The chloroplast is a central part of plant cells, as this is the organelle where the photosynthesis, fixation of inorganic carbon, and other key functions related to fatty acid synthesis and amino acid synthesis occur. Since this organelle should be an integral part of any genome-scale metabolic model for a microalgae or a higher plant, it is of great interest to generate a detailed and standardized chloroplast model. Additionally, we see the need for a novel type of sub-model template, or organelle model, which could be incorporated into a larger, less specific genome-scale metabolic model, while allowing for minor differences between chloroplast-containing organisms. The result of this work is the very first standardized chloroplast model, iGR774, consisting of 788 reactions, 764 metabolites, and 774 genes. The model is currently able to run in three different modes, mimicking the chloroplast metabolism of three photosynthetic microalgae–Nannochloropsis gaditana, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. In addition to developing the chloroplast metabolic network reconstruction, we have developed multiple software tools for working with this novel type of sub-model in the COBRA Toolbox for MATLAB, including tools for connecting the chloroplast model to a genome-scale metabolic reconstruction in need of a chloroplast, for switching the model between running in different organism modes, and for expanding it by introducing more reactions either related to one of the current organisms included in the model, or to a new organism

Chlorophyll fluorescence emission spectroscopy of oxygenic organisms at 77 K

Photosynthetic fluorescence emission spectra measurement at the temperature of 77 K (–196°C) is an often-used technique in photosynthesis research. At low temperature, biochemical and physiological processes that modulate fluorescence are mostly abolished, and the fluorescence emission of both PSI and PSII become easily distinguishable. Here we briefly review the history of low-temperature chlorophyll fluorescence methods and the characteristics of the acquired emission spectra in oxygen-producing organisms. We discuss the contribution of different photosynthetic complexes and physiological processes to fluorescence emission at 77 K in cyanobacteria, green algae, heterokont algae, and plants. Furthermore, we describe practical aspects for obtaining and presenting 77 K fluorescence spectra

High light data, figure 1, 2, 3a

Data from high light experiment performed without DBMIB, used to generate figure 1, 2 and 3