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Cryptophytes are abundant and ubiquitous microalgae that constitute a major plastid source for kleptoplastidic ciliates and dinoflagellates. Despite their ecological significance, the understanding of their light preferences and photophysiology remains limited. Here, we provide a comprehensive study of the response of the haploid strain Teleaulax amphioxeia (Cr10EHU) to varying light irradiance. This strain is capable of growing under a wide range of irradiance levels, notably by finely tuning the different pigments bound to the membrane light‐harvesting proteins. Analysis of the luminal phycoerythrin content revealed remarkable flexibility, with phycoerythrin emerging as a pivotal protein facilitating acclimation to varying light levels. Detailed ultrastructure examinations unveiled that this adaptability was supported by the synthesis of large thylakoidal vesicles, likely enhancing the capture of green photons efficiently under low light, a phenomenon previously undocumented. Teleaulax amphioxeia Cr10EHU effectively regulated light utilization by using a cryptophyte state transition‐like process, with a larger amplitude observed under high growth irradiance. Furthermore, our results revealed the establishment of growth irradiance‐dependent non‐photochemical quenching of fluorescence, likely inducing the dissipation of excess light. This study underscores the particularities and the significant photoadaptability of the plastid of the haploid form of T. amphioxeia. It constitutes a comprehensive photophysiological characterization of the Cr10EHU strain that paves the way for future studies of the kleptoplastidy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is very abundant in warm, nutrient-poor oceanic areas. The upper mixed layer of oceans is populated by high light-adapted Prochlorococcus ecotypes, which despite their tiny genome (~1.7 Mb) seem to have developed efficient strategies to cope with stressful levels of photosynthetically active and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. At a molecular level, little is known yet about how such minimalist microorganisms manage to sustain high growth rates and avoid potentially detrimental, UV-induced mutations to their DNA. To address this question, we studied the cell cycle dynamics of P. marinus PCC9511 cells grown under high fluxes of visible light in the presence or absence of UV radiation. Near natural light-dark cycles of both light sources were obtained using a custom-designed illumination system (cyclostat). Expression patterns of key DNA synthesis and repair, cell division, and clock genes were analyzed in order to decipher molecular mechanisms of adaptation to UV radiation. Results The cell cycle of P. marinus PCC9511 was strongly synchronized by the day-night cycle. The most conspicuous response of cells to UV radiation was a delay in chromosome replication, with a peak of DNA synthesis shifted about 2 h into the dark period. This delay was seemingly linked to a strong downregulation of genes governing DNA replication (dnaA) and cell division (ftsZ, sepF), whereas most genes involved in DNA repair (such as recA, phrA, uvrA, ruvC, umuC) were already activated under high visible light and their expression levels were only slightly affected by additional UV exposure. Conclusions Prochlorococcus cells modified the timing of the S phase in response to UV exposure, therefore reducing the risk that mutations would occur during this particularly sensitive stage of the cell cycle. We identified several possible explanations for the observed timeshift. Among these, the sharp decrease in transcript levels of the dnaA gene, encoding the DNA replication initiator protein, is sufficient by itself to explain this response, since DNA synthesis starts only when the cellular concentration of DnaA reaches a critical threshold. However, the observed response likely results from a more complex combination of UV-altered biological processes.

Summary: The marine cyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are important primary producers, displaying a wide latitudinal distribution that is underpinned by diversification into temperature ecotypes. The physiological basis underlying these ecotypes is poorly known. In many organisms, regulation of membrane fluidity is crucial for acclimating to variations in temperature. Here, we reveal the detailed composition of the membrane lipidome of the model strain Synechococcus sp. WH7803 and its response to temperature variation. Unlike freshwater strains, membranes are almost devoid of C18, mainly containing C14 and C16 chains with no more than two unsaturations. In response to cold, we observed a rarely observed process of acyl chain shortening that likely induces membrane thinning, along with specific desaturation activities. Both of these mechanisms likely regulate membrane fluidity, facilitating the maintenance of efficient photosynthetic activity. A comprehensive examination of 53 Synechococcus genomes revealed clade‐specific gene sets regulating membrane lipids. In particular, the genes encoding desaturase enzymes, which is a key to the temperature stress response, appeared to be temperature ecotype‐specific, with some of them originating from lateral transfers. Our study suggests that regulation of membrane fluidity has been among the important adaptation processes for the colonization of different thermal niches by marine Synechococcus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine Synechococcus undergo a wide range of environmental stressors, especially high and variable irradiance, which may induce oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). While light and ROS could act synergistically on the impairment of photosynthesis, inducing photodamage and inhibiting photosystem II repair, acclimation to high irradiance is also thought to confer resistance to other stressors. To identify the respective roles of light and ROS in the photoinhibition process and detect a possible light-driven tolerance to oxidative stress, we compared the photophysiological and transcriptomic responses of Synechococcus sp. WH7803 acclimated to low light (LL) or high light (HL) to oxidative stress, induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or methylviologen. While photosynthetic activity was much more affected in HL than in LL cells, only HL cells were able to recover growth and photosynthesis after the addition of 25 µM H2O2. Depending upon light conditions and H2O2 concentration, the latter oxidizing agent induced photosystem II inactivation through both direct damage to the reaction centers and inhibition of its repair cycle. Although the global transcriptome response appeared similar in LL and HL cells, some processes were specifically induced in HL cells that seemingly helped them withstand oxidative stress, including enhancement of photoprotection and ROS detoxification, repair of ROS-driven damage, and regulation of redox state. Detection of putative LexA binding sites allowed the identification of the putative LexA regulon, which was down-regulated in HL compared with LL cells but up-regulated by oxidative stress under both growth irradiances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synechococcus, the second most abundant oxygenic phototroph in the marine environment, harbors the largest pigment diversity known within a single genus of cyanobacteria, allowing it to exploit a wide range of light niches. Some strains are capable of Type IV chromatic acclimation (CA4), a process by which cells can match the phycobilin content of their phycobilisomes to the ambient light quality. Here, we performed extensive genomic comparisons to explore the diversity of this process within the marine Synechococcus radiation. A specific gene island was identified in all CA4-performing strains, containing two genes (fciA/b) coding for possible transcriptional regulators and one gene coding for a phycobilin lyase. However, two distinct configurations of this cluster were observed, depending on the lineage. CA4-A islands contain the mpeZ gene, encoding a recently characterized phycoerythrobilin lyase-isomerase, and a third, small, possible regulator called fciC. In CA4-B islands, the lyase gene encodes an uncharacterized relative of MpeZ, called MpeW. While mpeZ is expressed more in blue light than green light, this is the reverse for mpeW, although only small phenotypic differences were found among chromatic acclimaters possessing either CA4 island type. This study provides novel insights into understanding both diversity and evolution of the CA4 process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of the sporophyte and gametophyte generations of the brown alga E. siliculosus involves two different patterns of early development, which begin with either a symmetric or an asymmetric division of the initial cell, respectively. A mutant, immediate upright (imm), was isolated that exhibited several characteristics typical of the gametophyte during the early development of the sporophyte generation. Genetic analyses showed that imm is a recessive, single-locus Mendelian factor and analysis of gene expression in this mutant indicated that the regulation of a number of life-cycle-regulated genes is specifically modified in imm mutant sporophytes. Thus, IMM appears to be a regulatory locus that controls part of the sporophyte-specific developmental programme, the mutant exhibiting partial homeotic conversion of the sporophyte into the gametophyte, a phenomenon that has not been described previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine Synechococcus undergo a wide range of environmental stressors, especially high and variable irradiance, which may induce oxidative stress through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). While light and ROS could act synergistically on the impairment of photosynthesis, inducing photodamage and inhibiting photosystem II repair, acclimation to high irradiance is also thought to confer resistance to other stressors. To identify the respective roles of light and ROS in the photoinhibition process and detect a possible light-driven tolerance to oxidative stress, we compared the photophysiological and transcriptomic responses of Synechococcus sp. WH7803 acclimated to low light (LL) or high light (HL) to oxidative stress, induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or methylviologen. While photosynthetic activity was much more affected in HL than in LL cells, only HL cells were able to recover growth and photosynthesis after the addition of 25 µM H2O2. Depending upon light conditions and H2O2 concentration, the latter oxidizing agent induced photosystem II inactivation through both direct damage to the reaction centers and inhibition of its repair cycle. Although the global transcriptome response appeared similar in LL and HL cells, some processes were specifically induced in HL cells that seemingly helped them withstand oxidative stress, including enhancement of photoprotection and ROS detoxification, repair of ROS-driven damage, and regulation of redox state. Detection of putative LexA binding sites allowed the identification of the putative LexA regulon, which was down-regulated in HL compared with LL cells but up-regulated by oxidative stress under both growth irradiances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synechococcus, the second most abundant oxygenic phototroph in the marine environment, harbors the largest pigment diversity known within a single genus of cyanobacteria, allowing it to exploit a wide range of light niches. Some strains are capable of Type IV chromatic acclimation (CA4), a process by which cells can match the phycobilin content of their phycobilisomes to the ambient light quality. Here, we performed extensive genomic comparisons to explore the diversity of this process within the marine Synechococcus radiation. A specific gene island was identified in all CA4-performing strains, containing two genes (fciA/b) coding for possible transcriptional regulators and one gene coding for a phycobilin lyase. However, two distinct configurations of this cluster were observed, depending on the lineage. CA4-A islands contain the mpeZ gene, encoding a recently characterized phycoerythrobilin lyase-isomerase, and a third, small, possible regulator called fciC. In CA4-B islands, the lyase gene encodes an uncharacterized relative of MpeZ, called MpeW. While mpeZ is expressed more in blue light than green light, this is the reverse for mpeW, although only small phenotypic differences were found among chromatic acclimaters possessing either CA4 island type. This study provides novel insights into understanding both diversity and evolution of the CA4 process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthesis in the world's oceans is primarily conducted by phytoplankton, microorganisms that use many different pigments for light capture. Synechococcus is a unicellular cyanobacterium estimated to be the second most abundant marine phototroph, with a global population of 7 x 1026 cells. This group's success is partly due to the pigment diversity in their photosynthetic light harvesting antennae, which maximize photon capture for photosynthesis. Many Synechococcus isolates adjust their antennae composition in response to shifts in the blue:green ratio of ambient light. This response was named Type 4 chromatic acclimation (CA4). Research has made significant progress in understanding CA4 across scales, from its global ecological importance to its molecular mechanisms. Two forms of CA4 exist, each correlated with the occurrence of one of two distinct but related genomic islands. Several genes in these islands are differentially transcribed by the ambient blue:green light ratio. The encoded proteins control the addition of different pigments to the antennae proteins in blue versus green light, altering their absorption characteristics to maximize photon capture. These genes are regulated by several putative transcription factors also encoded in the genomic islands. Ecologically, CA4 is the most abundant of marine Synechococcus pigment types, occurring in over 40% of the population oceanwide. It predominates at higher latitudes and at depth, suggesting that CA4 is most beneficial under sub-saturating photosynthetic light irradiances. Future CA4 research will further clarify the ecological role of CA4 and the molecular mechanisms controlling this globally important form of phenotypic plasticity., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site–for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Cyanorak v2.1 (http://www.sb-roscoff.fr/cyanorak) is an information system dedicated to visualizing, comparing and curating the genomes of Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus and Cyanobium, the most abundant photosynthetic microorganisms on Earth. The database encompasses sequences from 97 genomes, covering most of the wide genetic diversity known so far within these groups, and which were split into 25,834 clusters of likely orthologous groups (CLOGs). The user interface gives access to genomic characteristics, accession numbers as well as an interactive map showing strain isolation sites. The main entry to the database is through search for a term (gene name, product, etc.), resulting in a list of CLOGs and individual genes. Each CLOG benefits from a rich functional annotation including EggNOG, EC/K numbers, GO terms, TIGR Roles, custom-designed Cyanorak Roles as well as several protein motif predictions. Cyanorak also displays a phyletic profile, indicating the genotype and pigment type for each CLOG, and a genome viewer (Jbrowse) to visualize additional data on each genome such as predicted operons, genomic islands or transcriptomic data, when available. This information system also includes a BLAST search tool, comparative genomic context as well as various data export options. Altogether, Cyanorak v2.1 constitutes an invaluable, scalable tool for comparative genomics of ecologically relevant marine microorganisms., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Marine picocyanobacteria of the genera Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus are the most abundant photosynthetic organisms on Earth, an ecological success thought to be linked to the differential partitioning of distinct ecotypes into specific ecological niches. However, the underlying processes that governed the diversification of these microorganisms and the appearance of niche-related phenotypic traits are just starting to be elucidated. Here, by comparing 81 genomes, including 34 new Synechococcus , we explored the evolutionary processes that shaped the genomic diversity of picocyanobacteria. Time-calibration of a core-protein tree showed that gene gain/loss occurred at an unexpectedly low rate between the different lineages, with for instance 5.6 genes gained per million years (My) for the major Synechococcus lineage (sub-cluster 5.1), among which only 0.71/My have been fixed in the long term. Gene content comparisons revealed a number of candidates involved in nutrient adaptation, a large proportion of which are located in genomic islands shared between either closely or more distantly related strains, as identified using an original network construction approach. Interestingly, strains representative of the different ecotypes co-occurring in phosphorus-depleted waters ( Synechococcus clades III, WPC1, and sub-cluster 5.3) were shown to display different adaptation strategies to this limitation. In contrast, we found few genes potentially involved in adaptation to temperature when comparing cold and warm thermotypes. Indeed, comparison of core protein sequences highlighted variants specific to cold thermotypes, notably involved in carotenoid biosynthesis and the oxidative stress response, revealing that long-term adaptation to thermal niches relies on amino acid substitutions rather than on gene content variation. Altogether, this study not only deciphers the respective roles of gene gains/losses and sequence variation but also uncovers numerous gene candidates likely involved in niche partitioning of two key members of the marine phytoplankton., (Copyright © 2020 Doré, Farrant, Guyet, Haguait, Humily, Ratin, Pitt, Ostrowski, Six, Brillet-Guéguen, Hoebeke, Bisch, Le Corguillé, Corre, Labadie, Aury, Wincker, Choi, Noh, Eveillard, Scanlan, Partensky and Garczarek.)

Marine picocyanobacteria of the genus Synechococcus are ubiquitous phototrophs in oceanic systems. Consistent with these organisms occupying vast tracts of the nutrient impoverished ocean, most marine Synechococcus so far studied are monoploid, i.e., contain a single chromosome copy. The exception is the oligoploid strain Synechococcus sp. WH7803, which on average possesses around 4 chromosome copies. Here, we set out to understand the role of resource availability (through nutrient deplete growth) and physical stressors (UV, exposure to low and high temperature) in regulating ploidy level in this strain. Using qPCR to assay ploidy status we demonstrate the relative stability of chromosome copy number in Synechococcus sp. WH7803. Such robustness in maintaining an oligoploid status even under nutrient and physical stress is indicative of a fundamental role, perhaps facilitating recombination of damaged DNA regions as a result of prolonged exposure to oxidative stress, or allowing added flexibility in gene expression via possessing multiple alleles., (© 2018 The Authors. Environmental Microbiology published by Society for Applied Microbiology and JohnWiley & Sons Ltd.)