Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026

Isolation and Characterization of Intact Phycobilisome in Cyanobacteria
Published on: November 10, 2021
Acclimation to high-light conditions in cyanobacteria: from gene expression to physiological responses
Masayuki Muramatsu1, Yukako Hihara
1Division of Plant Sciences, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Ibaraki, 305-8602, Japan.
Abstract:
Photosynthetic organisms have evolved various acclimatory responses to high-light (HL) conditions to maintain a balance between energy supply (light harvesting and electron transport) and consumption (cellular metabolism) and to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage. The molecular mechanism of HL acclimation has been extensively studied in the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Whole genome DNA microarray analyses have revealed that the change in gene expression profile under HL is closely correlated with subsequent acclimatory responses such as (1) acceleration in the rate of photosystem II turnover, (2) downregulation of light harvesting capacity, (3) development of a protection mechanism for the photosystems against excess light energy, (4) upregulation of general protection mechanism components, and (5) regulation of carbon and nitrogen assimilation. In this review article, we survey recent progress in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of these acclimatory responses in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. We also briefly describe attempts to understand HL acclimation in various cyanobacterial species in their natural environments.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Phylum Cyanobacteria
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light
Channel Rhodopsins
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
Stringent Response in E. coli
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

