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Quantifying the effects of light intensity on bioproduction and maintenance energy during photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides

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Abstract

Obtaining a better understanding of the physiology and bioenergetics of photosynthetic microbes is an important step toward optimizing these systems for light energy capture or production of valuable commodities. In this work, we analyzed the effect of light intensity on bioproduction, biomass formation, and maintenance energy during photoheterotrophic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Using data obtained from steady-state bioreactors operated at varying dilution rates and light intensities, we found that irradiance had a significant impact on biomass yield and composition, with significant changes in photopigment, phospholipid, and biopolymer storage contents. We also observed a linear relationship between incident light intensity and H2 production rate between 3 and 10 W m−2, with saturation observed at 100 W m−2. The light conversion efficiency to H2 was also higher at lower light intensities. Photosynthetic maintenance energy requirements were also significantly affected by light intensity, with links to differences in biomass composition and the need to maintain redox homeostasis. Inclusion of the measured condition-dependent biomass and maintenance energy parameters and the measured photon uptake rate into a genome-scale metabolic model for R. sphaeroides (iRsp1140) significantly improved its predictive performance. We discuss how our analyses provide new insights into the light-dependent changes in bioenergetic requirements and physiology during photosynthetic growth of R. sphaeroides and potentially other photosynthetic organisms.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded in part by the Department of Energy, Office of Science, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (DE-FC02-07ER64494), and the Genomics:GTL and SciDAC Programs (DE-FG02-04ER25627). SI was supported during part of this work by a William H. Peterson Predoctoral Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Bacteriology Department.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Saheed Imam

  2. Department of Bacteriology, Wisconsin Energy Institute, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Suite 5166, 1552 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53726-4084, USA

    Saheed Imam & Timothy J. Donohue

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Colin M. Fitzgerald, Emily M. Cook & Daniel R. Noguera

  4. DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Saheed Imam, Colin M. Fitzgerald, Timothy J. Donohue & Daniel R. Noguera

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  1. Saheed Imam
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  5. Daniel R. Noguera
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Correspondence to Daniel R. Noguera.

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Imam, S., Fitzgerald, C.M., Cook, E.M. et al. Quantifying the effects of light intensity on bioproduction and maintenance energy during photosynthetic growth of Rhodobacter sphaeroides . Photosynth Res 123, 167–182 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-014-0061-1

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