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Journal of Bacteriology, February 2001, p. 915-920, Vol. 183, No. 3
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.3.915-920.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Diel Expression of Cell Cycle-Related Genes in Synchronized Cultures of Prochlorococcus sp. Strain PCC 9511

J. Holtzendorff,1 F. Partensky,2 S. Jacquet,2 F. Bruyant,3 D. Marie,2 L. Garczarek,2 I. Mary,2 D. Vaulot,2 and W. R. Hess1,*

Institute of Biology/Genetics, Humboldt-University, D-10115 Berlin, Germany,1 and Station Biologique, CNRS, INSU, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, F-29682 Roscoff Cedex,2 and Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Marines, ESA 7077, CNRS, INSU, and Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Villefranche,3 France

Received 14 August 2000/Accepted 7 November 2000

The cell cycle of the chlorophyll b-possessing marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is highly synchronized under natural conditions. To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms we cloned and sequenced dnaA and ftsZ, two key cell cycle-associated genes, and studied their expression. An axenic culture of Prochlorococcus sp. strain PCC 9511 was grown in a turbidostat with a 12 h-12 h light-dark cycle for 2 weeks. During the light periods, a dynamic light regimen was used in order to simulate the natural conditions found in the upper layers of the world's oceans. This treatment resulted in strong cell cycle synchronization that was monitored by flow cytometry. The steady-state mRNA levels of dnaA and ftsZ were monitored at 4-h intervals during four consecutive division cycles. Both genes exhibited clear diel expression patterns with mRNA maxima during the replication (S) phase. Western blot experiments indicated that the peak of FtsZ concentration occurred at night, i.e., at the time of cell division. Thus, the transcript accumulation of genes involved in replication and division is coordinated in Prochlorococcus sp. strain PCC 9511 and might be crucial for determining the timing of DNA replication and cell division.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Humboldt-University Berlin, Inst. of Biology/Genetics, Chausseestr. 117, D-10115 Berlin, Germany. Phone: 49-30-2093-8144. Fax: 49-30-2093-8139. E-mail: Wolfgang-Hess{at}rz.hu-berlin.de.

Journal of Bacteriology, February 2001, p. 915-920, Vol. 183, No. 3
0021-9193/01/$04.00+0   DOI: 10.1128/JB.183.3.915-920.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Holtzendorff, J., Partensky, F., Mella, D., Lennon, J.-F., Hess, W. R., Garczarek, L. (2008). Genome Streamlining Results in Loss of Robustness of the Circadian Clock in the Marine Cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus PCC 9511. J Biol Rhythms 23: 187-199 [Abstract]  
  • Rueda, S., Vicente, M., Mingorance, J. (2003). Concentration and Assembly of the Division Ring Proteins FtsZ, FtsA, and ZipA during the Escherichia coli Cell Cycle. J. Bacteriol. 185: 3344-3351 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Vogel, J., Axmann, I. M., Herzel, H., Hess, W. R. (2003). Experimental and computational analysis of transcriptional start sites in the cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus MED4. Nucleic Acids Res 31: 2890-2899 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brassinga, A. K. C., Marczynski, G. T. (2001). Replication intermediate analysis confirms that chromosomal replication origin initiates from an unusual intergenic region in Caulobacter crescentus. Nucleic Acids Res 29: 4441-4451 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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