Cold stress impairs CurT accumulation and thylakoid architecture in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Low-temperature stress affects the thylakoid membrane system in both cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. In this study, a previously unrecognized link between cold-stress acclimation and the thylakoid-shaping CurT abundance in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 is identified. The results demonstrate that thylakoid architecture and photosynthetic performance are highly sensitive to low-temperature conditions. Furthermore, cold stress appears to impose a common physiological bottleneck that masks CurT-specific differences. Together, our findings support a model in which downregulation of CurT contributes to membrane robustness when thylakoid fluidity and curvature are challenged by low temperature. This study broadens the current understanding of cyanobacterial cold acclimation and identifies CurT as a factor linking membrane architecture to stress adaptation.