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The exo-proteome and exo-metabolome of Nostoc punctiforme (Cyanobacteria) in the presence and absence of nitrate

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Abstract

The ability of nitrogen-fixing filamentous Cyanobacteria to adapt to multiple environments comes in part from assessing and responding to external stimuli, an event that is initiated in the extracellular milieu. While it is known that these organisms produce numerous extracellular substances, little work has been done to characterize both the metabolites and proteins present under standard laboratory growth conditions. We have assessed the extracellular milieu of Nostoc punctiforme when grown in liquid culture in the presence and absence of a nitrogen source (nitrate). The extracellular proteins identified were enriched in integrin β-propellor domains and calcium-binding sites with sequences unique to N. punctiforme, supporting a role for extracellular proteins in modulating species-specific recognition and behavior processes. Extracellular proteases are present and active under both conditions, with the cells grown with nitrate having a higher activity when normalized to chlorophyll levels. The released metabolites are enriched in peptidoglycan-derived tetrasaccharides, with higher levels in nitrate-free media.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Erika Weidman, Victoria King, Marcy Thompson, and Kaila Redifer for their technical assistance and protocol development efforts during the course of this investigation. The mass spectrometry resources are maintained by the Virginia Tech Mass Spectrometry Incubator, a facility operated in part through funding by the Fralin Life Science Institute at Virginia Tech. The SynaptG2-S HDMS mass spectrometer was purchased with funds from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. This work was also supported by the Agricultural Experiment Station Hatch Program at Virginia Tech (CRIS Project Number: VA-135981).

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, 143 Life Sciences 1, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0910, USA

    Laura Vilhauer, Judith Jervis, W. Keith Ray & Richard F. Helm

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  1. Laura Vilhauer
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  2. Judith Jervis
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  4. Richard F. Helm
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Correspondence to Richard F. Helm.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Vilhauer, L., Jervis, J., Ray, W.K. et al. The exo-proteome and exo-metabolome of Nostoc punctiforme (Cyanobacteria) in the presence and absence of nitrate. Arch Microbiol 196, 357–367 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-014-0974-2

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