Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS04 Environmental Microbial Genomics (Environmental and Disciplinary Connections)

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2001, Time: 11:30:00 AM

Location: Brazos

Taroncher-Oldenburg, G, , Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA, gto@princeton.edu

Gill, R, T, Chemical Engineering Dept, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MD 02139, USA, rtg1@mit.edu

Nishina, K, , Chemical Engineering Dept, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MD 02139, USA, knishina@mit.edu

Katsoulakis, E, , Chemical Engineering Dept, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MD 02139, USA, ekatsoul@mit.edu

Schmitt, W, , Chemical Engineering Dept, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MD 02139, USA, wschmitt@mit.edu

Stephanopoulos, G, , Chemical Engineering Dept, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MD 02139, USA, gregstep@mit.edu

FUNCTIONAL GENOMICS AND DYNAMIC TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROFILING IN CYANOBACTERIA: MODEL STUDIES IN SYNECHOCYSTIS SP. PCC6803

The availability of complete microbial genome sequence data has provided exciting new opportunities to study genetics and metabolic regulation in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. In this contribution, two different approaches to use genomes 1) to identify missing genes and 2) to perform transcriptional profiling will be presented. A ‘reverse’ functional genomics approach is introduced to overcome some shortcomings of current gene annotations and to illustrate the potential of integrating the sometimes limited information available on specific metabolic pathways to identify missing genes. The identification and characterization of two out of the three genes constituting the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a bacterial carbon storage compound, pathway in Synechocystis is an example for the successful application of this approach. The second aspect to be discussed is the application of high frequency dynamic transcriptional profiling approaches to determine regulatory patterns at a genome wide level. Specifically, coregulation of photosynthesis related genes, differential expression of carbon uptake related isozymes and coexpression of polycistronic genes during the light/dark transition in exponentially growing Synechocystis cultures is presented.

This Session Listing

Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

Quicklinks