title: Cloning of the psbK gene from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and characterization of photosystem II in mutants lacking PSII-K.
abstract: We cloned and sequenced the psbK gene, coding for a small photosystem II component (PSII-K), from the transformable cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and determined the N-terminal sequence of mature PSII-K. The psbK gene product is processed by cleaving off eight amino acid residues from the N terminus. A mutant lacking psbK was constructed; this mutant grew photoautotrophically, but its growth rate was reduced. The number of photosystem II reaction centers on a chlorophyll basis was decreased by less than a factor of 2 in the psbK-deletion mutant. In Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, the psbK gene is transcribed as a single gene and is not part of an operon. Single-site mutations were introduced into psbK leading to early termination or deletion of the presequence. The phenotype of these mutants strongly resembles that of the psbK deletion mutant, indicating that indeed the change in phenotype in the deletion mutant is directly correlated with PSII-K. PSII-K is not essential for photosystem II assembly or activity but is needed for optimal photosystem II function.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Solar Energy Research Group, Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Eggers
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Webber
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vermaas
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D017343:Genes, Plant; D007700:Kinetics; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009154:Mutation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000302:isolation & purification; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D010944:Plants / Q000235:genetics; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D045322:Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D004247:DNA