Thermoluminescence study of the in vivo effects of bicarbonate depletion and acetate/formate presence in the two algae Chlamydobotrys stellata and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Interactions of photosystem II with bicarbonate, formate and acetate

In this study, we probe the effects of bicarbonate (hydrogencarbonate), BC, removal from photosystem II in spinach thylakoids by measuring flash-induced oxygen evolution patterns (FIOPs) with a Joliot-type electrode. For this we compared three commonly employed methods: (1) washing in BC-free medium, (2) formate addition, and (3) acetate addition. Washing of the samples with buffers depleted of BC and CO2 by bubbling with argon (Method 1) under our conditions leads to an increase in the double hit parameter of the first flash (beta 1), while the miss parameter and the overall activity remain unchanged. In contrast, addition of 40-50 mM formate or acetate results in a significant increase in the miss parameter and to an approximately 50% (formate) and approximately 10% (acetate) inhibition of the overall oxygen evolution activity, but not to an increased beta 1 parameter. All described effects could be reversed by washing with formate/acetate free buffer and/or addition of 2-10 mM bicarbonate. The redox potential of the water-oxidizing complex (WOC) in samples treated by Method 1 is compared to samples containing 2 mM bicarbonate in two ways: (1) The lifetimes of the S0, S2, and S3 states were measured, and no differences were found between the two sample types. (2) The S1, S0, S(-1), and S(-2) states were probed by incubation with small concentrations of NH2OH. These experiments displayed a subtle, yet highly reproducible difference in the apparent Si/S(-i) state distribution which is shown to arise from the interaction of BC with PSII in the already reduced states of the WOC. These data are discussed in detail by also taking into account the CO2 concentrations present in the buffers after argon bubbling and during the measurements. These values were measured by membrane-inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS).

Involvement of the donor tyrosine-D1 (Y d) in Photosystem II electron transport in the green alga, Chlamydobotrys stellata

The light-induced oxidation of the accessory donor tyrosine-D (YD) has been studied by measurements of the EPR Signal IIslow at room temperature in the autotrophically and photoheterotrophically cultivated alga Chlamydobotrys stellata. After illumination and dark adaptation, YD Signal IIslow was observed only in autotrophic algae, i.e. under conditions of a linear photosynthetic electron transfer from water to NADP(+). The addition of artificial electron acceptors phenyl-p-benzoquinone (PPQ) or dichloro-p-benzoquinone (DCQ) to the autotrophic cells caused an almost negligible increase of this signal. When photosynthetic electron flow and oxygen evolution were diminished by removal of the carbon source CO2 and addition of acetate (photoheterotrophy), a pronounced YD Signal IIslow was seen only in presence of DCQ or PPQ. Several possibilities are discussed to explain the absence of YD Signal IIslow in photoheterotrophic Chl. stellata such as the existence of a cyclic PS II electron flow very effectively reducing P680 and thereby preventing the possibility of YD oxidation. Artificial electron acceptors withdraw electrons from this cycle thus keeping the primary quinone acceptor, QA, oxidized and thereby diminishing the reduction of P680 (+) by cyclic PSII. This leads to the appearance of the YD Signal IIslow also in the photoheterotrophically grown algae.

Influence of photoheterotrophy on the expression of chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins in the green alga Pyrobotrys stellata

Two genes (lhca5 and lhcb1) from the unicellular, green alga Pyrobotrys (formerly Chlamydobotrys) stellata were isolated, coding for Chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins that putatively represent constituents of the light-harvesting complexes connected with Photosystem I and Photosystem II, respectively. Expression of both genes on the mRNA-level is markedly inhibited by CO2-depletion. The lhca5 transcript-level was reduced to about 25%, and the lhcb1-expression was completely blocked 9 h after removal of CO2 from the growth medium. Simultaneous addition of acetate, which can substitute for CO2 as a carbon source during photoheterotrophic growth of P. stellata, did not compensate for the diminishing effect of CO2-depletion on lhcb1. However, the amount of lhca5 transcript was comparable to that during photoautotrophic growth. These results are interpreted in terms of the specific metabolic demands of photoheterotrophic growth in P. stellata. Cyclic electron-transfer along Photosystem I must be sustained for ATP-production. Linear electron transport fed by Photosystem II and concomitant production of NADPH for CO2-reduction is no longer required.The sequences reported in this article have been deposited at the EMBL data library under the accession numbers X69434 (CSCAB1) and X71965 (CSCAB2MR).

Participation of the g = 1.9 and g = 1.82 EPR forms of the semiquinone-iron complex, QA-.Fe2+ of photosystem II in the generation of the Q and C thermoluminescence bands, respectively

Following illumination at 200 K, the charge recombination reactions and the origin of the thermoluminescence (TL) bands appearing at about 0 degree C (Q band) and +50 degrees C (C band) in the glow curve were investigated by comparative TL and EPR measurements in DCMU-treated photosystem II particles. Decay half-time measurements carried out at -25 degrees C and +25 degrees C, respectively, suggest that the S2 state (multi-line signal) undergoes charge recombination with the g = 1.9 form of the semiquinone-iron complex, QA-.Fe2+, resulting in the appearance of the Q band, and that the g = 1.82 form of QA-.Fe2+ back-reacts with the oxidized tyrosine, YD+ (Signal IIs), accounting for the generation of the C band.