DISRUPTION OF A SYNECHOCYSTIS SP PCC-6803 GENE WITH PARTIAL SIMILARITY TO PHYTOCHROME GENES ALTERS GROWTH UNDER CHANGING LIGHT QUALITIES

A gene that may encode a novel light sensing histidine protein kinase, designated plpA (phytochrome-like protein), was isolated from the cya nobacterium Synechocystis sp, PCC 6803. The 200 COOH-terminal amino ac ids of the gene product show homology with conserved domains of severa l bacterial histidine kinases and the ethylene response gene etr1 of A rabidopsis, whereas its central region is similar to the chromophore a ttachment site of plant phytochromes. Interruption or partial deletion of plpA yielded mutants unable to grow under blue light. (C) 1997 Fed eration of European Biochemical Societies.