Physiological and molecular evidence for phycobilisome degradation in maintaining carbon and nitrogen balance of cyanobacteria.

Unlabelled: Phycobilisomes (PBS), the primary light-harvesting complexes in cyanobacteria, are degraded under nitrogen starvation to provide nitrogen for cell growth. This study reveals that carbon supply is a critical prerequisite for PBS degradation under nitrogen deficiency in sp. PCC 7002. Even under nitrogen-deficient conditions, PBS degradation is inhibited in the absence of sufficient carbon. We demonstrate that both the -mediated PBS-degradation pathway and the operon-mediated CO-concentrating mechanism are essential for PBS degradation. Furthermore, our findings highlight the critical role of PBS degradation in cyanobacterial adaptation to high C/N conditions. Mutant strains (Mut- and Mut- deficient in PBS degradation exhibited impaired adaptation to high C/N conditions, as evidenced by their inability to thrive in high NaHCO (nitrogen-free) or CO (low-nitrogen) environments. While these mutants displayed a greener phenotype under high C/N conditions compared to the wild type, they exhibited extensive cellular damage, and significant downregulation of photosynthesis-related genes. These results provide novel insights into the carbon-dependent regulation of PBS degradation and its essential role in cyanobacterial C/N balance, highlighting its significance for their adaptation to fluctuating environmental conditions.

Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-025-00290-0.