Photosynthetic reactions to withstand iron-deficient environments: various expression mechanisms and functions of the isiA genes

October 16, 2020

A joint research group of Okayama University, Kobe University, Tokyo Metropolitan University, and RIKEN CSRS succeeded in expression analysis of IsiA proteins induced under iron-deficient conditions in cyanobacteria Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 and in excitation-energy transfer analysis using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The results revealed that the IsiA proteins have a preferential expression control mechanism and is responsible for the excitation energy supply required for photosynthetic photochemical reactions.

This study gave insight to the question, "How do photosynthetic organisms survive under irondeficient onditions, i.e., a nutrient-poor environment?". Photosynthetic organisms need to adjust their photosynthetic apparatus under nutrition-poor conditions to drive the minimum but necessary photosynthetic reactions. The diverse expression of IsiA family is considered to be part of the survival strategy.

Original article

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Bioenergetics doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2020.148327

R. Nagao, M. Yokono, Y. Ueno, T. Suzuki, K. Kato, K. Kato, N. Tsuboshita, T. Jiang, N. Dohmae, J. Shen, S. Ehira, S. Akimoto,

"Molecular organizations and function of iron-stress-induced-A protein family in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120".

Contact

Naoshi Dohmae

Unit Leader

Biomolecular Characterization Unit