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Construction and initial characterization of a luminescent Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 Fe-dependent bioreporter

  1. Kathryn A. Durham1,
  2. David Porta1,
  3. Michael R. Twiss2,
  4. R.Michael L. McKay1,
  5. George S. Bullerjahn1,*

Article first published online: 9 JAN 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11134.x

Issue

FEMS Microbiology Letters

FEMS Microbiology Letters

Volume 209, Issue 2, pages 215–221, April 2002

Additional Information

How to Cite

Durham, K. A., Porta, D., Twiss, M. R., McKay, R. L. and Bullerjahn, G. S. (2002), Construction and initial characterization of a luminescent Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 Fe-dependent bioreporter. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 209: 215–221. doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2002.tb11134.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403-0212 USA

  2. 2

    Department of Chemistry, Biology and Chemical Engineering, Ryerson Polytechnic University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON, Canada M5B 2K3

* *Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 (419) 372 8527; Fax: +1 (419) 372 2024, E-mail: bullerj@bgnet.bgsu.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 JAN 2006
  2. Article first published online: 9 JAN 2006
  3. Received 9 December 2001, Revised 3 February 2002, Accepted 5 February 2002

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Keywords:

  • Fe deficiency;
  • Bioreporter;
  • Bioluminescence;
  • Cyanobacteria;
  • Lake Erie;
  • Synechococcus

Abstract

A Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 bioreporter strain capable of sensing bioavailable Fe was constructed by fusing the Fe-responsive isiAB promoter to the Vibrio harveyi luxAB genes. Monitoring luxAB-dependent luminescence through the growth curve demonstrated that in Fe-replete media, transcription from the isiAB promoter was induced transiently in the mid-exponential phase of growth. The initiation of transcription was the functional response to a 10-fold depletion of intracellular Fe to ∼12 amol Fe per cell. Constitutive isiAB-dependent transcription was observed in Fe-depleted growth media. A dose–response relationship of the bioreporter was generated using trace metal-buffered Fraquil medium and was best represented by a sigmoidal curve having a linear component extending between pFe 21.1 (Fe3+=10−21.1 M) and pFe 20.6 (Fe3+=10−20.6 M). Initial field trials conducted using water sampled from Lake Erie demonstrate that the bioreporter can serve as a quantitative tool to assess Fe deficiency in natural freshwater environments.

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