title: NblA gene expression in Synechocystis PCC 6803 strains lacking DspA (Hik33) and a NblR-like protein.
abstract: Cyanobacteria respond to nutrient-limiting conditions by degrading their phycobilisomes (PBS), the light-harvesting complexes for photosynthesis. In Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942, the expression of nblA, an essential gene in this process, is controlled by the response regulator NblR and the sensor NblS. Here we study the effect of inactivation of dspA (an nblS homologue) and an nblR-like gene on phycobilisome degradation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, under nitrogen starvation. In each mutant, the expression of nblA was found to be unaffected and sequential PBS degradation occurred after nitrogen deprivation (although it was slightly delayed). Our results demonstrate that dspA and nblR-like do not exert a major control of PBS degradation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
authors.affiliation: Signalisation et Morphogenèse des Diatomées, CNRS FRE2910, Département de Biologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230 Paris, Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Gérald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zabulon
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richaud
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guidi-Rontani
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D009154:Mutation; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D045524:Phycobilisomes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046939:Synechocystis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D045524:Phycobilisomes; D014157:Transcription Factors; C426123:nblA protein, Synechocystis; D009584:Nitrogen