The chloroplast-encoded alpha subunit of cytochrome b-559 is required for assembly of the photosystem two complex in both the light and the dark in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Subunit positioning and transmembrane helix organisation in the core dimer of photosystem II

Recently 3D structural models of the photosystem II (PSII) core dimer complexes of higher plants (spinach) and cyanobacteria (Synechococcus elongatus) have been derived by electron [Rhee et al. (1998) Nature 396, 283-286; Hankamer et al. (2001) J. Struct. Biol., in press] and X-ray [Zouni et al. (2001) Nature 409, 739-743] crystallography respectively. The intermediate resolutions of these structures do not allow direct identification of side chains and therefore many of the individual subunits within the structure are unassigned. Here we review the structure of the higher plant PSII core dimer and provide evidence for the tentative assignment of the low molecular weight subunits. In so doing we highlight the similarities and differences between the higher plant and cyanobacterial structures.

Photosynthetic water oxidation in cytochrome b(559) mutants containing a disrupted heme-binding pocket

The role of cytochrome b(559) in photosynthetic oxygen evolution has been investigated in three chloroplast mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, in which one of the two histidine axial ligands to the heme, provided by the alpha subunit, has been replaced by the residues methionine, tyrosine, and glutamine. Photosystem two complexes functional for oxygen evolution could be assembled in the methionine and tyrosine mutants up to approximately 15% of wild type levels, whereas no complexes with oxygen evolution activity could be detected in the glutamine mutant. PSII supercomplexes isolated from the tyrosine and methionine mutants were as active as wild type in terms of light-saturated rates of oxygen evolution but in contrast to wild type contained no bound heme despite the presence of the alpha subunit. Oxygen evolution in the tyrosine and methionine mutants was, however, more sensitive to photoinactivation than the WT. Overall, these data establish unambiguously that a redox role for the heme of cytochrome b(559) is not required for photosynthetic oxygen evolution. Instead, our data provide new evidence of a role for cytochrome b(559) in the protection of the photosystem two complex in vivo.

Knock-out of the plastid ribosomal protein L11 in Arabidopsis: effects on mRNA translation and photosynthesis

The prpl11-1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was identified among a collection of T-DNA tagged lines on the basis of a decrease in the effective quantum yield of photosystem II. The mutation responsible was localized to Prpl11, a single-copy nuclear gene that encodes PRPL11, a component of the large subunit of the plastid ribosome. The amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis PRPL11 is very similar to those of L11 proteins from spinach and prokaryotes. In the prpl11-1 mutant, photosensitivity and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters are significantly altered owing to changes in the levels of thylakoid protein complexes and stromal proteins. The abundance of most plastome transcripts examined, such as those of genes coding for the photosystem II core complex and RbcL, is not decreased. Plastid ribosomal RNA accumulates in wild-type amounts, and the assembly of plastid polysomes on the transcripts of the rbcL, psbA and psbE genes remains mainly unchanged in mutant plants, indicating that lack of PRPL11 affects neither the abundance of plastid ribosomes nor their assembly into polysomes. However, in vivo translation assays demonstrate that the rate of translation of the large subunit of Rubisco (RbcL) is significantly reduced in prpl11-1 plastids. Our data suggest a major role for PRPL11 in plastid ribosome activity per se, consistent with its location near the GTPase-binding centre of the chloroplast 50S ribosomal subunit. Additional effects of the mutation, including the pale green colour of the leaves and a drastic reduction in growth rate under greenhouse conditions, are compatible with reduced levels of protein synthesis in plastids.

CHLAMYDOMONAS AS A MODEL ORGANISM

The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas offers a simple life cycle, easy isolation of mutants, and a growing array of tools and techniques for molecular genetic studies. Among the principal areas of current investigation using this model system are flagellar structure and function, genetics of basal bodies (centrioles), chloroplast biogenesis, photosynthesis, light perception, cell-cell recognition, and cell cycle control. A genome project has begun with compilation of expressed sequence tag data and gene expression studies and will lead to a complete genome sequence. Resources available to the research community include wild-type and mutant strains, plasmid constructs for transformation studies, and a comprehensive on-line database.

Eukaryotically encoded and chloroplast-located rubredoxin is associated with photosystem II

We analyzed a eukaryotically encoded rubredoxin from the cryptomonad Guillardia theta and identified additional domains at the N- and C-termini in comparison to known prokaryotic paralogous molecules. The cryptophytic N-terminal extension was shown to be a transit peptide for intracellular targeting of the protein to the plastid, whereas a C-terminal domain represents a membrane anchor. Rubredoxin was identified in all tested phototrophic eukaryotes. Presumably facilitated by its C-terminal extension, nucleomorph-encoded rubredoxin (nmRub) is associated with the thylakoid membrane. Association with photosystem II (PSII) was demonstrated by co-localization of nmRub and PSII membrane particles and PSII core complexes and confirmed by comparative electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. The midpoint potential of nmRub was determined as +125 mV, which is the highest redox potential of all known rubredoxins. Therefore, nmRub provides a striking example of the ability of the protein environment to tune the redox potentials of metal sites, allowing for evolutionary adaption in specific electron transport systems, as for example that coupled to the PSII pathway.

Stable chloroplast transformation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii using microprojectile bombardment

The chloroplasts of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii were transformed using a vector (paadAGUS4.1) that contained a spectinomycin-resistance gene (aadA) as a selectable gene, and bacterial uidA (GUS) as a reporter gene, and pea 4.1 kb D-loop containing sequence. The vector was introduced into the alga through particle gun bombardment. The transformed colonies were screened for the presence of foreign genes by Southern hybridization using GUS, aadA and 4.1 pea Ori probes. Expression of aadA and GUS genes was detected in all colonies that were grown on spectinomycin. A detailed restriction analysis followed by southern hybridization of total genomic DNA using pea 4.1 kb D-loop as probe indicated that the D-loop sequence can serve in site-specific integration of foreign DNA due to high homology. Restriction analysis of different colonies showed that the foreign DNA was probably present in a mixture population of autonomous segment and integrated in the native chloroplast genome.