Examination of diel changes in global transcript accumulation in Synechocystis (cyanobacteria)

Phytoplankton in nature must acclimate to a wide range of light conditions resulting from diel light cycles, ocean circulation and mixing, cloud cover, and the variable bio-optical characteristics of the water column. In this study, we used whole-genome cDNA microarrays to investigate the effects of a gradually fluctuating daily light cycle on gene expression in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. From these data, we developed a conceptual framework depicting the diel regulation of metabolic pathways in the cell. The framework is focused on potential photoacclimation responses, including the regulation of the photosystems, cell division, and DNA replication. The mRNA abundance of genes involved in many metabolic pathways, and particularly those encoding proteins that function in photosynthesis and DNA replication, changed markedly over the course of the day. The levels of mRNA encoding polypeptides important for the formation of the light-harvesting apparatus, photosystems I and II, and cell division were found in high concentrations during the day. The transcript levels of many genes encoding enzymes involved in anabolic processes also increased considerably during the day. In contrast, transposon transcripts and mRNAs encoding proteins involved in DNA replication, cell wall synthesis, and respiratory activity were not found in high concentrations during the day. Although gradually varying light exposure induced significant changes in transcript accumulation within Synechocystis, the direction of these changes differed between our study and previous studies in which there was an abrupt transition between irradiances.