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Native SodB Overexpression of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Improves Cell Growth Under Alcohol Stresses Whereas Its Gpx2 Overexpression Impacts on Growth Recovery from Alcohol Stressors

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology volume 194, pages 5748–5766 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract 

To overcome the limited resistance to alcohol stress, genetically engineered Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 strains with overexpressions of genes related with the ROS detoxification system (sodB and gpx2, which encode superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, respectively) were developed. Three engineered strains including a sodB-overexpressing strain (OE + S), a gpx2-overexpressing strain (OE + G), and a sodB/gpx2-overexpressing strain (OE + SG) grew similarly as wild-type control under normal condition. When compared to wild-type control, OE + S and OE + SG strains grew faster for 4 days under 2.0% (v/v) ethanol and 0.3% (v/v) n-butanol conditions, as well as having higher chlorophyll a levels. On the other hand, the prominent growth recovery of OE + G and OE + SG was noted within 4 days in normal BG11 medium after treating cells with high alcohol stresses for 1 h, in particular 15% ethanol and 2.5% n-butanol. Under 4 days of recovery from butanol stress, specific levels of intracellular pigments including chlorophyll a and carotenoids were dramatically increased in all modified strains. The overexpression of antioxidant genes then revealed a significant improvement of alcohol tolerance in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

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Data Availability

The raw data used to support the findings of the study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully thank Prof. Peter Lindblad, Microbial Chemistry, Department of Chemistry–Ångström, Uppsala University, for providing the expression vector pEERM to our work.

Funding

This work was supported by the Scholarship from Chulalongkorn University to develop research potential for the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University (Ratchadaphiseksomphot Endowment Fund) to PV. This research is also funded by Chulalongkorn University: CU_GR_62_25_23_08 to SJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cyanobacterial Biotechnology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Phuwanet Vachiranuvathin, Vetaka Tharasirivat, Thitaporn Hemnusornnanon & Saowarath Jantaro

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  1. Phuwanet Vachiranuvathin
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  2. Vetaka Tharasirivat
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  3. Thitaporn Hemnusornnanon
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  4. Saowarath Jantaro
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Contributions

Phuwanet Vachiranuvathin was responsible for study conception, main experimenter, data collection, analysis, and draft manuscript writing; Vetaka Tharasirivat was responsible for experimenter and data collection; Thitaporn Hemnusornnanon was responsible for experimenter and data collection; Saowarath Jantaro was responsible for study conception, critical revision and manuscript writing, and final approval of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Saowarath Jantaro.

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Vachiranuvathin, P., Tharasirivat, V., Hemnusornnanon, T. et al. Native SodB Overexpression of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Improves Cell Growth Under Alcohol Stresses Whereas Its Gpx2 Overexpression Impacts on Growth Recovery from Alcohol Stressors. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 194, 5748–5766 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-04061-w

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Keywords

  • Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
  • Alcohol tolerance
  • Superoxide dismutase
  • Glutathione peroxidase
  • Growth recovery