Transcriptional regulation of the plastocyanin and cytochrome c553 genes from the cyanobacterium Anabaena species PCC 7937.

Abstract

The effect of copper on the levels of plastocyanin (PC) and cytochrome c553 (cyt-c)-specific transcripts from Anabaena sp. PCC 7937 was investigated. The addition of copper resulted in a marked increase in PC mRNA levels, and a decrease in cyt c mRNA levels. Thus the functional exchange between PC and cyt c seems to be regulated at the mRNA level. The copper-dependent increase in PC and decrease in cyt c mRNA levels was abolished when chloramphenicol was added to the cells. This suggests that de novo synthesis of at least one trans-acting element is required to regulate PC and cyt c mRNA levels. Both PC and cyt c mRNA stability was found to be unaltered under varying Cu2+ regimes. This leads to the conclusion that expression of both genes is regulated at the level of initiation of transcription.