Inhibition by ethoxyzolamide of a photoacoustic uptake signal in leaves: Evidence for carbonic anhydrase catalyzed CO2-solubilisation

Carbonic anhydrases in photosynthetic cells of higher plants

This review presents information about carbonic anhydrases, enzymes catalyzing the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide in aqueous solutions. The families of carbonic anhydrases are described, and data concerning the presence of their representatives in organisms of different classes, and especially in the higher plants, are considered. Proven and hypothetical functions of carbonic anhydrases in living organisms are listed. Particular attention is given to those functions of the enzyme that are relevant to photosynthetic reactions. These functions in algae are briefly described. Data about probable functions of carbonic anhydrases in plasma membrane, mitochondria, and chloroplast stroma of higher plants are discussed. Update concerning carbonic anhydrases in chloroplast thylakoids of higher plants, i.e. their quantity and possible participation in photosynthetic reactions, is given in detail.

A pea mutant (costata) expressing higher activity in thylakoid membrane-bound carbonic anhydrase alters PSII downregulation mechanisms

The interaction between photosynthetic electron transport and the activities of the thylakoid associated carbonic anhydrase (tCA), estimated as combined tCA activity in pea plants (Pisum sativum L. Borek cv., WT) and mutant form (costata 2/125) that differ in chlorophyll content have been compared. Chlorophyll a fluorescence changes after the inhibition of tCA by ethoxyzolamide (EZ), estimating possible role of tCA in PSII downregulation were investigated. Costata expresses higher tCA activity and higher O2 evolution in comparison to WT. Inhibition of tCA by EZ decreased effective PSII photochemistry that coincided with an enhancement in thermal dissipation, while maximal PSII quantum yield (F(v)/F(m)) did not significantly change. Ethoxyzolamide induced changes in fluorescence parameters that were more strongly expressed in costata 2/125. The results show that tCA is involved in the regulation of the proton gradient across thylakoid membranes and thus limits PSII downregulation.

Photoacoustically monitored thermal energy dissipation and xanthophyll cycle carotenoids in higher plant leaves

When barley leaves were suddenly exposed to strong white light, the rate of thermal de-excitation of the absorbed light energy, measured with a photoacoustic device, increased by around 12% within a few minutes. This phenomenon was paralleled by a quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Simultaneous measurements of the heat emission increase and chlorophyll fluorescence quenching allowed the absolute yield phi F of chlorophyll fluorescence to be determined in vivo; phi F varied from around 2% (at Fo) to around 15% (at Fm) in a variety of plant species. No correlation was found between the time course of heat emission increase and the time course of violaxanthin-to-zeaxanthin conversion in barley leaves exposed to various light and temperature treatments, indicating that the zeaxanthin pool built up in the light was not directly involved in the increased heat emission. However, the operation of the violaxanthin cycle accelerated the photoinduced rise in thermal energy dissipation. Photoacoustic measurements on leaves of a zeaxanthin-accumulating Arabidopsis thaliana mutant lacking the violaxanthin cycle indicated that this acceleration could be ascribed to the disappearance of violaxanthin rather than to the formation of zeaxanthin.

Short-term responses of Photosystem I to heat stress : Induction of a PS II-independent electron transport through PS I fed by stromal components

When 23°C-grown potato leaves (Solanum tuberosum L.) were exposed for 15 min to elevated temperatures in weak light, a dramatic and preferential inactivation of Photosystem (PS) II was observed at temperatures higher than about 38°C. In vivo photoacoustic measurements indicated that, concomitantly with the loss of PS II activity, heat stress induced a marked gas-uptake activity both in far-red light (>715 nm) exciting only PS I and in broadband light (350-600 nm) exciting PS I and PS II. In view of its suppression by nitrogen gas and oxygen and its stimulation by high carbon-dioxide concentrations, the bulk of the photoacoustically measured gas uptake by heat-stressed leaves was ascribed to rapid carbon-dioxide solubilization in response to light-modulated stroma alkalization coupled to PS I-driven electron transport. Heat-induced gas uptake was observed to be insensitive to the PS II inhibitor diuron, sensitive to the plastocyanin inhibitor HgCl2 and saturated at a rather high photon flux density of around 1200 μE m(-2) s(-1). Upon transition from far-red light to darkness, the oxidized reaction center P700(+) of PS I was re-reduced very slowly in control leaves (with a half time t1/2 higher than 500 ms), as measured by leaf absorbance changes at around 820 nm. Heat stress caused a spectacular acceleration of the postillumination P700(+) reduction, with t1/2 falling to a value lower than 50 ms (after leaf exposure to 48°C). The decreased t1/2 was sensitive to HgCl2 and insensitive to diuron, methyl viologen (an electron acceptor of PS I competing with the endogenous acceptor ferredoxin) and anaerobiosis. This acceleration of the P700(+) reduction was very rapidly induced by heat treatment (within less than 5 min) and persisted even after prolonged irradiation of the leaves with far-red light. After heat stress, the plastoquinone pool exhibited reduction in darkness as indicated by the increase in the apparent Fo level of chlorophyll fluorescence which could be quenched by far-red light. Application (for 1 min) of far-red light to heat-pretreated leaves also induced a reversible quenching of the maximal fluorescence level Fm, suggesting formation of a pH gradient in far-red light. Taken together, the presented data indicate that PS I responded to the heat-induced loss of PS II photochemical activity by catalyzing an electron flow from stromal reductants. Heat-stress-induced PS I electron transport independent of PS II seems to constitute a protective mechanism since block of this electron pathway in anaerobiosis was observed to result in a dramatic photoinactivation of PS I.