Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Development of a Biotechnology Platform for the Fast-Growing Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901

David John Lea-Smith
* ORCID logo ,
Lauren A Mills
ORCID logo ,
Jose Angel Moreno-Cabezuelo
,
Artur Wlodarczyk
,
Angelo J Victoria
,
Rebeca Mejias
ORCID logo ,
Anja Nenninger
,
Simon Moxon
ORCID logo ,
Paolo Bombelli
,
Tiago Toscano Selao
ORCID logo ,
Alistair McCormick
ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 23 May 2022 / Approved: 26 May 2022 / Online: 26 May 2022 (10:30:28 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Mills, L.A.; Moreno-Cabezuelo, J.Á.; Włodarczyk, A.; Victoria, A.J.; Mejías, R.; Nenninger, A.; Moxon, S.; Bombelli, P.; Selão, T.T.; McCormick, A.J.; Lea-Smith, D.J. Development of a Biotechnology Platform for the Fast-Growing Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901. Biomolecules 2022, 12, 872. Mills, L.A.; Moreno-Cabezuelo, J.Á.; Włodarczyk, A.; Victoria, A.J.; Mejías, R.; Nenninger, A.; Moxon, S.; Bombelli, P.; Selão, T.T.; McCormick, A.J.; Lea-Smith, D.J. Development of a Biotechnology Platform for the Fast-Growing Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901. Biomolecules 2022, 12, 872.

Abstract

Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901 reportedly demonstrates the highest, sustained growth of any known cyanobacterium under optimized conditions. Due to its recent discovery our knowledge of its biology, including the factors underlying sustained, fast growth, is limited. Furthermore, tools specific for genetic manipulation of PCC 11901 are not established. Here, we demonstrate that PCC 11901 shows faster growth than other model cyanobacteria, including the fast-growing species Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973, under optimal growth conditions for UTEX 2973. Comparative genomics between PCC 11901 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 reveal conservation of most metabolic pathways but PCC 11901 has a simplified electron transport chain and reduced light-harvesting complex. This may underlie its superior light utilization, reduced photoinhibition and higher photosynthetic and respiratory rates. To aid biotechnology applications we developed a vitamin B12 auxotrophic mutant but were unable to generate unmarked knockouts using two negative selectable markers, suggesting that recombinase- or CRISPR-based approaches may be required for repeated genetic manipulation. Overall, this study establishes PCC 11901 as one of the most promising species currently available for cyanobacterial biotechnology and provides a useful set of bioinformatics tools and strains for advancing this field, in addition to insights into the factors underlying its fast growth phenotype.

Keywords

Synechococcus sp. PCC 11901; CodA selection; SacB selection; Vitamin B12; Photosynthesis, Photoinhibition; Comparative genomics; Cellular metabolism

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Immunology and Microbiology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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