On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803
The cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 is known for producing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under unbalanced nutrient conditions. Although many cyanobacteria produce PHB, its physiological relevance remains unknown, since previous studies concluded that PHB is redundant. In thi...
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/4/47 |
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| author | Moritz Koch Kenneth W. Berendzen Karl Forchhammer |
| author_facet | Moritz Koch Kenneth W. Berendzen Karl Forchhammer |
| author_sort | Moritz Koch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 is known for producing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under unbalanced nutrient conditions. Although many cyanobacteria produce PHB, its physiological relevance remains unknown, since previous studies concluded that PHB is redundant. In this work, we try to better understand the physiological conditions that are important for PHB synthesis. The accumulation of intracellular PHB was higher when the cyanobacterial cells were grown under an alternating day–night rhythm as compared to continuous light. In contrast to previous reports, a reduction of PHB was observed when the cells were grown under conditions of limited gas exchange. Since previous data showed that PHB is not required for the resuscitation from nitrogen starvation, a series of different abiotic stresses were applied to test if PHB is beneficial for its fitness. However, under none of the tested conditions did cells containing PHB show a fitness advantage compared to a PHB-free-mutant (Δ<i>phaEC</i>). Additionally, the distribution of PHB in single cells of a population <i>Synechocystis</i> cells was analyzed via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The results showed a considerable degree of phenotypic heterogeneity at the single cell level concerning the content of PHB, which was consistent over several generations. These results improve our understanding about how and why <i>Synechocystis</i> synthesizes PHB and gives suggestions how to further increase its production for a biotechnological process. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:18:27Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:18:27Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fadd5732360483d97caf791d9b984c52023-11-19T22:24:27ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292020-04-011044710.3390/life10040047On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803Moritz Koch0Kenneth W. Berendzen1Karl Forchhammer2Interfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyCenter for Plant Molecular Biology, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyInterfaculty Institute of Microbiology and Infection Medicine Tübingen, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, GermanyThe cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 is known for producing polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) under unbalanced nutrient conditions. Although many cyanobacteria produce PHB, its physiological relevance remains unknown, since previous studies concluded that PHB is redundant. In this work, we try to better understand the physiological conditions that are important for PHB synthesis. The accumulation of intracellular PHB was higher when the cyanobacterial cells were grown under an alternating day–night rhythm as compared to continuous light. In contrast to previous reports, a reduction of PHB was observed when the cells were grown under conditions of limited gas exchange. Since previous data showed that PHB is not required for the resuscitation from nitrogen starvation, a series of different abiotic stresses were applied to test if PHB is beneficial for its fitness. However, under none of the tested conditions did cells containing PHB show a fitness advantage compared to a PHB-free-mutant (Δ<i>phaEC</i>). Additionally, the distribution of PHB in single cells of a population <i>Synechocystis</i> cells was analyzed via fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). The results showed a considerable degree of phenotypic heterogeneity at the single cell level concerning the content of PHB, which was consistent over several generations. These results improve our understanding about how and why <i>Synechocystis</i> synthesizes PHB and gives suggestions how to further increase its production for a biotechnological process.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/4/47cyanobacteriabioplasticPHBsustainableresuscitationchlorosis |
| spellingShingle | Moritz Koch Kenneth W. Berendzen Karl Forchhammer On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 Life cyanobacteria bioplastic PHB sustainable resuscitation chlorosis |
| title | On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 |
| title_full | On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 |
| title_fullStr | On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 |
| title_short | On the Role and Production of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in the Cyanobacterium <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 |
| title_sort | on the role and production of polyhydroxybutyrate phb in the cyanobacterium i synechocystis i sp pcc 6803 |
| topic | cyanobacteria bioplastic PHB sustainable resuscitation chlorosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/10/4/47 |
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