Ultrastructure of compacted DNA in cyanobacteria by high-voltage cryo-electron tomography

Some cyanobacteria exhibit compaction of DNA in synchrony with their circadian rhythms accompanying cell division. Since the structure is transient, it has not yet been described in detail. Here, we successfully visualize the ultrastructure of compacted DNA in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 under rigorous synchronized cultivation by means of high-voltage cryo-electron tomography. In 3D reconstructions of rapidly frozen cells, the compacted DNA appears as an undulating rod resembling a eukaryotic condensed chromosome. The compacted DNA also includes many small and paired polyphosphate bodies (PPBs), some of which seem to maintain contact with DNA that appears to twist away from them, indicating that they may act as interactive suppliers and regulators of phosphate for DNA synthesis. These observations throw light on the duplication and segregation mechanisms of cyanobacterial DNA and point to an important role for PPBs.