AUTHOR=Cantrell Michael , Cano Melissa , Sebesta Jacob , Paddock Troy , Xiong Wei , Chou Katherine J. , Yu Jianping TITLE=Manipulation of glycogen and sucrose synthesis increases photosynthetic productivity in cyanobacteria JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1124274 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1124274 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

Photosynthetic productivity is limited by low energy conversion efficiency in naturally evolved photosynthetic organisms, via multiple mechanisms that are not fully understood. Here we show evidence that extends recent findings that cyanobacteria use “futile” cycles in the synthesis and degradation of carbon compounds to dissipate ATP. Reduction of the glycogen cycle or the sucrose cycle in the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803 led to redirection of cellular energy toward faster growth under simulated outdoor light conditions in photobioreactors that was accompanied by higher energy charge [concentration ratio of ATP/(ATP + ADP)]. Such manipulation of energy metabolism may have potential in engineering microalgal chassis cells to increase productivity of biomass or target metabolites.