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Spectrophotometric Determination of Phycobiliprotein Content in Cyanobacterium Synechocystis
Published on: September 11, 2018
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Ethylene causes transcriptomic changes in Synechocystis during phototaxis
Randy F Lacey1, Cidney J Allen1, Arkadipta Bakshi2,3
1Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA.
Plant Direct
|June 28, 2019
Summary
Ethylene, a plant hormone, significantly alters gene expression in the bacterium Synechocystis, affecting amino acid metabolism and cell envelope genes. This impacts cellular processes and surface properties, revealing a novel signaling role for ethylene in bacteria.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology and Plant Science
- Gene Regulation and Transcriptomics
- Bacterial Physiology
Background:
- Ethylene is a known plant hormone with a poorly understood role in bacteria.
- The bacterium Synechocystis possesses a functional ethylene receptor, ethylene response 1 (Etr1), influencing phototaxis and biofilm formation.
- Previous studies indicated ethylene's role in altering cell surface properties and motility in Synechocystis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the comprehensive changes in gene transcripts induced by ethylene in Synechocystis under phototaxis conditions.
- To elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which ethylene signaling affects bacterial physiology, particularly cell envelope composition and sugar moieties.
Main Methods:
- RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to analyze global gene expression changes in response to ethylene application.
- Quantitative analysis of transcript levels for specific genes involved in light signaling (Etr1, Slr1213, Slr1214, csiR1) and metabolic pathways.
- Analysis of cell surface properties and sugar moiety composition following ethylene treatment.
Main Results:
- Ethylene application altered over 500 gene transcripts in Synechocystis, affecting diverse functional categories.
- Amino acid metabolism genes were predominantly upregulated, while cell envelope genes were mostly downregulated by ethylene.
- Ethylene significantly impacted transcript levels of transporters and glycosyltransferases, correlating with observed changes in cell surface sugars and motility.
Conclusions:
- Ethylene acts as a significant signaling molecule in Synechocystis, modulating a wide range of physiological processes.
- The observed transcriptomic changes, particularly in cell envelope and amino acid metabolism genes, highlight ethylene's role in bacterial adaptation.
- Ethylene signaling, involving Etr1, Slr1213, Slr1214, and csiR1, dynamically alters bacterial physiology and cell surface characteristics.
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