Halotolerance, stress mechanisms, and circadian clock of salt-tolerant cyanobacteria

Cyanobacteria harbor a high level of physiological flexibility, which enables them to reside in virtually all available environmental niches, including extreme environments. In this review, we summarize the recent advancements in stress mechanisms of salt-tolerant (a.k.a. halotolerant) cyanobacteria. Omics approaches have been extensively employed in recent years to decipher mechanisms of halotolerance and to understand the relevance of halotolerance-associated gene regulatory networks. The vast knowledge from genome mining disclosed that halotolerant cyanobacteria possess extended gene families and/or clusters, encoding enzymes that synthesize unique osmoprotectants, including glycine betaine (GB), betaine derivatives, and mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs). Comprehensive transcriptomic analyses were conducted using Halothece sp. PCC7418 (hereafter referred to as Halothece), a cyanobacterium that exhibits remarkable halotolerance. These studies revealed a specific transcriptional response when Halothece was subjected to salt stress, whereas salt and osmotic stresses were found to share a common transcriptomic response. Transcriptome and metabolite analyses of Halothece illustrated a complex dynamic relationship between the biosyntheses of osmoprotectants, as well as corresponding and ancillary pathways. Lastly, novel insights highlight the relationship between the molecular regulation of the circadian rhythm and salt stress tolerance. Since the circadian rhythm of gene expression was distorted under salt stress, halotolerant cyanobacteria may prioritize the adaptation to salt stress by attenuation of circadian rhythmicity. KEY POINTS: • Recent advancements in the understanding of stress mechanisms in halotolerant cyanobacteria are described based on omics analyses. • Transcriptome and metabolite analyses of Halothece illustrated a complex dynamic relationship between the biosyntheses of osmoprotectants, as well as corresponding and ancillary pathways. • Since salt stress affects the molecular regulation among clock-related proteins, salt stress may attenuate circadian rhythmicity.