Biology and Genetic Engineering of Multicellular Cyanobacteria

Filamentous, heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria are multicellular organisms in which the organismic unit is a chain of cells. Growth of these organisms depends on the metabolic activity of two cell types: the vegetative cells that perform oxygenic photosynthesis fixing carbon dioxide and the heterocysts that fix atmospheric nitrogen. By virtue of these activities, the cyanobacteria make an important contribution to the primary productivity of our planet. Using mainly the model cyanobacterium Anabaena, which has a large genome encoding many proteins for acclimation to changing conditions, we address the following topics: (i) intercellular communication in the filament; (ii) growth and cell division; (iv) acclimation of the translation machinery to stress; (iv) genomic instability and development of synthetic biology tools; and (v) symbiotic relationships with algae.