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Journal of Bacteriology, July 2007, p. 5247-5256, Vol. 189, No. 14
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00360-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Global Gene Expression Patterns of Nostoc punctiforme in Steady-State Dinitrogen-Grown Heterocyst-Containing Cultures and at Single Time Points during the Differentiation of Akinetes and Hormogonia{triangledown} ,{dagger}

Elsie L. Campbell,1 Michael L. Summers,2 Harry Christman,1 Miriam E. Martin,1 and John C. Meeks1*

Section of Microbiology, University of California, Davis, California 95616,1 Department of Biology, California State University, Northridge, California 913302

Received 9 March 2007/ Accepted 26 April 2007

The vegetative cells of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme can differentiate into three mutually exclusive cell types: nitrogen-fixing heterocysts, spore-like akinetes, and motile hormogomium filaments. A DNA microarray consisting of 6,893 N. punctiforme genes was used to identify the global transcription patterns at single time points in the three developmental states, compared to those in ammonium-grown time zero cultures. Analysis of ammonium-grown cultures yielded a transcriptome of 2,935 genes, which is nearly twice the size of a soluble proteome. The NH4+-grown transcriptome was enriched in genes encoding core metabolic functions. A steady-state N2-grown (heterocyst-containing) culture showed differential transcription of 495 genes, 373 of which were up-regulated. The majority of the up-regulated genes were predicted from studies of heterocyst differentiation and N2 fixation; other genes are candidates for more detailed genetic analysis. Three days into the developmental process, akinetes showed a similar number of differentially expressed genes (497 genes), which were equally up- and down-regulated. The down-regulated genes were enriched in core metabolic functions, consistent with entry into a nongrowth state. There were relatively few adaptive genes up-regulated in 3-day akinetes, and there was little overlap with putative heterocyst developmental genes. There were 1,827 differentially transcribed genes in 24-h hormogonia, which was nearly fivefold greater than the number in akinete-forming or N2-fixing cultures. The majority of the up-regulated adaptive genes were genes encoding proteins for signal transduction and transcriptional regulation, which is characteristic of a motile filament that is poised to sense and respond to the environment. The greatest fraction of the 883 down-regulated genes was involved in core metabolism, also consistent with entry into a nongrowth state. The differentiation of heterocysts (steady state, N2 grown), akinetes, and hormogonia appears to involve the up-regulation of genes distinct for each state.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Section of Microbiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616. Phone: (530) 752-3346. Fax: (530) 752-9014. E-mail: jcmeeks{at}ucdavis.edu

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 4 May 2007.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://jb.asm.org/.

Journal of Bacteriology, July 2007, p. 5247-5256, Vol. 189, No. 14
0021-9193/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JB.00360-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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