Cloning and Characterization of the fecC Gene Necessary for Optimal Growth under Iron-Deficiency Conditions in the Cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC7120

The fecC gene encoding a putative iron (Ⅲ) dicitrate transporter was cloned from nitrogen\|fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, and inactivated. The mutant grows normally in medium with NO - 3 , NH + 4 or without combined nitrogen. But in iron\|deficient medium, the mutant grows slowly. Photosynthetic properties were compared between the mutant and the wild\|type strain, the content of photosynthetic pigments in the mutant is lower than that of the wild\|type. The results of RT\|PCR experiments show that the fecC gene is expressed under iron\|deficient conditions, but is not expressed under iron\|replete conditions. These results revealed that fecC gene product is required for optimal growth under iron\|deficient conditions in Anabaena sp. PCC 7120.