Cyanobacterial Alkanes Modulate Photosynthetic Cyclic Electron Flow to Assist Growth under Cold Stress

Berla, Bertram M.; Saha, Rajib; Maranas, Costas D.; Pakrasi, Himadri B.

doi:10.1038/srep14894

Title: Cyanobacterial Alkanes Modulate Photosynthetic Cyclic Electron Flow to Assist Growth under Cold Stress

Journal Article · Tue Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep14894· OSTI ID:1624800

Berla, Bertram M. ^[1]; Saha, Rajib ^[2]; Maranas, Costas D. ^[3]; Pakrasi, Himadri B. ^[4]

Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Dept. of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Dept. of Biology; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Dept. of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering; Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States). Dept. of Biology

All cyanobacterial membranes contain diesel-range C15-C19 hydrocarbons at concentrations similar to chlorophyll. Recently, two universal but mutually exclusive hydrocarbon production pathways in cyanobacteria were discovered. We engineered a mutant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 that produces no alkanes, which grew poorly at low temperatures. We analyzed this defect by assessing the redox kinetics of PSI. The mutant exhibited enhanced cyclic electron flow (CEF), especially at low temperature. CEF raises the ATP:NADPH ratio from photosynthesis and balances reductant requirements of biosynthesis with maintaining the redox poise of the electron transport chain. We conducted in silico flux balance analysis and showed that growth rate reaches a distinct maximum for an intermediate value of CEF equivalent to recycling 1 electron in 4 from PSI to the plastoquinone pool. Based on this analysis, we conclude that the lack of membrane alkanes causes higher CEF, perhaps for maintenance of redox poise. In turn, increased CEF reduces growth by forcing the cell to use less energy-efficient pathways, lowering the quantum efficiency of photosynthesis. This study highlights the unique and universal role of medium-chain hydrocarbons in cyanobacterial thylakoid membranes: they regulate redox balance and reductant partitioning in these oxygenic photosynthetic cells under stress.

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Research Organization:: Washington Univ., St. Louis, MO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-00ER41132

OSTI ID:: 1624800

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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