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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Spectrophotometric Determination of Phycobiliprotein Content in Cyanobacterium Synechocystis
Published on: September 11, 2018
Light regulation of pigment and photosystem biosynthesis in cyanobacteria
Ming-Yang Ho1, Nathan T Soulier2, Daniel P Canniffe2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Abstract:
Most cyanobacteria are obligate oxygenic photoautotrophs, and thus their growth and survival is highly dependent on effective utilization of incident light. Cyanobacteria have evolved a diverse set of phytochromes and cyanobacteriochromes (CBCRs) that allow cells to respond to light in the range from ∼300nm to ∼750nm. Together with associated response regulators, these photosensory proteins control many aspects of cyanobacterial physiology and metabolism. These include far-red light photoacclimation (FaRLiP), complementary chromatic acclimation (CCA), low-light photoacclimation (LoLiP), photosystem content and stoichiometry (long-term adaptation), short-term acclimation (state transitions), circadian rhythm, phototaxis, photomorphogenesis/development, and cellular aggregation. This minireview highlights some discoveries concerning phytochromes and CBCRs as well as two acclimation processes that improve light harvesting and energy conversion under specific irradiance conditions: FaRLiP and CCA.
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