A synthetic, light-driven consortium pairing the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (engineered to secrete sucrose via the cscB+ transporter) with Bacillus subtilis 168. The cyanobacterium fixes CO2 and exports sucrose, which supports heterotrophic growth of B. subtilis. This modular platform demonstrates a stable photosynthetic co-culture for sustainable carbon cycling.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 cscB+ | NCBITaxon:32046 |
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
|
DOMINANT |
| Bacillus subtilis 168 | NCBITaxon:1423 |
CROSS_FEEDER
|
ABUNDANT |
Ecological Interactions
CO2 Fixation and Sucrose Production
CROSS_FEEDINGSource Taxon: Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 cscB+
Metabolites: sucrose (CHEBI:17992)
Biological Processes:
- photosynthesis (GO:0015979)
- sucrose biosynthetic process (GO:0005986)
Evidence
-
PMID:28127397 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"We previously engineered a model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, to secrete the bulk of the carbon it fixes as sucrose, a carbohydrate that can be utilized by many other microbes"
Sucrose Uptake and Heterotrophic Growth
CROSS_FEEDINGSource Taxon: Bacillus subtilis 168
Metabolites: sucrose (CHEBI:17992)
Biological Processes:
- sucrose catabolic process (GO:0005987)
Evidence
-
PMID:28127397 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"One destabilizing interaction we observed was that non-sucrose byproducts of oxygenic photosynthesis negatively impacted heterotroph growth"