Ethylene stimulates growth and affects fatty acid content of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

This set of results shows that the growth of wild type Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 was enhanced by exogenous ethylene and inhibited by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), a specific inhibitor of ethylene receptors. The fact that the growth of a Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 strain with the ethylene receptor deleted was unaffected by exogenous ethylene, brings additional proof that this is a specific effect of ethylene. The results also confirm previous observations regarding the positive impact of ethylene on the photochemical efficiency of PSII. Additionally, it was observed that exogenous ethylene enhanced accumulation of C16:0 and C18:0 and C18:1 in the wild type strain. Finally, observations were performed regarding the capacity of the wild type strain to biosynthesize ethylene in the culture medium in the presence of methionine. These results and the recent description of an ethylene receptor in Synechocystis should lead to new areas of research in the field of microalgae.