Insertional inactivation of the gene encoding subunit II of photosystem I from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 carries out oxygenic photosynthesis analogous to higher plants. Its photosystem I contains seven different polypeptide subunits. The cartridge mutagenesis technique was used to inactivate the psaD gene which encodes subunit II of photosystem I. A mutant strain lacking subunit II was generated by transforming wild type cells with cloned DNA in which psaD gene was interrupted by a gene conferring kanamycin resistance. The photoautotrophic growth of mutant strain is much slower than that of wild type cells. The membranes prepared from mutant cells lack subunit II of photosystem I. Studies on the purified photosystem I reaction center revealed that the complex lacking subunit II is assembled and is functional in P700 photooxidation but at much reduced rate. Therefore, subunit II of photosystem I is required for efficient function of photosystem I.