Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation response to light stimuli of Symbiodinium proteins: specific light-induced dephosphorylation of an HSP-like 75 kDa protein from S. microadriaticum

BACKGROUND: Some genera of the family Symbiodiniaceae establish mutualistic endosymbioses with various marine invertebrates, with coral being the most important ecologically. Little is known about the biochemical communication of this association and the perception and translation of signals from the environment in the symbiont. However, specific phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes are fundamental for the transmission of external signals to activate physiological responses. In this work, we searched phosphorylatable proteins in amino acids of Ser, Thr and Tyr from three species of the family Symbiodiniaceae, Symbiodinium kawagutii, Symbiodinium sp. Mf11 and Symbiodinium microadriaticum. METHODS: We used specific antibodies to the phosphorylated aminoacids pSer, pThr and pTyr to identify proteins harboring them in total extracts from three species of Symbiodinium in culture. Extractions were carried out on logarithmic phase growing cultures under a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Various light/dark, nutritional and other stimuli were applied to the cultures prior to the extractions, and proteins were subjected to SDS-PAGE and western immunoblotting. Partial peptide sequencing was carried out by MALDI-TOF on specific protein spots separated by 2D electrophoresis. RESULTS: At 4 h of the light cycle, several Thr-phosphorylated proteins were consistently detected in the three species suggesting a genus-dependent expression; however, most Ser- and Tyr-phosphorylated proteins were species-specific. Analysis of protein extracts of S. microadriaticum cultures demonstrated that the level of phosphorylation of two Thr-phosphorylated proteins with molecular weights of 43 and 75 kDa, responded inversely to a light stimulus. The 43 kDa protein, originally weakly Thr-phosphorylated when the cells were previously adapted to their 12 h dark cycle, underwent an increase in Thr phosphorylation when stimulated for 30 min with light. On the other hand, the 75 kDa protein, which was significantly Thr-phosphorylated in the dark, underwent dephosphorylation in Thr after 30 min of the light stimulus. The phosphorylation response of the 43 kDa protein only occurred in S. microadriaticum, whereas the dephosphorylation of the 75 kDa protein occurred in the three species studied suggesting a general response. The 75 kDa protein was separated on 2D gels as two isoforms and the sequenced spots corresponded to a BiP-like protein of the HSP70 protein family. The presence of differential phosphorylations on these proteins after a light stimulus imply important light-regulated physiological processes in these organisms.