Heterologous synthesis and assembly of functional LHII antenna complexes from Rhodovulum sulfidophilum in Rhodobacter sphaeroides mutant

Mol Biol Rep. 2009 Sep;36(7):1695-702. doi: 10.1007/s11033-008-9370-9. Epub 2008 Oct 11.

Abstract

The light harvesting complexes, including LHII and LHI, are the important components of photosynthetic apparatus. Rhodovulum (Rdv.) sulfidophilum and Rhodobacter (R.) sphaeroides belong to two genera of photosynthetic bacteria, and they are very different in some physiological characteristics and light harvesting complexes structure. The LHII structural genes (pucBsAs) from Rdv. sulfidophilum and the LHI structural genes (pufBA) from R. sphaeroides were amplified, and cloned into an expression vector controlled by puc promoter from R. sphaeroides, which was then introduced into LHI and LHII-minus R. sphaeroides mutants; the transconjugant strains synthesized heterologous LHII and native LHI complexes, which played normal roles in R. sphaeroides. The Rdv. sulfidophilum LHII complex from pucBsAs had near-infrared absorption bands at ~801-853 nm in R. sphaeroides, and was able to transfer energy efficiently to the native LHI complex. The results show that the pucBsAs genes from Rdv. sulfidophilum could be expressed in R. sphaeroides, and the functional foreign LHII and native LHI were assembled into the membrane of R. sphaeroides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Apoproteins / chemistry
  • Cell Membrane / metabolism
  • Conjugation, Genetic
  • Energy Transfer
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / biosynthesis*
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / chemistry
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Rhodobacter sphaeroides / metabolism*
  • Rhodovulum / metabolism*
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Spectrophotometry, Infrared

Substances

  • Apoproteins
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes