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Cell‐type specific modification of PII is involved in the regulation of nitrogen metabolism in the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120
Author(s) -
Laurent Sophie,
Forchhammer Karl,
Gonzalez Leticia,
Heulin Thierry,
Zhang Cheng-Cai,
Bédu Sylvie
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2004.09.014
Subject(s) - heterocyst , cyanobacteria , anabaena , biochemistry , mutant , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , wild type , chemistry , bacteria , gene , genetics
In the heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120, the modification state of the signalling PII protein is regulated according to the nitrogen regime of the cells, as already observed in some unicellular cyanobacteria. However, during the adaptation to diazotrophic growth conditions, PII is phosphorylated in vegetative cells while unphosphorylated in heterocysts. Isolation of mutants affected on PII modification state and analysis of their phenotypes allow us to show the implication of PII in the regulation of molecular nitrogen assimilation and more specifically, the requirement of unmodified state of PII in the formation of polar nodules of cyanophycin in heterocysts.