Membrane development in the cyanobacterium, Anacystis nidulans, during recovery from iron starvation

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Plant Physiol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.79.1.290· OSTI ID:5805500

Pakrasi, H B; Goldenberg, A; Sherman, L A

Deprivation of iron from the growth medium results in physiological as well as structural changes in the unicellular cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2. Important among these changes are alterations in the composition and function of the photosynthetic membranes. Room-temperature absorption spectra of iron-starved cyanobacterial cells show a chlorophyll absorption peak at 672 nanometers, 7 nanometers blue-shifted from its normal position at 679 nanometers. Iron-starved cells have decreased amounts of chlorophyll and phycobilins. Their fluorescence spectra (77K) have one prominent chlorophyll emission peak at 684 nanometers as compared to three peaks at 687, 696, and 717 nanometers from normal cells. Chlorophyll-protein analysis of iron-deprived cells indicated the absence of high molecular weight bands. Addition of iron to iron-starved cells induced a restoration process in which new components were initially synthesized and integrated into preexisting membranes; at later times, new membranes were assembled and cell division commenced. Synthesis of chlorophyll and phycocyanins started almost immediately after the addition of iron. The origin of the fluorescence emission at 687 and 696 nanometers is discussed in relation to the specific chlorophyll-protein complexes formed during iron reconstitution. 26 references, 2 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-81ER10899
• OSTI ID: 5805500
• Journal Information: Plant Physiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Plant Physiol.; (United States) Vol. 79:1; ISSN PLPHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550700* -- Microbiology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLOROPHYLL
CYANOBACTERIA
ELECTROPHORESIS
EMISSION SPECTRA
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
MEMBRANES
MICROORGANISMS
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PHOTOSYNTHETIC MEMBRANES
PHYCOBILIPROTEINS
PHYCOCYANIN
PHYTOCHROMES
PIGMENTS
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
SPECTRA
SYNTHESIS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS