Nucleotide sequence of psbC, the gene encoding the CP-43 chlorophyll a-binding protein of Photosystem II, in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803

Abstract

The nucleotide sequence for the Photosystem II gene psbC has been determined for the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. The gene overlaps the last 50 bases of the psbD gene, and both genes are transcribed in the same direction, but read in different frames. This arrangement is identical to that found in all chloroplast genomes for which psbC has been sequenced. The Synechocystis nucleotide sequence is 70% homologous to the tobacco gene and the predicted amino acid sequence shows 85% homology. A possible alternative translation start site for psbC has been conserved between seven plant sequences and the cyanobacterial sequence. The hydropathy plot for the cyanobacterial protein is very similar to plots determined for six plant species. Pairs of histidines that may play a role in binding chlorophyll are conserved between the cyanobacterial and plant amino acid sequences.