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6S RNA plays a role in recovery from nitrogen depletion in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

ABSTRACT: Background: The 6S RNA is a global transcriptional riboregulator, which is exceptionally widespread among most bacterial phyla. While its role is well-characterized in some heterotrophic bacteria, we subjected a cyanobacterial homolog to functional analysis, thereby extending the scope of 6S RNA action to the special challenges of photoautotrophic lifestyles. Results: Physiological characterization of a 6S RNA deletion strain (ΔssaA) demonstrates a delay in the recovery from nitrogen starvation. Significantly decelerated phycobilisome reassembly and glycogen degradation are accompanied with reduced photosynthetic activity compared to the wild type. Transcriptome profiling further revealed that predominantly genes encoding photosystem components, ATP synthase, phycobilisomes and ribosomal proteins were negatively affected in ΔssaA. In vivo pull-down studies of the RNA polymerase complex indicated that the presence of 6S RNA promotes the recruitment of the cyanobacterial housekeeping σ factor SigA, concurrently supporting dissociation of group 2 σ factors during recovery from nitrogen starvation. Conclusions: The combination of genetic, physiological and biochemical studies reveals the homologue of 6S RNA as an integral part of the cellular response of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to changing nitrogen availability. According to these results, 6S RNA supports a rapid acclimation to changing nitrogen supply by accelerating the switch from group 2 σ factors SigB, SigC and SigE to SigA-dependent transcription. We therefore introduce the cyanobacterial 6S RNA as a novel candidate regulator of RNA polymerase sigma factor recruitment in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Further studies on mechanistic features of the postulated interaction should shed additional light on the complexity of transcriptional regulation in cyanobacteria.

ORGANISM(S): Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

PROVIDER: GSE83387 | GEO | 2016/06/16

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA325775

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The catalytic core of the RNA polymerase of most eubacteria is composed of two M-NM-1 subunits and M-NM-2, M-NM-2M-bM-^@M-^Y and M-OM-^I subunits. In Escherichia coli, the M-OM-^I subunit (encoded by the rpoZ gene) has been suggested to assist M-NM-2M-bM-^@M-^Y during RNA polymerase core assembly. The function of the M-OM-^I subunit is particularly interesting in cyanobacteria because the cyanobacterial M-NM-2M-bM-^@M-^Y is split to N-terminal M-NM-3 and C-terminal M-NM-2M-bM-^@M-^Y subunits. The M-bM-^HM-^FrpoZ strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 grew well in standard conditions although the mutant cells showed low light-saturated photosynthetic activity, low Rubisco content and accumulated high quantities of protective carotenoids and M-NM-1-tocopherol. The M-bM-^HM-^FrpoZ strain contained 15% less of the primary M-OM-^C factor, SigA, than the control strain, and recruitment of SigA to the RNA polymerase core was inefficient in M-bM-^HM-^FrpoZ. Thus, a cyanobacterial RNA polymerase holoenzyme lacking the M-OM-^I subunit contains less frequently the primary M-OM-^C factor. A DNA microarray analysis revealed that this leads to specific down-regulation of highly expressed genes, like genes encoding subunits for Rubisco, ATP synthase, NADH-dehydrogenase and carbon concentrating mechanisms. On the contrary, many genes showing only low or moderate expression in the control strain were up-regulated in M-bM-^HM-^FrpoZ. A conserved -10 region was detected in promoters showing up or down-regulation in M-bM-^HM-^FrpoZ, but -35 regions of down-regulated genes completely differed from -35 regions of up-regulated genes. Cells from cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 named as control strain (CS) and RNA polymerase omega subunit inactivation strain, M-NM-^TrpoZ, were harvested (A730=1, 40 mL) directly from standard growth conditions (continuous illumination at the PPFD of 40 M-BM-5mol m-2s-1, 32M-BM-0C, ambient CO2). From three to four independent experiments were performed at each conditions.

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6S RNA plays a role in recovery from nitrogen depletion in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

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