Proteomic comparison of Prochlorococcus marinus ecotypes MED4, MIT9319 and SS120.

Prochlorococcus marinus is a highly abundant picocyanobacterium in Earth’s oceans and therefore a significant contributor to global primary production. This organism exists as different ecotypes, each occupying particular environments in the euphotic zone that differ in both solar penetration and nutrient levels. The ecotypes analysed here were isolated from depths of 5 m (MED4), 135 m (MIT9313) and 120 m (SS120) and cultured at low illumination. MED4, adapted to high light levels closer to the surface, was compared at both low and high illumination. In contrast to other cyanobacteria such as Synechocystis with a dominance of photosystem I (PSI) over photosystem II (PSII) complexes in the thylakoid membranes, MED4 and MIT9313 showed about equal levels. In MED4, the relative levels were almost the same in both the high and low light cultures. SS120 thylakoids contained a lower cytochrome b6f content and around two-fold more PSII than PSI. Additionally a significantly higher abundance of light-harvesting Pcb proteins was found in SS120 than the other ecotypes. This proteomic comparison was employed in conjunction with thylakoid membrane AFM imaging to rationalize the strategies these ecotypes use to survive in the different oceanic environments.