The ω subunit of RNA polymerase is essential for thermal acclimation of the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The rpoZ gene encodes the small ω subunit of RNA polymerase (RNAP). A ∆rpoZ strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 grew well in standard conditions (constant illumination at 40 µmol photons m-2s-1; 32 °C; ambient CO2) but was heat sensitive and died at 40 °C. In the control strain , 71 genes were at least two-fold up-regulated and 91 genes down-regulated after a 24-h treatment at 40 °C, while in ∆rpoZ 394 genes responded to heat. Only 62 of these heat-responsive genes were similarly regulated in both strains, and 80 % of heat-responsive genes were unique for ΔrpoZ. The RNAP core and the primary σ factor SigA were down-regulated in control strain at 40 °C, but not in ΔrpoZ. In accordance with reduced RNAP content, the total RNA content of mild-heat-stress-treated cells was lower in control strain than in ΔrpoZ. Light-saturated photosynthetic activity decreased more in ΔrpoZ than in control strain upon mild heat stress. The amounts of Photosystem II and Rubisco decreased at 40 °C in both strains while PSI and the phycobilisome antenna protein allophycocyanin remained at the same level as in standard conditions. The phycobilisome rod proteins, phycocyanins, diminished during the heat treatment in ΔrpoZ but not in control strain, and the nblA1 and nblA2 genes (encode NblA proteins required for phycobilisome degradation) were up-regulated only in ΔrpoZ. Our results show that the ω subunit of RNAP is essential in heat stress because it is required for heat acclimation of diverse cellular processes. Cells from cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 named as control strain (CS) and RNA polymerase omega subunit inactivation strain, ΔrpoZ, were harvested (A730=1, 40 mL) after treated at 40 °C under continuous illumination, PPFD 40 µmol m-2s-1, for 24 h.