Genomic and Physiological Analysis of a Novel Cyanobacterium, Pseudanabaena Strain Sr411, Isolated From the Susquehanna River
Start Date
26-10-2018 8:00 PM
End Date
26-10-2018 9:59 PM
Description
Cyanobacteria, oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, are important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. In an aquatic system, scattering, depth and competition can alter the abundance of specific wavelengths available for photosynthesis. As photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria are dependent on the availability of light for survival. Cyanobacteria use light harvesting antennae that, in some species, are altered to best absorb the light wavelengths available. Specifically, some cyanobacteria alter their light harvesting antennae to absorb green light when red light, the preferred wavelength, becomes limiting. This gives them a fitness advantage over organisms only able to use RL. While exploring the variety of cyanobacteria found in the Susquehanna River, our lab isolated a cyanobacterium able to alter the protein composition of its light harvesting antennae allowing it to use green light for photosynthesis. Previous work in the lab has identified this cyanobacterium as a novel strain of Pseudoanabeana and its genome has been sequenced and submitted to GenBank. Analysis of the genome of Pseudanabeana strain SR411 indicates that, in addition to being photosynthetic, it contains the genes necessary for nitrogen fixation. Here we present preliminary genomic and physiological analyses of the nitrogen fixation capabilities of SR411.
Keywords
cyanobacteria, nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis
Type
Poster
Session
Poster session
Language
eng
Genomic and Physiological Analysis of a Novel Cyanobacterium, Pseudanabaena Strain Sr411, Isolated From the Susquehanna River
Elaine Langone Center, Terrace Room
Cyanobacteria, oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria, are important primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. In an aquatic system, scattering, depth and competition can alter the abundance of specific wavelengths available for photosynthesis. As photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria are dependent on the availability of light for survival. Cyanobacteria use light harvesting antennae that, in some species, are altered to best absorb the light wavelengths available. Specifically, some cyanobacteria alter their light harvesting antennae to absorb green light when red light, the preferred wavelength, becomes limiting. This gives them a fitness advantage over organisms only able to use RL. While exploring the variety of cyanobacteria found in the Susquehanna River, our lab isolated a cyanobacterium able to alter the protein composition of its light harvesting antennae allowing it to use green light for photosynthesis. Previous work in the lab has identified this cyanobacterium as a novel strain of Pseudoanabeana and its genome has been sequenced and submitted to GenBank. Analysis of the genome of Pseudanabeana strain SR411 indicates that, in addition to being photosynthetic, it contains the genes necessary for nitrogen fixation. Here we present preliminary genomic and physiological analyses of the nitrogen fixation capabilities of SR411.