Heterogeneity in Photobiology of Phototrophs – Emerging Questions and Microscopic Methods

Background:
Light-dependent metabolism in phototrophs is essential for capturing light energy that fuels the biosphere. The efficiency of these light-driven reactions depends on the spatial co-localization of proteins and pigments that drives light harvesting, electron transport, and enzyme kinetics within photosynthetic membranes or other cellular compartments. Additionally, many other biomolecules (proteins, lipids, co-factors, DNA, RNA etc.) involved in the cell metabolism of phototrophs have a specific localization, which results in spatial heterogeneity in photo-physiological processes. Such heterogeneity is present at the single-cell level (e.g., grana/stroma thylakoids, microdomains, biomolecule condensates, carboxysome, plasmids of DNA etc.) but also among cells in multicellular phototrophs (e.g. heterocysts, spatial gradients in biofilms and other microenvironments).

Goal:
The combination of microscopy techniques with classical functional studies on isolated proteins/membranes or native cells/cell colonies is a powerful approach to shed light on the role of spatial heterogeneity, and on the overall efficiency of photo-biological and enzymatic processes in phototrophs. Analyzing heterogeneity in proteins/lipids/pigments inside single cells (e.g., membrane microdomains) and between cells (e.g., heterocysts in nitrogen fixation cyanobacteria, phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic cultures) can help us understand structural aspects in photobiology in general, and specifically in photosynthesis of phototrophic single cells and their associations in filaments, colonies and mats. This Research Topic thus aims to investigate the importance of heterogeneity in phototrophs across multiple spatial scales, ranging from membrane microdomains to cell-to-cell variability.

Scope and Information for Authors:
The collection welcomes contributions that delve into the impact of spatial heterogeneity in biomolecules (proteins/lipids/membrane/DNA/RNA etc.) of various photo-physical and physiological processes in phototrophs. The issue plans to highlight studies describing recent methodological advances in the field of microscopy (e.g., super- resolution microscopy, Raman microspectroscopy, life-time imaging, FCS, FRET etc.), or other spatially resolved methods (EM, AFM, nanoSIMS, microsensors, etc.).

We welcome reviews or experimental studies that address selected questions of photobiology/physiology of phototrophs and applications of these newly emerging methods in understanding single-cell phenomena (e.g., membrane microdomains) and population-scale dynamics (e.g., phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic cell populations). This includes studies on the mechanisms of photosynthesis (light absorption, electron transport, thylakoid membrane architecture, membrane microdomains, CO 2 assimilation), nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria, on regulation of proteins synthesis and protein interactions (protein-super-complexes, protein dynamics), on regulation of biotic/abiotic stresses (e.g., photoprotection and non-photochemical quenching), on DNA/RNA/Proteins synthesis (e.g., localization, proteins assembly centers, micro-compartments, role of polyploidy, regulation of cell signaling cascades, etc.). Furthermore, the issue is open to studies focused on cell-to-cell variability in phototrophs, specifically the phenomenon of phenotypic heterogeneity. Authors may explore the formation, dynamics, and functional/physiological relevance as well as the ecological significance of variability among cells of phototrophs (including filamentous photoautotrophs such as nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria, colonies or tissues, as well as isogenic populations of free-living phototrophs).

This Research Topic welcomes submissions of the following article types: Brief Research Report, Data Report, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Mini Review, Opinion, Original Research, Perspective, Review, Systematic Review.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: photosynthesis, Photosystems, membrane microdomains, thylakoid membrane, filamentous photoautotrophs, nitrogen fixers, ecological significance, cell-to-cell variability, light reactions, photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria, algae, chloroplast, confocal microscopy, live-cell imaging, super-resolution microscopy, membrane dynamics (FRAP, FCS, RICS), protein mobility, lifetime imaging, Raman microscopy, electron microscopy, AFM, nanoSIMS, microsensors

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.