The ABC Transporter Components HgdB and HgdC are Important for Glycolipid Layer Composition and Function of Heterocysts in sp. PCC 7120.

sp. PCC 7120 is a filamentous cyanobacterium able to fix atmospheric nitrogen in semi-regularly spaced heterocysts. For correct heterocyst function, a special cell envelope consisting of a glycolipid layer and a polysaccharide layer is essential. We investigated the role of the genes and , encoding domains of a putative ABC transporter, in heterocyst maturation. We investigated the subcellular localization of the fusion protein HgdC-GFP and followed the differential expression of the and genes during heterocyst maturation. Using a single recombination approach, we created a mutant in gene and studied its phenotype by microscopy and analytical chromatography. Although heterocysts are formed in the mutant, the structure of the glycolipid layer is aberrant and also contains an atypical ratio of the two major glycolipids. As shown by a pull-down assay, HgdB interacts with the outer membrane protein TolC, which indicates a function as a type 1 secretion system. We show that the genes are essential for the creation of micro-oxic conditions by influencing the correct composition of the glycolipid layer for heterocyst function. Our observations confirm the significance of the gene cluster and shed light on a novel mode of regulation of heterocyst envelope formation.