共同研究報告書


研究区分 一般研究

研究課題

 Study of novel photosynthetic bacteria
新規・継続の別 新規
研究代表者／所属 海洋研究開発機構
研究代表者／職名 博士研究員
研究代表者／氏名 Jackson Makoto TSUJI

研究分担者／氏名／所属／職名
　
氏　　名
所　　属
職　　名

1

 Masaru K. NOBU 海洋研究開発機構 主任研究員

2

 塚谷祐介 海洋研究開発機構 主任研究員

3

 渡邉友浩 北大低温研

4

 福井学 北大低温研

5

 田中亮一 北大低温研

6

 高林厚史 北大低温研

研究目的 Photosynthesis transformed Earth over history， but how this key process evolved is unclear. To probe the evolution of photosynthesis， here we analyzed the potentially ancient photosynthetic apparatus of a highly novel， cold-adapted bacterium， strain L227-S17， via cutting-edge biochemical approaches.
　　
研究内容・成果 In our FY2024 joint research， we made substantial progress on two major obstacles to biochemical analysis of strain L227-S17. The first obstacle was obtaining sufficient cell biomass. At JAMSTEC， we optimized the growth of strain L227-S17 in batch culture， and this increased the biomass yield by several times compared to tests in FY2023. We used this harvested biomass during an extended visit to the ILTS to separate the photosynthetic proteins and pigments of the strain. The second obstacle was determining the conditions needed to isolate photosynthetic complexes of the strain in vitro. At the ILTS， we developed a promising protocol to isolate a massive， >3000 kilodalton complex from strain L227-S17 that potentially represents a key part of the strain’s photosynthetic system. We are now analyzing this complex using mass spectrometry to confirm its protein composition. Mass spectrometry results could lead us to identify highly novel proteins used for photosynthesis by strain L227-S17. Overall， our methods optimization work opens the way for future transformative research to probe at the biochemical level how photosynthesis originated and evolved on Earth.
　　
成果となる論文・学会発表等 J. M. Tsuji. Back to the future: exploring the evolution of life on Earth using microbial photosynthesis. National Institute for Basic Biology， invited seminar presentation. February 19th， 2025.