151. Photophysiology of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. WH8102, a new model organism
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B. Brahamsha, Frédéric Partensky, Yves Lemoine, Jean-Claude Thomas, Christophe Six, Centre d'études d'océanographie et de biologie marine (CEOBM), Station biologique de Roscoff [Roscoff] (SBR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Organismes photosynthétiques et environnement (UMR8543/FRE2433) (OPE), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Marine Biology Research Division [La Jolla, California], University of California [San Diego] (UC San Diego), University of California-University of California, Ecosystèmes littoraux et côtiers (ELICO), Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies-Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale (ULCO)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), This work was supported by the EC programme MARGENES (QLRT 2001-01226) and the French programmes PROOF-BIOSOPE and PROOF-UVECO. C.S. is supported by a grant from the Ministère de la Recherche et des Nouvelles Technologies., We thank F. Legall and C. Carré for their help with culturing and medium preparation, and D. Marie for his advice on flow cytometry. E. Lecuyer and F. Gevaert are also warmly thanked for performing the CHN analyses, École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), University of California (UC)-University of California (UC), and Ecosystèmes littoraux et côtiers - UMR 8013 (ELICO)
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0106 biological sciences ,Cyanobacteria ,Pigment content ,Chlorophyll a ,Photoacclimation ,Marine cyanobacteria ,Phycoerythrobilin ,Aquatic Science ,01 natural sciences ,Acclimatization ,C:N ratio ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Botany ,Phycobilisomes ,14. Life underwater ,Flow cytometry ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,[SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography ,Synechococcus ,0303 health sciences ,biology ,Phycourobilin ,030306 microbiology ,010604 marine biology & hydrobiology ,Phycobiliprotein ,biology.organism_classification ,[SDV.MP.BAC]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Bacteriology ,chemistry ,[SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics] ,Phycobilisome ,Light stress - Abstract
International audience; Synechococcus spp. constitute a major and ubiquitous component of marine ecosystems. The genome of one strain of this genus, WH8102, has recently been completely sequenced. Since it can also be genetically manipulated, this clone has the potential to become a new model organism; however, to date, it remains poorly characterised in terms of pigment composition, optical properties and photophysiology. It has a very high phycourobilin to phycoerythrobilin (PUB:PEB) ratio (ca. 1.95 at low light), and is therefore representative of Synechococcus populations found in oligotrophic areas of the ocean. We show here that this strain has a very wide growth irradiance range from 650 μmol photons m-2 s-1 continuous white light, with a maximum growth rate (μmax = 1.13 ± 0.02 d-1) at 207 μmol quanta m-2 s-1 (Imax). As cells acclimated to high light, drastic variations in the chlorophyll a (chl a), b-carotene and phycoerythrin (PE) contents were observed, reaching a quasi steady state around Imax. In contrast, the zeaxanthin content remained approximately constant whatever the light level. Similarly, the carbon and nitrogen contents did not significantly vary with irradiance. Red and orange fluorescences, as measured by flow cytometry, were found to correlate well with chl a and PE contents, respectively. Spectrometric analyses of phycobilisome (PBS)-containing fractions from cells grown under different photon fluxes suggest a specific reduction of the PEII content relative to other phycobiliproteins (PBPs) during acclimation of the PBSs to high light.
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