Project description:Light is a source of energy and an environmental cue that is available in excess in most surface environments. In prokaryotic systems, conversion of light to energy by photoautotrophs and photoheterotrophs is well understood, but the conversion of light to information and the cellular response to that information has been characterized in only a few species. Our goal was to explore the response of freshwater Actinobacteria, which are ubiquitous in illuminated aquatic environments, to light. We found that Actinobacteria without functional photosystems grow faster in the light, likely because sugar transport and metabolism are upregulated in the light, while protein synthesis is upregulated in the dark. Based on the action spectrum of the growth effect, and comparisons of the genomes of three Actinobacteria with this growth rate phenotype, we propose that the photosensor in these strains is a putative CryB-type cryptochrome. The ability to sense light and upregulate carbohydrate transport during the day could allow these cells to coordinate their time of maximum organic carbon uptake with the time of maximum organic carbon release by primary producers.
Project description:Light is a source of energy and an environmental cue that is available in excess in most surface environments. In prokaryotic systems, conversion of light to energy by photoautotrophs and photoheterotrophs is well understood, but the conversion of light to information and the cellular response to that information has been characterized in only a few species. Our goal was to explore the response of freshwater Actinobacteria, which are ubiquitous in illuminated aquatic environments, to light. We found that Actinobacteria without functional photosystems grow faster in the light, likely because sugar transport and metabolism are upregulated in the light, while protein synthesis is upregulated in the dark. Based on the action spectrum of the growth effect, and comparisons of the genomes of three Actinobacteria with this growth rate phenotype, we propose that the photosensor in these strains is a putative CryB-type cryptochrome. The ability to sense light and upregulate carbohydrate transport during the day could allow these cells to coordinate their time of maximum organic carbon uptake with the time of maximum organic carbon release by primary producers.
Project description:We investigated the transcriptional response of cand. Pelagibacter ubique cultures to light and dark when grown under carbon replete and deplete conditions. Results: During exponential phase, few genes were differentially transcribed between light:dark growth conditions. In stationary phase, a high proportion (9.7%) of coding sequences were found differentially expressed between treatments; 4.7% being up-regulated in the light (n=64) and 4.9% being up-regulated in the dark (n=67). Several components of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway were up-regulated in the dark, supporting physiological data showing higher respiration rates in darkness than in the light under starvation conditions. We also observed up-regulation of a proton translocating pyrophosphate synthase (SAR11_1040), which may be an additional energy production mechanism utilized by SAR11 cells in the dark. Finally, we noted the up-regulation of pili formation genes in the array data, consistent with the observation of pili in dark grown cells via electron microscopy.
Project description:Transcriptional response of the photoheterotrophic marine bacterium D. shibea to changing light regimes. Second part of the study analysing the transition from photoheterotrophic light to heterotrophic dark growth. Bacterial aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis (AAP) is an important mechanism of energy gain in aquatic habitats, accounting for up to 5% of the surface ocean’s photosynthetic electron transport. The dominant AAP bacteria in marine communities belong to the Roseobacter clade. For this reason we used Dinoroseobacter shibae as a model organism to study the transcriptional response of AAP bacteria to changing light regimes. We used continuous cultivation of D. shibae in a chemostat in combination with time series microarray analysis in order to identify gene regulatory patterns after a change in illumination. The change from heterotrophic growth in the dark to photoheterotrophic growth in the light was accompanied by a strong but transient activation of a broad stress response to cope with the formation of harmful singlet oxygen during photophosphorylation, an immediate downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes, fine-tuning of the expression of electron transport chain components and upregulation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. Furthermore, our data indicate that D. shibae might use the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle for CO2 fixation. Analysis of the transcriptome dynamics after the switch from light to dark demonstrates that only few genes are directly regulated in response to light and other signals such as singlet oxygen concentration, electron flow, redox status and energy charge of the cell must be involved in the regulation of the processes accompanying AAP. Based on the transcriptome data first hypothesis about transcriptional control of AAP could be formulated. This study provides the first analysis of AAP on the level of transcriptome dynamics. Our data allow the formulation of testable hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in the regulation of this important biological process.
Project description:Transcriptional response of the photoheterotrophic marine bacterium D. shibea to changing light regimes. First part of the study analysing the transition from heterotrophic dark to photoheterotrophic light growth. Bacterial aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis (AAP) is an important mechanism of energy gain in aquatic habitats, accounting for up to 5% of the surface ocean’s photosynthetic electron transport. The dominant AAP bacteria in marine communities belong to the Roseobacter clade. For this reason we used Dinoroseobacter shibae as a model organism to study the transcriptional response of AAP bacteria to changing light regimes. We used continuous cultivation of D. shibae in a chemostat in combination with time series microarray analysis in order to identify gene regulatory patterns after a change in illumination. The change from heterotrophic growth in the dark to photoheterotrophic growth in the light was accompanied by a strong but transient activation of a broad stress response to cope with the formation of harmful singlet oxygen during photophosphorylation, an immediate downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes, fine-tuning of the expression of electron transport chain components and upregulation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. Furthermore, our data indicate that D. shibae might use the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle for CO2 fixation. Analysis of the transcriptome dynamics after the switch from light to dark demonstrates that only few genes are directly regulated in response to light and other signals such as singlet oxygen concentration, electron flow, redox status and energy charge of the cell must be involved in the regulation of the processes accompanying AAP. Based on the transcriptome data first hypothesis about transcriptional control of AAP could be formulated. This study provides the first analysis of AAP on the level of transcriptome dynamics. Our data allow the formulation of testable hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in the regulation of this important biological process.
Project description:Genome wide rhythmic transcription under light/dark cycles is associated with sequential transcription of specific biological processes genes in Ostreococcus tauri. Transcriptional profiling of Ostreococcus tauri under light/dark cycles. In order to identify genes with a diurnal rhythm, cells entrained under 12:12 light/dark cycles were sampled every 3 hours for 27 hours with two overlapping time points at Time 9 (Light ON at Time 9; Light OFF at Time 21) in 3 independent experiments.
Project description:Transcriptional response of the photoheterotrophic marine bacterium D. shibea to changing light regimes. Second part of the study analysing the transition from photoheterotrophic light to heterotrophic dark growth. Bacterial aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis (AAP) is an important mechanism of energy gain in aquatic habitats, accounting for up to 5% of the surface ocean’s photosynthetic electron transport. The dominant AAP bacteria in marine communities belong to the Roseobacter clade. For this reason we used Dinoroseobacter shibae as a model organism to study the transcriptional response of AAP bacteria to changing light regimes. We used continuous cultivation of D. shibae in a chemostat in combination with time series microarray analysis in order to identify gene regulatory patterns after a change in illumination. The change from heterotrophic growth in the dark to photoheterotrophic growth in the light was accompanied by a strong but transient activation of a broad stress response to cope with the formation of harmful singlet oxygen during photophosphorylation, an immediate downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes, fine-tuning of the expression of electron transport chain components and upregulation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. Furthermore, our data indicate that D. shibae might use the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle for CO2 fixation. Analysis of the transcriptome dynamics after the switch from light to dark demonstrates that only few genes are directly regulated in response to light and other signals such as singlet oxygen concentration, electron flow, redox status and energy charge of the cell must be involved in the regulation of the processes accompanying AAP. Based on the transcriptome data first hypothesis about transcriptional control of AAP could be formulated. This study provides the first analysis of AAP on the level of transcriptome dynamics. Our data allow the formulation of testable hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in the regulation of this important biological process. Samples from light grown cells were used as a reference, 6 timepoints in the dark, biological replicates: 2
Project description:Transcriptional response of the photoheterotrophic marine bacterium D. shibea to changing light regimes. First part of the study analysing the transition from heterotrophic dark to photoheterotrophic light growth. Bacterial aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis (AAP) is an important mechanism of energy gain in aquatic habitats, accounting for up to 5% of the surface ocean’s photosynthetic electron transport. The dominant AAP bacteria in marine communities belong to the Roseobacter clade. For this reason we used Dinoroseobacter shibae as a model organism to study the transcriptional response of AAP bacteria to changing light regimes. We used continuous cultivation of D. shibae in a chemostat in combination with time series microarray analysis in order to identify gene regulatory patterns after a change in illumination. The change from heterotrophic growth in the dark to photoheterotrophic growth in the light was accompanied by a strong but transient activation of a broad stress response to cope with the formation of harmful singlet oxygen during photophosphorylation, an immediate downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes, fine-tuning of the expression of electron transport chain components and upregulation of the transcriptional and translational apparatus. Furthermore, our data indicate that D. shibae might use the 3-hydroxypropionate cycle for CO2 fixation. Analysis of the transcriptome dynamics after the switch from light to dark demonstrates that only few genes are directly regulated in response to light and other signals such as singlet oxygen concentration, electron flow, redox status and energy charge of the cell must be involved in the regulation of the processes accompanying AAP. Based on the transcriptome data first hypothesis about transcriptional control of AAP could be formulated. This study provides the first analysis of AAP on the level of transcriptome dynamics. Our data allow the formulation of testable hypotheses about the mechanisms involved in the regulation of this important biological process. Samples from dark grown cells were used as a reference, 6 timepoints in the light, biological replicates: 3 to 4
Project description:We have reported that JMJ17 act as a repressor to a set of genes involved in photosynthesis, tetrapyrrole biosynthesis and light response related development in the dark, while during dark to light irradiation it acts as an activator of same set of genes.