BioProject

Cyanobacteria, photoautotrophic prokaryotes, contribute significantly to the global photosynthesis and require large amounts of the essential micronutrient iron in order to maintain their Fe-rich photosynthetic apparatus. More...

Cyanobacteria, photoautotrophic prokaryotes, contribute significantly to the global photosynthesis and require large amounts of the essential micronutrient iron in order to maintain their Fe-rich photosynthetic apparatus. Here we use the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (later referred to Synechocystis) in both, standard and iron stress conditions, to study transcription and post-transcription regulation in iron deprivation. Although iron is one of the most abundant metals on earth, it is not soluble under aerobic conditions. Thus Synechocystis had to find ways to overcome iron deficiency. At the same time, however, free intracellular iron needs to be kept at permissive levels, as it becomes toxic under aerobic conditions by producing reactive oxygen species. For these reasons, complex regulatory networks have evolved to tightly control intracellular iron concentrations, ensuring its essential function yet avoiding cellular damage (Pierre Cornelis et al). In a previous study, we investigated iron deprivation in Synechocystis using customised amplification library for the analysis of global gene expression in the unicellular cyanobacterium (Hernández-Prieto et al, 2012; Georg et al, 2017),(Georg et al, 2017) but it is still little known about RNA stability in this organism. We now extend this study through a transcriptome wide half-life analysis in Synechocystis grown under standard and iron-limiting conditions using oligonucleotide microarrays that detect both protein-coding and non-coding transcripts (ncRNA). We used the antibiotic Rifampicin to stop the transcription. Samples were taken at time points 0 min (before the addition of rifampicin) and in a time series of 2 min, 4 min, 8 min, 16 min, 32 min and 64 min after its addition. Overall design: Three and two biological replicates were used for standard and iron stress condition respectively. Half-life was estimated for each condition. Less...