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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 2007, p. 4268-4278, Vol. 73, No. 13
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00201-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Responses of a Thermophilic Synechococcus Isolate from the Microbial Mat of Octopus Spring to Light{triangledown}

Oliver Kilian,* Anne-Soisig Steunou, Fariba Fazeli, Shaun Bailey, Devaki Bhaya, and Arthur R. Grossman

Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, California 94305

Received 25 January 2007/ Accepted 29 April 2007

Thermophilic cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are major contributors to photosynthetic carbon fixation in the photic zone of microbial mats in Octopus Spring, Yellowstone National Park. Synechococcus OS-B' was characterized with regard to the ability to acclimate to a range of different light irradiances; it grows well at 25 to 200 µmol photons m–2 s–1 but dies when the irradiance is increased to 400 µmol photons m–2 s–1. At 200 µmol photons m–2 s–1 (high light [HL]), we noted several responses that had previously been associated with HL acclimation of cyanobacteria, including cell bleaching, reduced levels of phycobilisomes and chlorophyll, and elevated levels of a specific carotenoid. Synechococcus OS-B' synthesizes the carotenoids zeaxanthin and ß,ß-carotene and a novel myxol-anhydrohexoside. Interestingly, 77-K fluorescence emission spectra suggest that Synechococcus OS-B' accumulates very small amounts of photosystem II relative to that of photosystem I. This ratio further decreased at higher growth irradiances, which may reflect potential photodamage following exposure to HL. We also noted that HL caused reduced levels of transcripts encoding phycobilisome components, particularly that for CpcH, a 20.5-kDa rod linker polypeptide. There was enhanced transcript abundance of genes encoding terminal oxidases, superoxide dismutase, tocopherol cyclase, and phytoene desaturase. Genes encoding the photosystem II D1:1 and D1:2 isoforms (psbAI and psbAII/psbAIII, respectively) were also regulated according to the light regimen. The results are discussed in the context of how Synechococcus OS-B' may cope with high light irradiances in the high-temperature environment of the microbial mat.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Department of Plant Biology, Carnegie Institution, 260 Panama Street, Stanford, CA 94305. Phone: (650) 325-1521. Fax: (650) 325-6857. E-mail: Okilian{at}stanford.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 4 May 2007.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, July 2007, p. 4268-4278, Vol. 73, No. 13
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00201-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

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  • Ulijasz, A. T., Cornilescu, G., von Stetten, D., Kaminski, S., Mroginski, M. A., Zhang, J., Bhaya, D., Hildebrandt, P., Vierstra, R. D. (2008). Characterization of Two Thermostable Cyanobacterial Phytochromes Reveals Global Movements in the Chromophore-binding Domain during Photoconversion. J. Biol. Chem. 283: 21251-21266 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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