Response of Amino Acid Metabolism to Sulfur Starvation in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Cyanobacteria are representative photoautotrophic organisms that are capable of regulating metabolic pathways under varying light and nutritional conditions. We investigated this metabolic regulation under sulfur starvation with a focus on amino acid metabolism. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to quantify amino acid contents. The results revealed sulfur deprivation-induced temporal changes in the amount of free amino acids in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. This is the first study to report altered metabolite levels in response to sulfur starvation in cyanobacteria.