A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Reduced mediators released by cyanobacteria during exoelectrogenesis detected using differential pulse voltammetry; 
Authors: Wey, Laura T.; Brachi, Monica; Allahverdiyeva, Yagut; Minteer, Shelley D.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Bioelectrochemistry
Article number: 109374
Volume: 172
ISSN: 1567-5394
eISSN: 1878-562X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2026.109374
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioelechem.2026.109374
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/526939867
Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY
Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF
Research data link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21189102
Cyanobacteria generate electrical current through exoelectrogenesis (extracellular electron transfer) downstream of photosynthesis, yet the identity of the endogenous redox mediator(s) responsible remains unresolved. Here, we apply differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) to detect and characterise redox-active species released by Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 under illumination. To enable sensitive detection, we developed an electrolyte intermediate between BG11 (Blue-Green-11) growth medium and MOPS (3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid) buffer that minimises background electrochemical interference while maintaining short-term cellular functionality. DPV revealed multiple light-enhanced oxidation peaks (0.1–0.65 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE)) that were not resolvable using cyclic voltammetry, providing evidence that cyanobacteria release reduced compounds during exoelectrogenesis. These signals were partially reproduced in cell exudates and absent in controls, confirming their biological origin. The lack of corresponding reduction peaks suggests irreversible redox processes. Comparison with candidate mediators showed that NADPH and 4-hydroxybenzoate, an intermediate in plastoquinone biosynthesis, exhibit only partially similar electrochemical behaviour compared to cells and do not fully account for the measured responses. Collectively, our results indicate that exoelectrogenesis in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 involves a mixture of redox-active species rather than a single mediator. This study establishes DPV as a powerful tool for in situ detection of cyanobacterial mediators and provides new insights into the mechanisms of photosynthetic extracellular electron transfer.
Keywords:
cyanobacteria, differential pulse voltammetry, exoelectrogenesis, Mediators, photosynthesis
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Funding information in the publication:
Laura Wey reports financial support was provided by Novo Nordisk Foundation. Laura Wey reports financial support was provided by Research Council of Finland. Yagut Allahverdiyeva reports financial support was provided by Research Council of Finland. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
This work was supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant number NNF22OC0079717), Research Council of Finland (grant numbers 355335, 368729), and Kummer Institute Center for Resource Sustainability.