An inducible CO2 concentrating mechanism in cyanobacteriumAnabaena sp. strain PCC7120

In order to define its characteristics of the photosynthetic utilization of CO2 and HCO3-when the ambient inorganic carbon changed, HCG (High-CO2-Growing Cells) of cyanobacteri-um Anabaena sp. strain PCC7120 were prepared. The growth rate of HCG was higher than that of LCG (low-CO2-growing cells, i.e. air-growing cells). When the HCG cells were transferred from 5% CO2 to air levels of CO2 ,a series of changes took place: its carbonic anhydrase activity as well as its photosynthetic affinity to the external inorganic carbon significantly increased; the number of the carboxysomes, which is one of the most important components of CCM in cyanobacteria also increased. These facts indicated that the CCM activity of Anabaena PCC 7120 was induced. When the pH in the medium increased from 6 to 9, the photosynthetic affinity to external inorganic carbon of both HCG and LCG declined, while the apparent photo-synthetic affinity to external CO2 increased. In the light of these findings, this inducible CCM in cyanobacteria provided a good model for the study of the photosynthetic Ci utilization in the pho-totrophic microoganisms.