Four novel Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 genes (sll1495, sll0804, slr1306, and slr1125) which encode hypothetical proteins were determined by transposon mutagenesis to be required for optimal photoautotrophic growth. Mutations were also recovered in ccmK4, a carboxysome coat protein homologue, and me, the decarboxylating NADP ؉ -dependent malic enzyme. This is the first report that these known genes are required for optimal photoautotrophy.Photosynthesis is one of the most important biological processes and occurs in a very diverse set of organisms ranging from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Recently, much effort has been directed towards understanding the structure and function of proteins involved in photosynthesis (photosystem I, photosystem II, cytochrome b 6 /f complex, Calvin-Benson cycle enzymes, etc.). While much progress has been made in the understanding of the functional organization of these proteins, relatively little is known concerning the organization of other protein components which must be involved in the regulation, assembly, and turnover of the proteins involved in photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are photoautotrophic gram-negative eubacteria capable of performing oxygenic photosynthesis in a manner quite similar to that in eukaryotic algae and higher plants. Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 is a naturally competent unicellular cyanobacterium and has proved to be one of the best model organisms for studying the mechanism and regulation of oxygenic photosynthesis (15). We are interested in identifying the genes required for oxygenic photosynthesis. In this study, we used a hyperactive Tn5-based in vitro transposition system to introduce random insertional mutations into Synechocystis and have identified a number of mutants which are incapable of undergoing optimal photoautotrophic growth. Here we describe the production, identification, and characterization of a number of these mutants. The structure and possible function of the affected genes in these mutants will also be discussed.A glucose-tolerant strain of Synechocystis sp., PCC 6803 (15), was used as a parental control and as the DNA recipient strain in the present study. Cells of both the control strain and the derivative photosynthetic mutants were maintained under photoheterotrophic growth conditions at 30°C with a light intensity of 20 mol of photons m Ϫ2 s Ϫ1 (fluorescent light) in liquid BG-11 growth medium (ATCC medium 616) supplemented with 10 mM TES [N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid]-KOH (pH 8.2), 5 mM glucose, and 10 M DCMU [N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-NЈ-dimethylurea]. Liquid cultures were bubbled continuously with air. For autotrophic cell culture, the glucose and DCMU were omitted. For cultures grown on plates, the BG-11 medium was supplemented with 1.5% agar and 0.3% sodium thiosulfate. When appropriate, kanamycin was included in the media at a final concentration of 10 g/ml.