The gene sml0013 of Synechocystis species strain PCC 6803 encodes for a novel subunit of the NAD(P)H oxidoreductase or complex I that is ubiquitously distributed among Cyanobacteria

Plant Physiol. 2013 Nov;163(3):1191-202. doi: 10.1104/pp.113.224287. Epub 2013 Oct 2.

Abstract

The NAD(P)H oxidoreductase or complex I (NDH1) complex participates in many processes such as respiration, cyclic electron flow, and inorganic carbon concentration in the cyanobacterial cell. Despite immense progress in our understanding of the structure-function relation of the cyanobacterial NDH1 complex, the subunits catalyzing NAD(P)H docking and oxidation are still missing. The gene sml0013 of Synechocystis 6803 encodes for a small protein of unknown function for which homologs exist in all completely known cyanobacterial genomes. The protein exhibits weak similarities to the NDH-dependent flow6 (NDF6) protein, which was reported from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) chloroplasts as a NDH subunit. An sml0013 inactivation mutant of Synechocystis 6803 was generated and characterized. It showed only weak differences regarding growth and pigmentation in various culture conditions; most remarkably, it exhibited a glucose-sensitive phenotype in the light. The genome-wide expression pattern of the Δsml0013::Km mutant was almost identical to the wild type when grown under high CO2 conditions as well as after shifts to low CO2 conditions. However, measurements of the photosystem I redox kinetic in cells of the Δsml0013::Km mutant revealed differences, such as a decreased capability of cyclic electron flow as well as electron flow into respiration in comparison with the wild type. These results suggest that the Sml0013 protein (named NdhP) represents a novel subunit of the cyanobacterial NDH1 complex, mediating its coupling either to the respiratory or the photosynthetic electron flow.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • Carbon Dioxide / pharmacology
  • Cyanobacteria / classification
  • Cyanobacteria / genetics*
  • Cyanobacteria / metabolism
  • Electron Transport / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial / drug effects
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • NADPH Oxidases / genetics*
  • NADPH Oxidases / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / genetics*
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Subunits / genetics
  • Protein Subunits / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Synechocystis / genetics*
  • Synechocystis / metabolism
  • Transcriptome / drug effects

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Photosystem I Protein Complex
  • Protein Subunits
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • NADPH Oxidases