Highlights
- The involvement of ABC transporters in bacterial acid stress resistance was tested.
- The Cyanobacterium H. metazoicum demonstrated tolerance towards low pH environments.
- The ABC slr2019-like gene is differentially expressed under low pH conditions.
- A new RNA extraction method for H. metazoicum mattes was developed.
Abstract
Decreasing ocean surface pH, called ocean acidification (OA), is among the major risks for marine ecosystems due to human-driven atmospheric pCO2 increase. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of adaptation enabling marine species to tolerate a lowered seawater pH could support predictions of consequences of future OA scenarios for marine life. This study examined whether the ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-like gene slr2019 confers tolerance to the marine cyanobacterium Halomicronema metazoicum to low seawater pH conditions (7.7, 7.2, 6.5) in short- and long-term exposures (7 and 30 d). Photosynthetic pigment content indicated that the species can tolerate all three lowered-pH conditions. At day 7, slr2019 was up-regulated at pH 7.7 while no changes were observed at lower pH. After 30-d exposure, a significant decrease in slr2019 transcript levels was observed in all low-pH treatments. These first results indicate an effect of low pH on the examined transporter expression in H. metazoicum.
Romano P., Simonetti S., Gambi M. C., Luckenbach T., Zupo V. & Corsi I., 2024. Preliminary investigation on the potential involvement of an ABC-like gene in Halomicronema metazoicum (Cyanobacteria) tolerance to low seawater pH in an ocean acidification scenario. Marine Pollution Bulletin 205: 116584. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116584. Article (subscription required).
