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Title: Population-level coordination of pigment response in individual cyanobacterial cells under altered nitrogen levels

Abstract

Cyanobacterial phycobilisome (PBS) pigment-protein complexes harvest light and transfer the energy to reaction centers. Previous ensemble studies have shown that cyanobacteria respond to changes in nutrient availability by modifying the structure of PBS complexes, but this process has not been visualized for individual pigments at the single-cell level due to spectral overlap. We characterized the response of four key photosynthetic pigments to nitrogen depletion and repletion at the subcellular level in individual, live Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells using hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy and multivariate image analysis. Our results revealed that PBS degradation and re-synthesis comprise a rapid response to nitrogen fluctuations, with coordinated populations of cells undergoing pigment modifications. Chlorophyll fluorescence originating from photosystem I and II decreased during nitrogen starvation, but no alteration in subcellular chlorophyll localization was found. Lastly, we observed differential rod and core pigment responses to nitrogen deprivation, suggesting that PBS complexes undergo a stepwise degradation process.

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1372115
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1374747
Report Number(s):
SAND-2017-7775J
Journal ID: ISSN 0166-8595; PII: 422
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0001035; NA0003525; AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Photosynthesis Research
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Photosynthesis Research; Journal ID: ISSN 0166-8595
Publisher:
Springer
Country of Publication:
Netherlands
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; Cyanobacteria; Photosynthesis; Phycobilisome; Nitrogen; Hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy; Multivariate analysis

Citation Formats

Murton, Jaclyn, Nagarajan, Aparna, Nguyen, Amelia Y., Liberton, Michelle, Hancock, Harmony A., Pakrasi, Himadri B., and Timlin, Jerilyn A. Population-level coordination of pigment response in individual cyanobacterial cells under altered nitrogen levels. Netherlands: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1007/s11120-017-0422-7.
Murton, Jaclyn, Nagarajan, Aparna, Nguyen, Amelia Y., Liberton, Michelle, Hancock, Harmony A., Pakrasi, Himadri B., & Timlin, Jerilyn A. Population-level coordination of pigment response in individual cyanobacterial cells under altered nitrogen levels. Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-017-0422-7
Murton, Jaclyn, Nagarajan, Aparna, Nguyen, Amelia Y., Liberton, Michelle, Hancock, Harmony A., Pakrasi, Himadri B., and Timlin, Jerilyn A. Fri . "Population-level coordination of pigment response in individual cyanobacterial cells under altered nitrogen levels". Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-017-0422-7.
@article{osti_1372115,
title = {Population-level coordination of pigment response in individual cyanobacterial cells under altered nitrogen levels},
author = {Murton, Jaclyn and Nagarajan, Aparna and Nguyen, Amelia Y. and Liberton, Michelle and Hancock, Harmony A. and Pakrasi, Himadri B. and Timlin, Jerilyn A.},
abstractNote = {Cyanobacterial phycobilisome (PBS) pigment-protein complexes harvest light and transfer the energy to reaction centers. Previous ensemble studies have shown that cyanobacteria respond to changes in nutrient availability by modifying the structure of PBS complexes, but this process has not been visualized for individual pigments at the single-cell level due to spectral overlap. We characterized the response of four key photosynthetic pigments to nitrogen depletion and repletion at the subcellular level in individual, live Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells using hyperspectral confocal fluorescence microscopy and multivariate image analysis. Our results revealed that PBS degradation and re-synthesis comprise a rapid response to nitrogen fluctuations, with coordinated populations of cells undergoing pigment modifications. Chlorophyll fluorescence originating from photosystem I and II decreased during nitrogen starvation, but no alteration in subcellular chlorophyll localization was found. Lastly, we observed differential rod and core pigment responses to nitrogen deprivation, suggesting that PBS complexes undergo a stepwise degradation process.},
doi = {10.1007/s11120-017-0422-7},
journal = {Photosynthesis Research},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {Netherlands},
year = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Fri Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-017-0422-7

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Cited by: 15 works
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