Papers - WATANABE Satoru
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Spirulina discovered in Lake Abbe: A promising source of nutrient-rich food for Republic of Djibouti
SOULEIMAN ABDALLAH Ibrahim, WATANABE Satoru, KOMAGATA Haruka, ISMAIL OMAR Abdillahi, CHIDEH SOLIMAN Saida, ALI BARKAD Hassan, SHIMADA Sawahiko
Journal of Arid Land Studies 35 ( 1 ) 1 - 7 2025.06
Language：English Publisher：The Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies
<p>Spirulina, renowned for its exceptional nutritional profile, emerges as a promising cyanobacterium for diverse industrial applications. Identifying local strains suited to the spirulina production environment holds significant potential for enhancing the efficient cultivation of this microalgae. To establish a suitable spirulina strain for cultivation in the Republic of Djibouti, we conducted an extensive exploration of Lake Abbe, an alkaline soda lake located along the Djibouti-Ethiopia border. The survey revealed that Lake Abbe provides an optimal environment for spirulina growth, characterized by elevated temperatures, high conductivity, and an alkaline pH. Among the seven surveyed sites, spirulina-like organisms were observed at four locations. Subsequent isolation and cultivation of spirulina from Lake Abbe demonstrated stable growth in a LAB medium, consisting of Lake Abbe water diluted with one-tenth volume of SOT medium. Genetic analysis, specifically the sequencing of the <i>16S rRNA</i> gene, confirmed the strain’s identity as <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>, a species widely used in commercial spirulina production. These findings offer valuable insights into Lake Abbe spirulina, designated as <i>Arthrospira platensis</i> LAB1, and its potential applications across various industries.</p>
DOI： 10.14976/jals.35.1_1
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The RRM domain-containing protein Rbp3 interacts with ribosomes and the 3' ends of mRNAs encoding photosynthesis proteins. Reviewed International coauthorship International journal
Hemm L, Lichtenberg E, Tholen S, Reimann V, Kakazu K, Machida S, Mahbub M, Schilling O, Wilde A, Watanabe S, Mullineaux CW, Hess WR.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 122 ( 26 ) e250627512 2025.06
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Cnb proteins affect the intracellular 2-MIB retention in heterologous gene expression systems. Reviewed International journal
Dayarathne K, Atsuzawa K, Ishikawa T, Watanabe S, Kaneko Y, Kadeer A, Yamaguchi M, Kawai-Yamada M.
Arch Microbiol. 207 ( 8 ) 172 2025.05
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Laboratory evolution and characterization of nitrate-resistant phosphite dehydrogenase (PtxD) for enhanced cyanobacterial cultivation. Invited Reviewed International journal
Abdel-Hady GN, Hino T, Murakami H, Miwa A, Thi Thuy Cao L, Kuroki T, Nimura-Matsune K, Ikeda T, Ishida T, Funabashi H, Watanabe S, Kuroda A, Hirota R.
J Biotechnol. 402 59 - 68 2025.03
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Epigenetic control of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis by m4C DNA methylation in a cyanobacterium. International coauthorship International journal
Schmidt N, Stappert N, Nimura-Matsune K, Watanabe S, Sobotka R, Hagemann M, Hess WR.
DNA Res. 31 ( 6 ) dsae035 2024.12
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Cell morphology engineering enhances grazing resistance of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 for non-sterile large-scale cultivation. Reviewed International journal
Toda N, Inoue-Kashino N, Fujita H, Yoshida R, Nimura-Matsune K, Watanabe S, Kuroda A, Kashino Y, Hirota R.
J Biosci Bioeng. 137 ( 4 ) 245 - 253 2024.09
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Functional Modification of Cyanobacterial Phycobiliprotein and Phycobilisomes through Bilin Metabolism Control Reviewed International journal
Mizuho Sato, Takeshi Kawaguchi, Kaisei Maeda, Mai Watanabe, Masahiko Ikeuchi, Rei Narikawa, Satoru Watanabe .
ACS Synthetic Biology 13 ( 8 ) 2391 - 2401 2024.07
Authorship：Last author, Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal) Publisher：American chemical society
Phycobilisomes (PBSs) are light-harvesting antenna complexes in cyanobacteria that adapt to diverse light environments through the use of phycobiliproteins within the PBS structures. Freshwater cyanobacteria, such as Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, thrive under red light because of the presence of phycocyanin (PC) and its chromophore, phycocyanobilin (PCB), in the PBS. Cyanobacteria in shorter-wavelength light environments such as green light, employ phycoerythrin paired with phycoerythrobilin (PEB) along with PC in the PBS. Synthetic biology studies have shown that PEB production can be achieved by expression of the heterologous PEB synthases 15,16-dihydrobiliverdin:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PebA) and PEB:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PebB), leading to PEB accumulation and cellular browning. This approach is genetically unstable, and the properties of the resulting PEB-bound PBS complexes remain uncharacterized. In this study, we engineered a novel strain of Synechococcus 7942 PEB1 with finely tuned control of PEB biosynthesis. PEB1 exhibited a reversible change in the color of the culture from green to brown and pink based on PebA and PebB induction levels. High induction led to complete PCB-to-PEB substitution, causing the disassembly of the PBS rod complex. In contrast, low induction levels of PebA and PebB resulted in the formation of a stable chimeric PBS complex with partial PCB-to-PEB substitution. This acclimation enabled efficient light harvesting in the green spectrum and energy transfer to the photosynthetic reaction center. These findings, which improve our understanding of PBS and highlight the structural importance of the bilin composition, provide a foundation for future studies on PBS adaptation in bioengineering, synthetic biology, and renewable energy.
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Discovery of novel replication proteins for large plasmids in cyanobacteria and their potential applications in genetic engineering Reviewed International coauthorship International journal
Kazuma Ohdate, Minori Sakata, Kaisei Maeda, Yutaka Sakamaki, Kaori Nimura-Matsune, Ryudo Ohbayashi, Wolfgang R Hess, Satoru Watanabe
Front Microbiol. 15 1311290 2024.02
Authorship：Last author, Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Hishida Atsuko, Shirai Ryo, Higo Akiyoshi, Matsutani Minenosuke, Nimura-Matsune Kaori, Takahashi Tomoko, Watanabe Satoru, Ehira Shigeki, Hihara Yukako
The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 70 ( 1 ) 2024.01
Language：English Publisher：Applied Microbiology, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Foundation
<p>Most cyanobacterial genomes possess more than two copies of genes encoding cyAbrBs (cyanobacterial AbrB-like proteins) having an AbrB-like DNA-binding domain at their C-terminal region. Accumulating data suggest that a wide variety of metabolic and physiologic processes are regulated by cyAbrBs. In this study, we investigated the function of the essential gene <i>cyabrB1 </i>(<i>sll0359</i>) in <i>Synechocystis</i> sp. PCC 6803 by using CRISPR interference technology. The conditional knockdown of <i>cyabrB1</i> caused increases of cyAbrB2 transcript and protein levels. However, the effect of <i>cyabrB1</i> knockdown on global gene expression profile was quite limited compared to the previously reported profound effect of knockout of<i> cyabrB2</i>. Among 24 up-regulated genes, 16 genes were members of the divergently transcribed <i>icfG</i> and <i>sll1783</i> operons related to carbon metabolism. The results of this and previous studies indicate the different contributions of two cyAbrBs to transcriptional regulation of genes related to carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen metabolism. Possession of a pair of cyAbrBs has been highly conserved during the course of evolution of the cyanobacterial phylum, suggesting physiological significance of transcriptional regulation attained by their interaction.</p>
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A high-temperature sensitivity of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 due to a tRNA-Leu mutation Reviewed International journal
Hasegawa H, Kanesaki Y, Watanabe S, Tanaka K
The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 69 ( 3 ) 167 - 174 2023.12
Language：English Publisher：Applied Microbiology, Molecular and Cellular Biosciences Research Foundation
Certain mutations of the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 during laboratory storage have resulted in some divergent phenotypes. One laboratory-stored strain (H1) shows a temperature-sensitive (ts) growth phenotype at 40 °C. Here, we investigated the reason for this temperature sensitivity. Whole genome sequencing of H1 identified a single nucleotide mutation in synpcc7942_R0040 encoding tRNA-Leu(CAA). The mutation decreases the length of the tRNA-Leu t-arm from 5 to 4 base pairs, and this explains the ts phenotype. Secondary mutations suppressing the ts phenotype were identified in synpcc7942_1640, which putatively encodes a NYN domain-containing protein (nynA). The NYN domain is thought to be involved in tRNA/rRNA degradation. Thus, the structural stability of tRNA-Leu is critical for growth at 40 °C in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.
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DnaK2 Mediates a Negative Feedback Regulation of the Heat Shock Responsive Hik2-Rre1 Two-component System in the Cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 Reviewed International journal
Hasegawa H, Kobayashi I, Bairagi N, Watanabe S, Tanaka K.
Plant Cell Physiol . 2023.10
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI： 10.1093/pcp/pcad129.
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Heterologous expression of mtf and mtc genes of Pseudanabaena foetida var. intermedia is sufficient to produce 2-methylisoborneol in Escherichia coli Reviewed International journal
Dayarathne K, Ishikawa T, Watanabe S, Ishikawa Y, Aikeranmu K, Kitagawaa H, Komatsubara N, Yamaguchi M, Kawai-Yamada M.
Microbiol Spectr . 11 ( 5 ) e0256123 2023.09
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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得平 茂樹, 渡辺 智
化学と生物 61 ( 4 ) 157 - 159 2023.04
Language：Japanese Publisher：公益社団法人 日本農芸化学会
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Characterization of a cyanobacterial rep protein with broad-host range and its utilization for expression vectors. Reviewed International journal
Sakamaki Y, Maeda K, Nimura-Matsune K, Chibazakura T, Watanabe S.
Front Microbiol. 14 1111979 2023.03
Authorship：Last author, Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Photosynthetic 1,8-cineole production using cyanobacteria. Reviewed
Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 87 ( 5 ) 563 - 568 2023.02
Authorship：Last author, Corresponding author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
DOI： 10.1093/bbb/zbad012.
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Regulation of pSYSA defense plasmid copy number in Synechocystis through RNase E and a highly transcribed asRNA. Reviewed International coauthorship International journal
Kaltenbrunner A, Reimann V, Hoffmann UA, Aoyagi T, Sakata M, Nimura-Matsune K, Watanabe S, Steglich C, Wilde A, Hess WR.
Front Microbiol. 14 1112307 2023.02
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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Regulation of RNase E during the UV-stress response in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Reviewed International coauthorship International journal
mLife in press 2023.02
Authorship：Lead author Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)
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スピルリナ強光培養時に確認されたアルカリバチルスの出現メカニズムの解析
渡辺 智
発酵研究所助成研究報告集 37 ( 0 ) 135 2023
Language：Japanese Publisher：公益財団法人 発酵研究所
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Preliminary study on improvement of soil water retention characteristics by Spirulina
SUZUKI Shinji, WATANABE Satoru, WATANABE Fumio, SHIMDA Sawahiko
Journal of Arid Land Studies 32 ( 3 ) 68 - 68 2022.12
Language：English Publisher：The Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies
<p>Spirulina is a planctonic blue-green algae classified as cyanobacteria, which inhabits strongly alkaline water body in the tropics and subtropics. Further, the microalgae including the spirulina secretes Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS). Since the improvement of the soil water retention characteristics is necessary for desert greening and prevention of desertification in arid and semi-arid area, the current study aims to study on the effect of application of the spirulina and the spirulina derived EPS on the improvement of water retention characteristics of soils.</p><p>Three different types of soil were used. One is Toyoura sand, and the others are collected from Kourimalei and Ali-fareen, Djibouti. The texture of those soils were Sand, Silty Loam, and Sandy Loam, respectively. For those soils, 0.5 and 1.0% by mass of the spirulina powder and 1.0% by mass of the EPS powder were treated respectively. A significant increase in the readily available water content for crop growth was observed under both the spirulina and the EPS treatments for the Toyoura sand. Although further research is required, it is suggested that the effect of the application of the spirulina and EPS on the soil water retention depends on the texture.</p>
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Gatekeeper Residue Replacement in a Phosphite Transporter Enhances Mutational Robustness of the Biocontainment Strategy. Reviewed International journal
Hirota R, Katsuura ZI, Momokawa N, Murakami H, Watanabe S, Ishida T, Ikeda T, Funabashi H, Kuroda A.
ACS Synth Biol . 11 ( 10 ) 3397 - 3404 2022.10
Language：English Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)