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Adaptive Evolution of Phosphorus Metabolism in Prochlorococcus
John R Casey1, Adil Mardinoglu2, Jens Nielsen3
1Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography, Research and Education, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Msystems
|November 22, 2016
Summary
Marine cyanobacteria optimize phosphorus metabolism to thrive in nutrient-scarce oceans. This study reveals a novel strategy of minimizing phosphate dependence, enhancing growth rates in phosphorus-limited environments.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Marine Biology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Inorganic phosphorus is scarce in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, a region where the high-light-adapted ecotype HLI of *Prochlorococcus marinus* thrives.
- While physiological adaptations to phosphorus limitation are known, the optimization of phosphorus metabolism for growth has not been studied in this ecotype.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct a genome-scale metabolic network of *Prochlorococcus marinus* HLI strain MED4.
- To quantify metabolic fluxes under phosphorus-limited growth (PLG) conditions and identify adaptive strategies.
Main Methods:
- Reconstruction of a genome-scale metabolic network (*i*JC568) for *Prochlorococcus marinus* MED4, comprising 568 metabolic genes.
- Quantification of metabolic fluxes under PLG conditions using the reconstructed network and comparison with experimental data.
Main Results:
- MED4 minimizes phosphate dependence by reducing phosphorus-containing biomass and phosphate-reaction participation.
- A key enzyme, succinate dehydrogenase, was lost, despite a high proportion (47%) of essential metabolic genes.
- These metabolic alterations confer a significant growth rate advantage in phosphorus-limited regions.
Conclusions:
- *Prochlorococcus marinus* HLI employs a novel strategy to reduce phosphate dependence, involving metabolic network optimization.
- This adaptive evolution enhances survival and competitiveness in phosphorus-limited marine environments.
- Understanding these strategies is crucial for comprehending microbial adaptation in oligotrophic oceans.
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