Detecting localized proton currents in photophosphorylation by procaine inhibition of the transthylakoid pH-gradient

Characterization of a nonphotochemical quenching-deficient Arabidopsis mutant possessing an intact PsbS protein, xanthophyll cycle and lumen acidification

Arabidopsis thaliana plants grown from ethyl methane sulfonate-treated seeds were screened for so-called que mutants, which are affected in non-photochemical energy quenching. Based on video imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence an energy dissipation mutant, que1, was identified, isolated and characterized. Similar to the npq mutants, the que1 mutant showed a drastically reduced capacity for pH-dependent energy dissipation, qE, but without affecting the Delta pH-dependent conformational changes at 535 nm (DeltaA (535)), which have been supposed to be obligatorily correlated with qE and to reflect pH-regulated binding of zeaxanthin to the PsbS protein. Western blot and DNA sequence analysis revealed that neither a reduced expression of the PsbS protein nor a mutation in the PsbS gene was responsible for the missing qE in que1. Measurements of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence quenching showed that the acidification of the thylakoid lumen was also not affected in the mutant. Furthermore, que1 was able to convert violaxanthin to zeaxanthin. However, unusual characteristics of zeaxanthin formation in the mutant pointed at an altered availability of violaxanthin for de-epoxidation. This was further accompanied by a decrease of the photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (qP), an increase of the portion of oxidized P700 and a reduction of the electron transport rate. These characteristics indicate changes in the organization of the thylakoid membrane that affect linear electron transport (but not lumen acidification) and the formation of energy dissipation in photosystem II. Preliminary genetic analysis revealed that the phenotype of que1 is related to two different mutations, mapped to the lower arms of chromosomes 1 and 4.

Range of photosynthetic control of postillumination P700(+) reduction rate in sunflower leaves

The kinetics of the postillumination reduction of P700(+) which reflects the rate constant for plastoquinol (PQH2) oxidation was recorded in sunflower leaves at different photon absorption densities (PAD), CO2 and O2 concentrations. The P700 oxidation state was calculated from the leaf transmittance at 830 nm logged at 50 μs intervals. The P700(+) dark reduction kinetics were fitted with two exponents with time constants of 6.5 and about 45 ms at atmospheric CO2 and O2 concentrations. The time constant of the fast component, which is the major contributor to the linear electron transport rate (ETR), did not change over the range of PADs of 14.5 to 134 nmol cm(-2) s(-1) in 21% O2, but it increased up to 40 ms under severe limitation of ETR at low O2 and CO2. The acceptor side of Photosystem I (PS I) became reduced in correlation with the downregulation of the PQH2 oxidation rate constant. It is concluded that thylakoid pH-related downregulation of the PQH2 oxidation rate constant (photosynthetic control) is not present under normal atmospheric conditions but appears under severe limitation of the availability of electron acceptors. The measured range of photosynthetic control fits with the maximum variation of ETR under natural stress in C3 plants. Increasing the carboxylase/oxygenase specificity would lead to higher reduction of the PS I acceptor side under stress.

Flow-force relationships in lettuce thylakoids. 2. Effect of the uncoupler FCCP on local proton resistances at the ATPase level

The relationship between the steady-state proton gradient (delta pH) and the rate of phosphorylation was investigated in thylakoids under various conditions. Under partial uncoupling by carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP), the rate of ATP synthesis was reduced by less than expected from the decrease of delta pH. This was observed in the case of the pyocyanine-mediated cyclic electron flow around photosystem 1, but not with the H2O-->photosystem 2-->cytochrome b6f-->photosystem 1-->methyl viologen system. In state 4, a unique relation was found between delta pH and the "phosphate potential", delta Gp, regardless of whether the energy level was controlled by light input or FCCP. The anomalous effect of FCCP on the rate of ATP synthesis disappeared when the ATPase was partially blocked by the reversible inhibitor venturicidin, but not in the presence of tentoxin, an irreversible inhibitor. These results are consistent with the existence of a small kinetic barrier for protons, limiting their access to the ATPase. This resistance would be collapsed by FCCP.