Identification of a SulP-type bicarbonate transporter in marine cyanobacteria.

ABSTRACT: Cyanobacteria possess a highly effective CO(2)-concentrating mechanism that elevates CO(2) concentrations around the primary carboxylase, Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase). This CO(2)-concentrating mechanism incorporates light-dependent, active uptake systems for CO(2) and HCO(-)(3). Through mutant studies in a coastal marine cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. strain PCC7002, we identified bicA as a gene that encodes a class of HCO(-)(3) transporter with relatively low transport affinity, but high flux rate. BicA is widely represented in genomes of oceanic cyanobacteria and belongs to a large family of eukaryotic and prokaryotic transporters presently annotated as sulfate transporters or permeases in many bacteria (SulP family). Further gain-of-function experiments i

SUBMITTER: Price GD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC539743 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature