Reversible heat-inactivation of the calvin cycle: A possible mechanism of the temperature regulation of photosynthesis

Temperature acclimation of photosynthesis: mechanisms involved in the changes in temperature dependence of photosynthetic rate

Growth temperature alters temperature dependence of the photosynthetic rate (temperature acclimation). In many species, the optimal temperature that maximizes the photosynthetic rate increases with increasing growth temperature. In this minireview, mechanisms involved in changes in the photosynthesis-temperature curve are discussed. Based on the biochemical model of photosynthesis, change in the photosynthesis-temperature curve is attributable to four factors: intercellular CO2 concentration, activation energy of the maximum rate of RuBP (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate) carboxylation (Vc max), activation energy of the rate of RuBP regeneration (Jmax), and the ratio of Jmax to Vc max. In the survey, every species increased the activation energy of Vc max with increasing growth temperature. Other factors changed with growth temperature, but their responses were different among species. Among these factors, activation energy of Vc max may be the most important for the shift of optimal temperature of photosynthesis at ambient CO2 concentrations. Physiological and biochemical causes for the change in these parameters are discussed.

The regulation of Rubisco activity in response to variation in temperature and atmospheric CO2 partial pressure in sweet potato

The temperature response of net CO(2) assimilation rate (A), the rate of whole-chain electron transport, the activity and activation state of Rubisco, and the pool sizes of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and 3-phosphoglyceric acid (PGA) were assessed in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) grown under greenhouse conditions. Above the thermal optimum of photosynthesis, the activation state of Rubisco declined with increasing temperature. Doubling CO(2) above 370 mubar further reduced the activation state, while reducing CO(2) by one-half increased it. At cool temperature (<16 degrees C), the activation state of Rubisco declined at CO(2) levels where photosynthesis was unaffected by a 90% reduction in O(2) content. Reduction of the partial pressure of CO(2) at cool temperature also enhanced the activation state of Rubisco. The rate of electron transport showed a pronounced temperature response with the same temperature optimum as A at elevated CO(2). RuBP pool size and the RuBP-to-PGA ratio declined with increasing temperature. Increasing CO(2) also reduced the RuBP pool size. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the reduction in the activation state of Rubisco at high and low temperature is a regulated response to a limitation in one of the processes contributing to the rate of RuBP regeneration. To further evaluate this possibility, we used measured estimates of Rubisco capacity, electron transport capacity, and the inorganic phosphate regeneration capacity to model the response of A to temperature. At elevated CO(2), the activation state of Rubisco declined at high temperatures where electron transport capacity was predicted to be limiting, and at cooler temperatures where the inorganic phosphate regeneration capacity was limiting. At low CO(2), where Rubisco capacity was predicted to limit photosynthesis, full activation of Rubisco was observed at all measurement temperatures.

Genetic engineering of the biosynthesis of glycinebetaine enhances photosynthesis against high temperature stress in transgenic tobacco plants

Genetically engineered tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) with the ability to synthesis glycinebetaine was established by introducing the BADH gene for betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase from spinach (Spinacia oleracea). The genetic engineering enabled the plants to accumulate glycinebetaine mainly in chloroplasts and resulted in enhanced tolerance to high temperature stress during growth of young seedlings. Moreover, CO2 assimilation of transgenic plants was significantly more tolerant to high temperatures than that of wild-type plants. The analyses of chlorophyll fluorescence and the activation of Rubisco indicated that the enhancement of photosynthesis to high temperatures was not related to the function of photosystem II but to the Rubisco activase-mediated activation of Rubisco. Western-blotting analyses showed that high temperature stress led to the association of Rubisco activase with the thylakoid membranes from the stroma fractions. However, such an association was much more pronounced in wild-type plants than in transgenic plants. The results in this study suggest that under high temperature stress, glycinebetaine maintains the activation of Rubisco by preventing the sequestration of Rubisco activase to the thylakoid membranes from the soluble stroma fractions and thus enhances the tolerance of CO2 assimilation to high temperature stress. The results seem to suggest that engineering of the biosynthesis of glycinebetaine by transformation with the BADH gene might be an effective method for enhancing high temperature tolerance of plants.

High temperature effects on photosynthetic activity of two tomato cultivars with different heat susceptibility

The functional activities of the photosynthetic apparatus of two tomato cultivars of different thermotolerance were investigated after a short period of high temperature treatment. Seedlings of two tomato genotypes, Lycopersicon esculentum var. Campbell-28 and the wild thermotolerant Nagcarlang, were grown under a photoperiod of 16h at 25 degrees C and dark period of 8h at 20 degrees C. At the fourth true leaf stage, a group of plants was exposed to heat stress of 45 degrees C for 2 h. The heat shock treatment caused important reductions of the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of Campbell-28 plants due to non-stomatal components. These non-stomatal effects were not evident in Nagcarlang-treated plants. This reduction in the CO2 assimilation rate observed in Campbell-28 was generated by affections in the Calvin cycle and also in the PSII functioning. No changes in these parameters were observed in the thermotolerant genotype after the stress. Injury to the plasma membrane because of the heat stress was evident only in the Campbell-28 genotype. Heat led to a sun-type adaptation response of the photosynthesis pigment apparatus for the Nagcarlang genotype, but not for Campbell-28, and thus an increase in chlorophyll a/b ratio and a decrease in chlorophyll/carotenoid ratio were shown in Nagcarlang stressed plants.

Enhanced thermotolerance of photosystem II in salt-adapted plants of the halophyte Artemisia anethifolia

Thermotolerance of photosystem II (PSII) in leaves of salt-adapted Artemisia anethifolia L. plants (100-400 mM NaCl) was evaluated after exposure to heat stress (30-45 degrees C) for 30 min. After exposure to 30 degrees C, salt adaptation had no effects on the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry (F(v)/F(m)), the efficiency of excitation capture by open PSII centers (F(v)'/F(m)'), or the actual PSII efficiency (Phi(PSII)). After pretreatment at 40 degrees C, there was a striking difference in the responses of F(v)/F(m), F(v)'/F(m)' and Phi(PSII) to heat stress in non-salt-adapted and salt-adapted leaves. Leaves from salt-adapted plants maintained significantly higher values of F(v)/F(m), F(v)'/F(m)' and Phi(PSII) than those from non-salt-adapted leaves. The differences in F(v)/F(m), F(v)'/F(m)' and Phi(PSII) between non-salt-adapted and salt-adapted plants persisted for at least 12 h following heat stress. These results clearly show that thermotolerance of PSII was enhanced in salt-adapted plants. This enhanced thermotolerance was associated with an improvement in thermotolerance of the PSII reaction centers, the oxygen-evolving complexes and the light-harvesting complex. In addition, we observed that after exposure to 42.5 degrees C for 30 min, non-salt-adapted plants showed a significant decrease in CO(2) assimilation rate while in salt-adapted plants CO(2) assimilation rate was either maintained or even increased to some extent. Given that photosynthesis is considered to be the physiological process most sensitive to high-temperature damage and that PSII appears to be the most heat-sensitive part of the photosynthetic apparatus, enhanced thermotolerance of PSII may be of significance for A. anethifolia, a halophyte plant, which grows in the high-salinity regions in the north of China, where the air temperature in the summer is often as high as 45 degrees C.

Redox regulation: a broadening horizon

Initially discovered in the context of photosynthesis, regulation by change in the redox state of thiol groups (S-S <--> 2SH) is now known to occur throughout biology. Several systems, each linking a hydrogen donor to an intermediary disulfide protein, act to effect changes that alter the activity of target proteins: the ferredoxin/thioredoxin system, comprised of reduced ferredoxin, a thioredoxin, and the enzyme, ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase; the NADP/thioredoxin system, including NADPH, a thioredoxin, and NADP-thioredoxin reductase; and the glutathione/glutaredoxin system, composed of reduced glutathione and a glutaredoxin. A related disulfide protein, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) acts in protein assembly. Regulation linked to plastoquinone and signaling induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other agents are also being actively investigated. Progress made on these systems has linked redox to the regulation of an increasing number of processes not only in plants, but in other types of organisms as well. Research in areas currently under exploration promises to provide a fuller understanding of the role redox plays in cellular processes, and to further the application of this knowledge to technology and medicine.

Photoinhibition, bleaching susceptibility and mortality in two scleractinian corals, Platygyra ryukyuensis and Stylophora pistillata, in response to thermal and light stresses

In the present study, we examined the effect of thermal stress on the photoinhibitory light threshold in a bleaching susceptible (Stylophora pistillata) and a bleaching resistant (Platygyra ryukyuensis) coral. Four light (0, 110, 520, 1015 micromol quantam(-2)s(-1)) and three temperature (26, 32 and 34 degrees C) conditions were used over a 3-h period, followed by 24- and 48-h recovery periods at approximately 21 degrees C under dim light. Dynamic photoinhibition could be detected in both P. ryukyuensis and S. pistillata under 520 and 1015 micromol quantam(-2)s(-1) at 26 degrees C and under 110 micromol quantam(-2)s(-1) at 32 degrees C only in S. pistillata. Chronic photoinhibition was recorded under 520 and 1015 micromol quantam(-2)s(-1) at 34 degrees C in P. ryukyuensis, and under 1015 micromol quantam(-2)s(-1) at 32 degrees C and under all light levels at 34 degrees C in S. pistillata. These results show that high temperature reduced the threshold light intensity for photoinhibition differently in two corals with different bleaching susceptibilities under thermal stress. No visual paling and mortality in P. ryukyuensis was observed at any treatment, even in chronically photoinhibited specimens, while paling and high mortality of S. pistillata was noted in all treatments, apart from samples at 26 degrees C. These observations suggest a potential role of the host in differential bleaching and mortality determination.

Proteomic analysis of resistance mediated by Rcm 2.0 and Rcm 5.1, two loci controlling resistance to bacterial canker of tomato

Two quantitative trait loci from Lycopersicon hirsutum, Rcm 2.0 and Rcm 5.1, control resistance to Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, the causal agent of bacterial canker of tomato. Lines containing Rcm 2.0 and Rcm 5.1 and a susceptible control line were compared at 72 and 144 h postinoculation, using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis to identify proteins regulated in response to C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis infection. A total of 47 proteins were subjected to tandem mass spectrometry. Database queries with resulting spectra identified tomato genes for 26 proteins. The remaining 21 proteins were either identified in other species or possessed no homology to known proteins. Spectra were interpreted to deduce peptide amino acid sequences that were then used to query publicly available data. This approach identified tomato genes or expressed sequence tags for 44 of the proteins analyzed. Three superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes were differentially regulated among genotypes, and patterns of hydrogen peroxide accumulation were genotype- and tissue-specific, indicating a role for oxidative stress in response to C. michiganensis subsp. michiganensis. Steady-state mRNA and protein levels for SOD, thioredoxin M-type, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, and pathogenesis-related proteins demonstrated similar patterns of differential regulation. Lines containing Rcm 2.0 and Rcm 5.1 accumulate different proteins and steady-state mRNAs in response to inoculation, suggesting that the two loci may confer resistance through distinct mechanisms.

Relationship between the heat tolerance of photosynthesis and the thermal stability of rubisco activase in plants from contrasting thermal environments

Inhibition of net photosynthesis (Pn) by moderate heat stress has been attributed to an inability of Rubisco activase to maintain Rubisco in an active form. To examine this proposal, the temperature response of Pn, Rubisco activation, chlorophyll fluorescence, and the activities of Rubisco and Rubisco activase were examined in species from contrasting environments. The temperature optimum of Rubisco activation was 10 degrees C higher in the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) compared with the Antarctic hairgrass (Deschampsia antarctica), resembling the temperature response of Pn. Pn increased markedly with increasing internal CO(2) concentration in Antarctic hairgrass and creosote bush plants subjected to moderate heat stress even under nonphotorespiratory conditions. Nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, the effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion (DeltaF/F(m)') and the maximum yield of PSII (F(v)/F(m)) were more sensitive to temperature in Antarctic hairgrass and two other species endemic to cold regions (i.e. Lysipomia pumila and spinach [Spinacea oleracea]) compared with creosote bush and three species (i.e. jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis], tobacco [Nicotiana tabacum], and cotton [Gossypium hirsutum]) from warm regions. The temperature response of activity and the rate of catalytic inactivation of Rubisco from creosote bush and Antarctic hairgrass were similar, whereas the optimum for ATP hydrolysis and Rubisco activation by recombinant creosote bush, cotton, and tobacco activase was 8 degrees C to 10 degrees C higher than for Antarctic hairgrass and spinach activase. These results support a role for activase in limiting photosynthesis at high temperature.

Inhibition of photosynthesis by heat stress: the activation state of Rubisco as a limiting factor in photosynthesis

Although the catalytic activity of Rubisco increases with temperature, the low affinity of the enzyme for CO(2) and its dual nature as an oxygenase limit the possible increase in net photosynthesis with temperature. For cotton, comparisons of measured rates of net photosynthesis with predicted rates that take into account limitations imposed by the kinetic properties of Rubisco indicate that direct inhibition of photosynthesis occurs at temperatures higher than about 30 degrees C. Inhibition of photosynthesis by moderate heat stress (i.e. 30-42 degrees C) is generally attributed to reduced rates of RuBP regeneration caused by disruption of electron transport activity, and specifically inactivation of the oxygen evolving enzymes of photosystem II. However, measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and metabolite levels at air-levels of CO(2) indicate that electron transport activity is not limiting at temperatures that inhibit CO(2) fixation. Instead, recent evidence shows that inhibition of net photosynthesis correlates with a decrease in the activation state of Rubisco in both C(3) and C(4) plants and that this decrease in the amount of active Rubisco can fully account for the temperature response of net photosynthesis. Biochemically, the decrease in Rubisco activation can be attributed to: (1) more rapid de-activation of Rubisco caused by a faster rate of dead-end product formation; and (2) slower re-activation of Rubisco by activase. The net result is that as temperature increases activase becomes less effective in keeping Rubisco catalytically competent. In this opinionated review, we discuss how these processes limit photosynthetic performance under moderate heat stress.

Proteomics gives insight into the regulatory function of chloroplast thioredoxins

Thioredoxins are small multifunctional redox active proteins widely if not universally distributed among living organisms. In chloroplasts, two types of thioredoxins (f and m) coexist and play central roles in regulating enzyme activity. Reduction of thioredoxins in chloroplasts is catalyzed by an iron-sulfur disulfide enzyme, ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase, that receives photosynthetic electrons from ferredoxin, thereby providing a link between light and enzyme activity. Chloroplast thioredoxins function in the regulation of the Calvin cycle and associated processes. However, the relatively small number of known thioredoxin-linked proteins (about 16) raised the possibility that others remain to be identified. To pursue this opportunity, we have mutated thioredoxins f and m, such that the buried cysteine of the active disulfide has been replaced by serine or alanine, and bound them to affinity columns to trap target proteins of chloroplast stroma. The covalently linked proteins were eluted with DTT, separated on gels, and identified by mass spectrometry. This approach led to the identification of 15 potential targets that function in 10 chloroplast processes not known to be thioredoxin linked. Included are proteins that seem to function in plastid-to-nucleus signaling and in a previously unrecognized type of oxidative regulation. Approximately two-thirds of these targets contained conserved cysteines. We also identified 11 previously unknown and 9 confirmed target proteins that are members of pathways known to be regulated by thioredoxin. In contrast to results with individual enzyme assays, specificity for thioredoxin f or m was not observed on affinity chromatography.

Sensitivity of photosynthesis in a C4 plant, maize, to heat stress

Our objective was to determine the sensitivity of components of the photosynthetic apparatus of maize (Zea mays), a C4 plant, to high temperature stress. Net photosynthesis (Pn) was inhibited at leaf temperatures above 38 degrees C, and the inhibition was much more severe when the temperature was increased rapidly rather than gradually. Transpiration rate increased progressively with leaf temperature, indicating that inhibition was not associated with stomatal closure. Nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching (qN) increased at leaf temperatures above 30 degrees C, indicating increased thylakoid energization even at temperatures that did not inhibit Pn. Compared with CO(2) assimilation, the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (F(v)/F(m)) was relatively insensitive to leaf temperatures up to 45 degrees C. The activation state of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase decreased marginally at leaf temperatures above 40 degrees C, and the activity of pyruvate phosphate dikinase was insensitive to temperature up to 45 degrees C. The activation state of Rubisco decreased at temperatures exceeding 32.5 degrees C, with nearly complete inactivation at 45 degrees C. Levels of 3-phosphoglyceric acid and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate decreased and increased, respectively, as leaf temperature increased, consistent with the decrease in Rubisco activation. When leaf temperature was increased gradually, Rubisco activation acclimated in a similar manner as Pn, and acclimation was associated with the expression of a new activase polypeptide. Rates of Pn calculated solely from the kinetics of Rubisco were remarkably similar to measured rates if the calculation included adjustment for temperature effects on Rubisco activation. We conclude that inactivation of Rubisco was the primary constraint on the rate of Pn of maize leaves as leaf temperature increased above 30 degrees C.

Exceptional sensitivity of Rubisco activase to thermal denaturation in vitro and in vivo

Heat stress inhibits photosynthesis by reducing the activation of Rubisco by Rubisco activase. To determine if loss of activase function is caused by protein denaturation, the thermal stability of activase was examined in vitro and in vivo and compared with the stabilities of two other soluble chloroplast proteins. Isolated activase exhibited a temperature optimum for ATP hydrolysis of 44 degrees C compared with > or =60 degrees C for carboxylation by Rubisco. Light scattering showed that unfolding/aggregation occurred at 45 degrees C and 37 degrees C for activase in the presence and absence of ATPgammaS, respectively, and at 65 degrees C for Rubisco. Addition of chemically denatured rhodanese to heat-treated activase trapped partially folded activase in an insoluble complex at treatment temperatures that were similar to those that caused increased light scattering and loss of activity. To examine thermal stability in vivo, heat-treated tobacco (Nicotiana rustica cv Pulmila) protoplasts and chloroplasts were lysed with detergent in the presence of rhodanese and the amount of target protein that aggregated was determined by immunoblotting. The results of these experiments showed that thermal denaturation of activase in vivo occurred at temperatures similar to those that denatured isolated activase and far below those required to denature Rubisco or phosphoribulokinase. Edman degradation analysis of aggregated proteins from tobacco and pea (Pisum sativum cv "Little Marvel") chloroplasts showed that activase was the major protein that denatured in response to heat stress. Thus, loss of activase activity during heat stress is caused by an exceptional sensitivity of the protein to thermal denaturation and is responsible, in part, for deactivation of Rubisco.

High temperature stress increases the expression of wheat leaf ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase protein

The effect of high temperature stress on the expression of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activase was examined in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves, which normally possess 46- and 42-kDa activase forms. Heat stress at 38 degrees C significantly reduced total activase mRNA levels compared to controls, and recovery of activase transcription was only marginal 24 h after alleviating heat stress. In contrast to transcript abundance, immunoblot analysis indicated that heat stress increased the accumulation of the 42-kDa activase and induced a putative 41-kDa form. Heat stress did not affect the amounts of the 46- and 42-kDa activase forms (present as 51- and 45-kDa preproteins) recovered after their immunoprecipitation from in vitro translation products. De novo protein synthesis in vivo in the presence of [35S]Met/Cys showed an increase in the amount of newly synthesized 42-kDa subunit after 4 h of heat stress, and synthesis of the putative 41-kDa activase was apparent. In contrast to activase, heat stress led to a rapid and large reduction in the de novo synthesis of the large and small subunits of Rubisco. Long-term (48-h) heat stress further increased the amounts of de novo synthesized 42- and 41-kDa activase forms. After 24 h of recovery from heat stress, de novo synthesis of the 42-kDa activase returned to control levels, while a small amount of 41-kDa protein was still expressed. Southern analysis suggested the presence of a single activase gene. These results indicate that heat stress alters activase expression, most likely posttranscriptionally, and suggest that the heat-induced expression of the 42- and 41-kDa subunits of wheat leaf Rubisco activase may be related to the maintenance and acclimation of photosynthetic CO2 fixation during high temperature stress in wheat.

Rubisco activase constrains the photosynthetic potential of leaves at high temperature and CO2

Net photosynthesis (Pn) is inhibited by moderate heat stress. To elucidate the mechanism of inhibition, we examined the effects of temperature on gas exchange and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activation in cotton and tobacco leaves and compared the responses to those of the isolated enzymes. Depending on the CO(2) concentration, Pn decreased when temperatures exceeded 35-40 degrees C. This response was inconsistent with the response predicted from the properties of fully activated Rubisco. Rubisco deactivated in leaves when temperature was increased and also in response to high CO(2) or low O(2). The decrease in Rubisco activation occurred when leaf temperatures exceeded 35 degrees C, whereas the activities of isolated activase and Rubisco were highest at 42 degrees C and >50 degrees C, respectively. In the absence of activase, isolated Rubisco deactivated under catalytic conditions and the rate of deactivation increased with temperature but not with CO(2). The ability of activase to maintain or promote Rubisco activation in vitro also decreased with temperature but was not affected by CO(2). Increasing the activase/Rubisco ratio reduced Rubisco deactivation at higher temperatures. The results indicate that, as temperature increases, the rate of Rubisco deactivation exceeds the capacity of activase to promote activation. The decrease in Rubisco activation that occurred in leaves at high CO(2) was not caused by a faster rate of deactivation, but by reduced activase activity possibly in response to unfavorable ATP/ADP ratios. When adjustments were made for changes in activation state, the kinetic properties of Rubisco predicted the response of Pn at high temperature and CO(2).

Inhibition and acclimation of photosynthesis to heat stress is closely correlated with activation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase

Increasing the leaf temperature of intact cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants caused a progressive decline in the light-saturated CO2-exchange rate (CER). CER was more sensitive to increased leaf temperature in wheat than in cotton, and both species demonstrated photosynthetic acclimation when leaf temperature was increased gradually. Inhibition of CER was not a consequence of stomatal closure, as indicated by a positive relationship between leaf temperature and transpiration. The activation state of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), which is regulated by Rubisco activase, was closely correlated with temperature-induced changes in CER. Nonphotochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching increased with leaf temperature in a manner consistent with inhibited CER and Rubisco activation. Both nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching and Rubisco activation were more sensitive to heat stress than the maximum quantum yield of photochemistry of photosystem II. Heat stress led to decreased 3-phosphoglyceric acid content and increased ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate content, which is indicative of inhibited metabolite flow through Rubisco. We conclude that heat stress inhibited CER primarily by decreasing the activation state of Rubisco via inhibition of Rubisco activase. Although Rubisco activation was more closely correlated with CER than the maximum quantum yield of photochemistry of photosystem II, both processes could be acclimated to heat stress by gradually increasing the leaf temperature.

The chloroplast Ndh complex mediates the dark reduction of the plastoquinone pool in response to heat stress in tobacco leaves

We have examined the effects of heat stress on electron transfer in the thylakoid membrane of an engineered plastid ndh deletion mutant, delta1, incapable of performing the Ndh-mediated reduction of the plastoquinone pool in the chloroplast. Upon heat stress in the dark, the rate of PSII-independent reduction of PSI after subsequent illumination by far-red light is dramatically enhanced in both delta1 and a wild-type control plant (WT). In contrast, in the dark, only the WT shows an increase in the reduction state of the plastoquinone pool. We conclude that the heat stress-induced reduction of the intersystem electron transport chain can be mediated by Ndh-independent pathways in the light but that in the dark the dominant pathway for reduction of the plastoquinone pool is catalysed by the Ndh complex. Our results therefore demonstrate a functional role for the Ndh complex in the dark.

Moderately High Temperatures Inhibit Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (Rubisco) Activase-Mediated Activation of Rubisco

We tested the hypothesis that light activation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is inhibited by moderately elevated temperature through an effect on Rubisco activase. When cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) or wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaf tissue was exposed to increasing temperatures in the light, activation of Rubisco was inhibited above 35 and 30 degreesC, respectively, and the relative inhibition was greater for wheat than for cotton. The temperature-induced inhibition of Rubisco activation was fully reversible at temperatures below 40 degreesC. In contrast to activation state, total Rubisco activity was not affected by temperatures as high as 45 degreesC. Nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching increased at temperatures that inhibited Rubisco activation, consistent with inhibition of Calvin cycle activity. Initial and maximal chlorophyll fluorescence were not significantly altered until temperatures exceeded 40 degreesC. Thus, electron transport, as measured by Chl fluorescence, appeared to be more stable to moderately elevated temperatures than Rubisco activation. Western-blot analysis revealed the formation of high-molecular-weight aggregates of activase at temperatures above 40 degreesC for both wheat and cotton when inhibition of Rubisco activation was irreversible. Physical perturbation of other soluble stromal enzymes, including Rubisco, phosphoribulokinase, and glutamine synthetase, was not detected at the elevated temperatures. Our evidence indicates that moderately elevated temperatures inhibit light activation of Rubisco via a direct effect on Rubisco activase.

Adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis by purified rubisco activase

Activation of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) in vivo is mediated by a specific protein, rubisco activase. In vitro, activation of rubisco by rubisco activase is dependent on ATP and is inhibited by ADP. Purified rubisco activase hydrolyzed ATP with a specific activity of 1.5 mumol min-1 mg-1 protein, releasing approximately stoichiometric amounts of ADP and Pi. Hydrolysis was highly specific for ATP-Mg and had a broad pH optimum, with maximum activity at pH 8.0-8.5. ATPase activity was inhibited by ADP but not by molybdate, vanadate, azide, nitrate, or fluoride. Addition of rubisco in either the inactive or activated form had no significant effect on ATPase activity. Incubation of rubisco activase in the absence of ATP resulted in loss of both ATPase and rubisco activation activities. Both activities were also heat labile, with 50% loss in activity after 5 min at 38 degrees C and complete inhibition following treatment at 43 degrees C. Both activities showed a sigmoidal response to ATP concentration, with half-maximal activity at 0.053 mM ATP. Rubisco activation activity was dependent on the concentrations of both ATP and ADP. The results suggest that ATPase activity is an intrinsic property of rubisco activase.

Limitation of photosynthesis by changes in temperature : Factors affecting the response of carbon-dioxide assimilation to temperature in barley leaves

The aim of this work was to examine the effect of abrupt changes in temperature in the range 5 to 30°C upon the rate of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Measurement of the CO2-assimilation rate in relation to the intercellular partial pressure of CO2 at different temperatures and O2 concentrations and at saturating irradiance showed that as the temperature was decreased photosynthesis was saturated at progressively lower CO2 partial pressures and that the transition between the CO2-limited and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-regeneration-limited rate became more abrupt. Feeding of orthophosphate to leaves resulted in an increased rate of CO2 assimilation at lower temperatures at around ambient or higher CO2 partial pressures both in 20% O2 and in 2% O2 and it removed the abruptness in the transition between the CO2-limited and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-regeneration-limited rates. Phosphate feeding tended to inhibit carbon assimilation at higher temperatures. The response of carbon assimilation to temperature was altered by feeding orthophosphate, by changing the concentrations of CO2 or of O2 or by leaving plants in the dark at 4°C for several hours. Similarly, the response of carbon assimilation to phosphate feeding or to changes in 2% O2 was altered by leaving the plants in the dark at 4°C. The mechanism of limitation of photosynthesis by an abrupt lowering of temperature is discussed in the light of the results.

Non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll a fluorescence in isolated chloroplasts under conditions of stressed photosynthesis

Non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll a fluorescence after short-time light, heat and osmotic stress was investigated with intact chloroplasts from Spinacia oleracea L. The proportions of non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (q N ) which are related (q E ) and unrelated (q I ) to the transthylakoid proton gradient (ΔpH) were determined. Light stress resulted in an increasing contribution of q Ito total q N.The linear dependence of q. Eand ΔpH, as seen in controls, was maintained. The mechanisms underlying this type of quenching are obviously unaffected by photoin-hibition. In constrast, q Ewas severely affected by heat and osmotic stress. In low light, the response of q Eto changes in ΔpH was enhanced, whereas it was reduced in high light. The data are discussed with reference to the hypothesis that q Eis related to thermal dissipation of excitation energy from photosystem II. It is shown that q Eis not only controlled by ΔpH, but also by external factors.

Inactivation of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle in isolated mesophyll protoplasts subjected to freezing stress

Isolated mesophyll protoplasts from Valerianella locusta L. were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. Subsequently, steady-state pool sizes of (14)C-labeled intermediates of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Protoplasts in which CO2 fixation was inhibited by preceding freezing stress, showed a strong increase in the proportion of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate and triose phosphates. These results indicate an inhibition of the activities of stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase. Furthermore, freezing stress caused a slight increase in the proportion of labeled ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, which may be based on an inhibition or ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase activity. It was shown earlier (Rumich-Bayer and Krause 1986) that freezing-thawing readily affects photosynthetic CO2 assimilation independently of thylakoid inactivation. The present results are interpreted in terms of an inhibition of the light-activation system of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle, caused by freezing stress.

Short-term CO2 exchange response to temperature, irradiance, and CO2 concentration in strawberry

Relative importance of short-term environmental interaction and preconditioning to CO2 exchange response was examined in Fragaria ananasa (strawberry, cv. Quinault). Tests included an orthogonal comparison of 15 to 60-min and 6 to 7-h exposures to different levels of temperature (16 to 32°C), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 200 to 800 μE m(2) s(-1)), and CO2 (300 to 600 μl/l) on successive days of study. Plants were otherwise maintained at 21°C, 300 μE m(2) s(-1) PAR and 300-360 μl/l CO2 as standard conditions. Treatment was restricted to the mean interval of 14 h daily illumination and the first 3-4 days of each test week over a 12-week cultivation period. CO2 exchange rates were followed with each step-change in environmental level including ascending/descending temperature/PAR within a test period, initial response at standard conditions on successive days of testing, and measurement at reduced O2. Response generally supported prior concepts of leaf biochemical modeling in identifying CO2 fixation as the major site of environmental influence, while overall patterns of whole plant CO2 exchange suggested additional effects for combined environmental factors and preconditioning. These included a positive interaction between temperature and CO2 concentration on photosynthesis at high irradiance and a greater contribution by 'dark' respiration at lower PAR than previously indicated. The further importance of estimating whole plant CO2 exchange from repetitive tests and measurements was evidenced by a high correlation of response to prior treatment both during the daily test period and on consecutive days of testing.

Heat modification of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase by temperature pretreatment of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings

The effect of low-, ambient- and high-temperature pretreatments (48 h at 4° C, 20° C or 36° C) of wheat seedlings (spring wheat Triticum aestivum L., cv. Kolibri) on the solubility properties of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCase; EC 4.1.1.39) was studied. The extractable protein moiety of heat-pretreated plants exhibited increased solubility in dilute buffer (50 mM k-phosphate, pH 6.8), compared with protein extracted from 4° C- or 20° C-plants. The salting-out characteristics for ammonium-sulfate precipitation confirmed this finding since a delayed precipitation of extractable protein from 36°C-plants was observed. Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the in-vivo temperature-induced differences in protein solubility could be traced back to a change in the solubility of RuBPCase. The RuBPCase was purified from wheat seedlings, and the purified enzyme also exhibited differential solubility. In order to evaluate this further, purified RuBPCase was subjected to probing for conformational properties. A decrease of fluorescence of the RuBPCase 1-anilino-8-naphtalene sulfonate complex revealed that the RuBPCase from 36° C-plants had a more hydrophilic protein surface. Titration of the sulfhydryl groups of native RuBP-Case with 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) pointed to a reduced accessibility of the R-SH groups in the case of the 36° C-type of RuBPCase. The large subunit of RuBPCase from 4° C/20° C-plants tended to give rise to an artificial lower-molecular-weight polypeptide which could not be found in crude or purified RuBPCase from heat-pretreated wheat seedlings.

Changes in photosynthetic capacity, carboxylation efficiency, and CO2 compensation point associated with midday stomatal closure and midday depression of net CO2 exchange of leaves of Quercus suber

The carbon-dioxide response of photosynthesis of leaves of Quercus suber, a sclerophyllous species of the European Mediterranean region, was studied as a function of time of day at the end of the summer dry season in the natural habitat. To examine the response experimentally, a "standard" time course for temperature and humidity, which resembled natural conditions, was imposed on the leaves, and the CO2 pressure external to the leaves on subsequent days was varied. The particular temperature and humidity conditions chosen were those which elicited a strong stomatal closure at midday and the simultaneous depression of net CO2 uptake. Midday depression of CO2 uptake is the result of i) a decrease in CO2-saturated photosynthetic capacity after light saturation is reached in the early morning, ii) a decrease in the initial slope of the CO2 response curve (carboxylation efficiency), and iii) a substantial increase in the CO2 compensation point caused by an increase in leaf temperature and a decrease in humidity. As a consequence of the changes in photosynthesis, the internal leaf CO2 pressure remained essentially constant despite stomatal closure. The effects on capacity, slope, and compensation point were reversed by lowering the temperature and increasing the humidity in the afternoon. Constant internal CO2 may aid in minimizing photoinhibition during stomatal closure at midday. The results are discussed in terms of possible temperature, humidity, and hormonal effects on photosynthesis.

The effect of high temperatures on leaf cells of Valerianella: relative heat stability of the tonoplast membrane of mesophyll vacuoles

The effect of short-term heat stress on the tonoplast membrane of lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta (L.) Betcke) mesophyll vacuoles has been investigated. The maintainance of a proton concentration difference (δpH) across the tonoplast membrane served as a criterion for the integrity of the vacuoles. After heat treatment, δpH was measured at room temperature using the fluorescent amine, 9-aminoacridine. It was found with this method that thermal damage to isolated vacuoles mainly occurred in the temperature range above 50°C. Compared with this results, the photosynthetic functions of isolated lettuce protoplasts proved to be markedly more thermolabile, e.g. photosynthetic CO2 fixation and light-induced chlorophyll fluorescence were drastically reduced at temperatures between 40° and 50°C. Heating of whole leaves and protoplasts and subsequent isolation of vacuoles showed that tonoplast-membrane integrity is not affected by heat stress in situ up to 45°C. Measurement of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence in protoplasts, which allowed conclusions to be drawn regarding the integrity of the tonoplast membrane in its natural cytoplasmic environment, revealed that heat treatment up to 55°C did not significantly affect vacuolar compartmentation. The data provide evidence that the tonoplast membrane is relatively heat stable compared with photosynthetic membranes.

Regulation of RuBP carboxylase activity associated with photo-inhibition of wheat

Detached wheat leaves were illuminated in air until a steady rate of photosynthesis was established. Then the gas was changed to 1% O2, 99% N2 and after 2.5 h further illumination the capacity of the leaves for photosynthesis in air was decreased to approximately 50%. Measurement of RuBP carboxylase activity in extracts showed that inhibition of photosynthesis was accompanied by 70% inactivation of this enzyme. The capacity for photosynthesis and the activity of RuBP carboxylase were recovered when leaves were returned to normal air. Extracts of the leaves made when photosynthesis and carboxylase activity were low, recovered most of the lost carboxylase activity when supplemented with bicarbonate and magnesium ions. The time courses for activation and inactivation of the RuBP carboxylase in these experiments suggests the operation of a mechanism that has not yet been elucidated.