title: Ammonium induced expression of the red algal chloroplast gene Ycf18, a putative homolog of the cyanobacterial NblA gene involved in nitrogen deficiency-induced phycobilisome degradation.
abstract: In cyanobacteria, nutrient deficiency-induced phycobilisome degradation is controlled by the NblA gene. Red algae also have an NblA-related gene, Ycf18, in their chloroplast genomes. To elucidate the role of Ycf18, the expression pattern of Ycf18 in a red alga, Porphyra yezoensis, was investigated. Ycf18 expression was low in nitrate medium, but was greatly promoted in ammonium medium. Nitrogen starvation caused bleaching, but did not affect the expression of Ycf18. The responses of Ycf18 to nitrogen-starvation and the supply of ammonium were distinct from those of NblA, suggesting that Ycf18 has a role other than the regulation of phycobilisome degradation.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Kurokami, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakami
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takechi
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takio
mesh_terms: D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D045524:Phycobilisomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D044664:Porphyra / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D020418:Algal Proteins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D045524:Phycobilisomes; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D009584:Nitrogen