Glycogen deficiency enhances carbon partitioning into glutamate for an alternative extracellular metabolic sink in cyanobacteria.

Glycogen serves as a metabolic sink in cyanobacteria. Glycogen deficiency causes the extracellular release of distinctive metabolites such as pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate upon nitrogen depletion; however, the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of carbon partitioning in glycogen-deficient cyanobacteria. Extracellular and intracellular metabolites in a glycogen-deficient ΔglgC mutant of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 were comprehensively analyzed. In the presence of a nitrogen source, the ΔglgC mutant released extracellular glutamate rather than pyruvate and 2-oxoglutarate, whereas its intracellular glutamate level was lower than that in the wild-type strain. The de novo synthesis of glutamate increased in the ΔglgC mutant, suggesting that glycogen deficiency enhanced carbon partitioning into glutamate and extracellular excretion through an unidentified transport system. This study proposes a model in which glutamate serves as the prime extracellular metabolic sink alternative to glycogen when nitrogen is available.