Metabolomic analysis reveals rewiring of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 primary metabolism by ntcA overexpression.

Abstract

NtcA is a cAMP receptor protein-type transcription factor conserved among cyanobacteria and is essential for gene expression in response to nitrogen status. NtcA has been widely studied; however, no metabolomic analysis has been conducted using the ntcA mutant. Here, we generated a strain that overexpresses ntcA in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, named NOX10, and performed physiological, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. NOX10 grew faster than the wild-type strain under photoautotrophic conditions, but slower under light-activated heterotrophic conditions. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of genes related to primary metabolism was altered by ntcA overexpression particularly under nitrogen-depleted conditions. Metabolomic analysis revealed that metabolite levels in sugar, purine/pyrimidine nucleotide, organic acid and amino acid metabolism were widely altered by ntcA overexpression. The protein levels of nitrogen-regulated transcriptional regulators were altered by ntcA overexpression during nitrogen starvation. These results demonstrate the alteration of primary metabolism by genetic engineering of NtcA, and they contribute to the current understanding of metabolic regulation of unicellular cyanobacteria.

• Authors: Takashi Osanai, Akira Oikawa, Hiroko Iijima, Ayuko Kuwahara, Munehiko Asayama, Kan Tanaka, Masahiko Ikeuchi, Kazuki Saito, Masami Yokota Hirai
• Journal: Environmental microbiology (Environ Microbiol) Vol. 16 Issue 10 Pg. 3304-17 (Oct 2014) ISSN: 1462-2920 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25039649 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Bacterial Proteins
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• Transcription Factors
• ntcA protein, Synechococcus
• Nitrogen

Topics

• Bacterial Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• DNA-Binding Proteins (genetics, metabolism)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial
• Metabolome
• Metabolomics
• Nitrogen (metabolism)
• Synechocystis (genetics, growth & development, metabolism)
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Transcriptome