Variations in the amino acid composition of cyanophycin in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6308 as a function of growth conditions

Arch Microbiol. 1994;162(3):158-66. doi: 10.1007/BF00314469.

Abstract

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry studies of the nitrogen isotopic composition of the N-trifluoroacetyl n-butyl ester derivatives of the amino acids from isolated hydrolyzed cyanophycin from 15N-enriched cells led to two major findings: (1) the amino acid composition of this granular polypeptide, isolated using procedures optimized for extracting and purifying cyanophycin from cells in the stationary growth phase, varied with the culture growth condition; (2) the rate of incorporation of exogenous nitrate differed for each nitrogen atom of the amino acid constituents of cyanophycin or cyanophycin-like polypeptide. Arginine and aspartic acid were the principle components of cyanophycin isolated from exponentially growing cells and from light-limited stationary phase cells, with glutamic acid as an additional minor component. The cyanophycin-like polypeptide from nitrogen-limited cells contained only aspartic and glutamic acids, but no arginine. The glutamic acid content decreased and arginine content increased as nitrate was provided to nitrogen-limited cells. These cells rapidly incorporated nitrate at different rates at each cyanophycin nitrogen site: guanidino nitrogens of arginine > aspartic acid > alpha-amino nitrogen of arginine > glutamic acid. Little media-derived nitrogen was incorporated into cyanophycin of exponentially growing cells during one cellular doubling time.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / analysis*
  • Arginine / analysis
  • Aspartic Acid / analysis
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Cyanobacteria / chemistry*
  • Cyanobacteria / growth & development
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Glutamic Acid / analysis
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Plant Proteins / isolation & purification

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Nitrogen Isotopes
  • Plant Proteins
  • cyanophycin
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Glutamic Acid
  • Arginine