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Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942: a cyanobacterium cell factory for producing useful chemicals and fuels under abiotic stress conditions

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Abstract

Sucrose, a compatible osmolyte in cyanobacteria, functions both as an energy reserve and as osmoprotectant. Sugars are the most common substrates used by microorganisms to produce hydrogen (H2) by means of anaerobic dark fermentation. Cells of the unicellular, non-nitrogen fixing, freshwater cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 accumulate sucrose under salt stress. In the present work, we used this cyanobacterium and a genetically engineered strain of it (known as PAMCOD) to investigate the optimal conditions for (a) photosynthetic activity, (b) cell proliferation and (c) sucrose accumulation, which are necessary for H2 production via anaerobic dark fermentation of the accumulated sucrose. PAMCOD (Deshnium et al. in Plant Mol Biol 29:897–902, 1995) contains the gene codA that codes for choline oxidase, the enzyme which converts choline to the zwitterion glycine betaine. Glycine betaine is a compatible osmolyte which increases the salt tolerance of Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942. Furthermore, glycine betaine maintains cell proliferation under salt stress and results in increased sucrose accumulation. In the present study, we examine the environmental factors, such as the NaCl concentration, the culture medium pH, and the carbon dioxide content of the air bubbled through it. At optimal conditions, sucrose accumulated in the cyanobacteria cells up to 13.5 mol per mole Chl a. Overall, genetically engineered Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942 produces sucrose in sufficient quantities such that it may be a viable alternative (a) to sucrose synthesis, and (b) to H2 formation via anaerobic dark fermentation.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support of this work by the project “Target Identification and Development of Novel Approaches for Health and Environmental Applications” (MIS 5002514) which is implemented under the Action for the Strategic Development on the Research and Technological Sectors, funded by the Operational Programme "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (NSRF 2014–2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Aghia Paraskevi, 15310, Attikis, Greece

    Dimitrios Vayenos, George C. Papageorgiou & Kostas Stamatakis

  2. Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, Aghia Paraskevi, 15310, Attikis, Greece

    George Em. Romanos

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  1. Dimitrios Vayenos
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  2. George Em. Romanos
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  3. George C. Papageorgiou
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  4. Kostas Stamatakis
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Correspondence to Kostas Stamatakis.

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Dedicated to Prof. Norio Murata, a leading scientist in photosynthesis research

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Vayenos, D., Romanos, G.E., Papageorgiou, G.C. et al. Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942: a cyanobacterium cell factory for producing useful chemicals and fuels under abiotic stress conditions. Photosynth Res 146, 235–245 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-020-00747-6

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