Adaptive mechanisms of nitrogen and carbon assimilatory pathways in the marine cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus.

Prochlorococcus is an abundant marine cyanobacterium responsible for a significant part of global primary production. There exist various ecotypes adapted to conditions found along the water column, showing that largely modified photosynthetic apparatus efficiently harvest the light energy penetrating into their habitats. In view of the recent availability of three Prochlorococcus genomes, we review here additional adaptive changes observed in nitrogen and carbon metabolism.