RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Adaptation of cyanobacteria to the endolithic light spectrum in hyper-arid deserts
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2022.05.24.493334
DO 10.1101/2022.05.24.493334
A1 Bayleigh Murray
A1 Emine Ertekin
A1 Micah Dailey
A1 Nathan T. Soulier
A1 Gaozhong Shen
A1 Donald A. Bryant
A1 Cesar Perez-Fernandez
A1 Jocelyne DiRuggiero
YR 2022
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2022/05/25/2022.05.24.493334.abstract
AB In hyper-arid deserts, endolithic microbial communities survive in the pore spaces and cracks of rocks, an environment that enhances water retention and filters UV radiation. The rock colonization zone is enriched in far-red light (FRL) and depleted in visible light. This poses a challenge to cyanobacteria, which are the primary producers of endolithic communities. Many species of cyanobacteria are capable of Far-Red Light Photoacclimation (FaRLiP), a process in which FRL induces the synthesis of specialized chlorophylls and remodeling of the photosynthetic apparatus, providing the ability to grow in FRL. While FaRLiP has been reported in cyanobacteria from various low-light environments, our understanding of light adaptations for endolithic cyanobacteria remains limited. Here, we demonstrated that endolithic Chroococidiopsis isolates from deserts around the world synthesize chlorophyll f, an FRL-specialized chlorophyll when FRL is the sole light source. The metagenome-assembled genomes of these isolates encoded chlorophyll f synthase and all the genes required to implement the FaRLiP response. We also present evidence of FRL-induced changes to the major light-harvesting complexes of a Chroococidiopsis isolate. These findings indicate that endolithic cyanobacteria from hyper-arid deserts use FRL photo-acclimation as an adaptation to the unique light transmission spectrum of their rocky habitat.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.