Changes in photosynthesis and pigmentation in an agp deletion mutant of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp.

The agp gene encoding ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase is involved in cyanobacterial glycogen synthesis. By in vitro DNA recombination technology, agp deletion mutant (agp-) of cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was constructed. This mutation led to a complete absence of glycogen biosynthesis. As compared with WT (wild type), a 60% decrease in ratio of the c-phycocyanine/chlorophyll a and no significant change in the carotenoid/chlorophyll a were observed in agp- cells. The agp- mutant had 38% less photosynthetic capacity when grown in light over 600 micromol m(-2) s(-1). Under lower light intensity, the final biomass of the mutant strain was only 1.1 times of that of the WT strain under mixotrophic condition after 6 d culture. Under higher light intensity, however, the final biomass of the WT strain under mixotrophic conditions was 3 times that of the mutant strain after 6 d culture and 1.5 times under photoautotrophic conditions. The results indicate that there is a minimum requirement for glycogen synthesis for normal growth and development in cyanobacteria.