Growth, iron requirements, and siderophore production in iron‐limited Synechococcus PCC 72

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Abstract
We have investigated the changes associated with growth over a range of iron availabilities in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7002. This cyanobacterium compensates for growth‐limiting levels of iron availability by decreasing its maximum growth rate, cellular pigment levels, and apparent iron requirements. This organism also releases extracellular siderophores, which facilitate the acquisition of iron that was previously biologically unavailable from the extracellular environment. Our results suggest a possible ferrisiderophore receptor role for components of the outer membrane and periplasmic space. The resulting change in cellular physiology and activation of a siderophore‐mediated iron transport system allows Synechococcus FCC 7002 to re‐establish a growth rate comparable to that of cells grown in iron‐replete conditions. The utilization of iron from a previously unavailable pool by this cyanobacterium demonstrates that Synechococcus PCC 7002 has a high‐affinity iron transport system.

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