Synechocystis

{{Short description|Genus of bacteria}}

{{missing information|light-sensing with single-cell optical imaging {{doi|10.7554/eLife.12620|doi-access=free}}|date=May 2022}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = 41598 2018 31638 Fig3 HTML extract.png

|taxon = Synechocystis

|authority = Sauvageau, 1892{{cite journal |vauthors=Komárek J, Kaštovský J, Mareš J, Johansen JR | year = 2014 | title = Taxonomic classification of cyanoprokaryotes (cyanobacterial genera) 2014, using a polyphasic approach | url = http://www.preslia.cz/P144Komarek.pdf | journal = Preslia | volume = 86 | pages = 295–335 }}

|subdivision_ranks = Species

|subdivision =

}}

Synechocystis is a genus of unicellular, freshwater cyanobacteria in the family Merismopediaceae. It includes a strain, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, which is a well studied model organism.

File:Synechocystis.png

{{clear left}}

Like all cyanobacteria, Synechocystis branches on the evolutionary tree from its ancestral root, Gloeobacter violaceus.{{cite journal |doi = 10.1073/pnas.1217107110|title = Improving the coverage of the cyanobacterial phylum using diversity-driven genome sequencing|year = 2013|last1 = Shih|first1 = P. M.|last2 = Wu|first2 = D.|last3 = Latifi|first3 = A.|last4 = Axen|first4 = S. D.|last5 = Fewer|first5 = D. P.|last6 = Talla|first6 = E.|last7 = Calteau|first7 = A.|last8 = Cai|first8 = F.|last9 = Tandeau De Marsac|first9 = N.|last10 = Rippka|first10 = R.|last11 = Herdman|first11 = M.|last12 = Sivonen|first12 = K.|last13 = Coursin|first13 = T.|last14 = Laurent|first14 = T.|last15 = Goodwin|first15 = L.|last16 = Nolan|first16 = M.|last17 = Davenport|first17 = K. W.|last18 = Han|first18 = C. S.|last19 = Rubin|first19 = E. M.|last20 = Eisen|first20 = J. A.|last21 = Woyke|first21 = T.|last22 = Gugger|first22 = M.|last23 = Kerfeld|first23 = C. A.|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume = 110|issue = 3|pages = 1053–1058|pmid = 23277585|pmc = 3549136|bibcode = 2013PNAS..110.1053S|doi-access = free}} Synechocystis is not diazotrophic, and is closely related to another model organism, Cyanothece ATCC 51442.{{cite journal |doi = 10.1128/mBio.00214-11|title = Novel Metabolic Attributes of the Genus Cyanothece, Comprising a Group of Unicellular Nitrogen-Fixing Cyanobacteria|year = 2011|last1 = Bandyopadhyay|first1 = Anindita|last2 = Elvitigala|first2 = Thanura|last3 = Welsh|first3 = Eric|last4 = Stöckel|first4 = Jana|last5 = Liberton|first5 = Michelle|last6 = Min|first6 = Hongtao|last7 = Sherman|first7 = Louis A.|last8 = Pakrasi|first8 = Himadri B.|journal = mBio|volume = 2|issue = 5|pmid = 21972240|pmc = 3187577}} It has been suggested that originally Synechocystis possessed the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, but lost the genes required for the process.{{cite book |doi = 10.1007/978-94-007-3855-3_1|chapter = Introduction to the Cyanobacteria|title = Ecology of Cyanobacteria II|year = 2012|last1 = Whitton|first1 = Brian A.|last2 = Potts|first2 = Malcolm|pages = 1–13|isbn = 978-94-007-3854-6}} Synechocystis can detect light and move in the direction of light.{{cite journal |doi= 10.1016/j.pbi.2017.03.018 | title=Cyanobacteria in motion | year=2017 | last1=Schuergers | first1=N. | last2=Mullineaux | first2=C. W. | last3= Wilde | first3=A. | journal=Current Opinion in Plant Biology | issue=37 | pages=109–115 | pmid=28472718 }}