Membrane lipid remodeling is required for photosystem II function under low CO2

Summary Membrane lipid remodeling in plants and microalgae has a crucial role in their survival under nutrient‐deficient conditions. Aquatic microalgae have low access to CO2, an essential carbon source for photosynthetic assimilates; however, 70–90 mol% of their membrane lipids are sugar‐derived lipids (glycolipids) such as monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG). In this study, we discovered a new system of membrane lipid remodeling responding to CO2 in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a unicellular, freshwater cyanobacterium. As compared with higher CO2 (HC; 1% CO2), under ambient air (lower CO2: LC), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) content was increased at the expense of MGDG content. To explore the biological significance of this alteration in content, we generated a transformant of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 overexpressing sll0545 gene encoding a putative phosphatidic acid phosphate (oxPAP), which produces diacylglycerol that is used for the synthesis of glycolipids, and examined the effect on membrane lipid remodeling and phototrophic growth responding to LC. Photosystem II (PSII) activity and growth rate were inhibited under LC in oxPAP cells. PG content was substantially reduced, and MGDG and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol contents were increased in oxPAP cells as compared with control cells. These phenotypes in oxPAP cells were recovered under the HC condition or PG supplementation. Increased PG content may be required for proper functioning of PSII under LC conditions. Significance Statement Low CO2 triggers membrane lipid remodeling, which increases phosphatidylglycerol content. The increased phosphatidylglycerol is required for full function of photosystem II and cell growth in Synechocystis under low CO2.