Isolation and characterization of the genes encoding allophycocyanin subunits and two linker proteins from Synechocystis 6714.

Genes encoding the phycobilisome core subunits allophycocyanin alpha and beta and a small core linker protein in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6714 were cloned and sequenced. These genes form an operon, apcABC, with a single transcription start site and two possible termination sites, one following apcB and the other following apcC. The promoter region, like those of the apcABC operons of other cyanobacteria, does not resemble the consensus promoter sequences of Escherichia coli. However, the apcABC promoters identified in four strains of cyanobacteria have conserved sequences centered at -50 and -10 with respect to the start of transcription. The apcE gene, encoding the protein that links the phycobilisome core to the thylakoid membrane, was also cloned from Synechocystis 6714 and sequenced. It is unlinked to the apcABC operon. As in other Synechocystis strains, the LCM polypeptide encoded by the apcE gene contains three repeats of the basic phycobiliprotein linker domain. The apcE gene promoter sequence bears little resemblance to either the E. coli consensus or the apcABC promoter region, but it is similar to the corresponding regions of other cyanobacterial apcE genes. In these cases, there are conserved sequences centered at -40 and -10 with respect to the transcription start site. These conserved promoter elements from the apcABC and apcE genes were also identified in the corresponding 5'-flanking regions of eleven transcript starts for cpc genes encoding phycocyanin subunits in cyanobacteria and algal chloroplasts. These results suggest that a factor yet to be described participates in transcription of phycobiliprotein genes.