Chloroplast avoidance movement is not functional in plants grown under strong sunlight

High-intensity light promotes adaptive divergence of photosynthetic traits between sun-exposed and shaded populations in Saxifraga fortunei

PREMISE

Light is essential for plants, and local populations exhibit adaptive photosynthetic traits depending on their habitats. Although plastic responses in morphological and/or physiological characteristics to different light intensities are well known, adaptive divergence with genetic variation remains to be explored. This study focused on Saxifraga fortunei (Saxifragaceae) growing in sun-exposed and shaded habitats.

METHODS

We measured the leaf anatomical structure and photosynthetic rate of plants grown in their natural habitats and in a common greenhouse (high- and low-intensity light experimental sites). To assess differences in ecophysiological tolerance to high-intensity light between the sun and shade types, we evaluated the level of photoinhibition of photosystem II and the leaf mortality rate under high-intensity light conditions. In addition, population genetic analysis was conducted to investigate phylogenetic origins.

RESULTS

Clear phenotypic differences were found between the sun and shade types despite their recent phylogenetic origin. The leaf anatomical structure and photosynthetic rate showed plastic changes in response to growing conditions. Moreover, the sun type had a well-developed palisade parenchyma and a higher photosynthetic rate, which were genetically fixed, and a lower level of photoinhibition under high-intensity light.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate that light intensity is a selective pressure that can rapidly promote phenotypic divergence between the sun and shade types. While phenotypic changes in multiple photosynthetic traits were plastic, genetic divergence in specific traits related to adaptation to high-intensity light would be fundamental for ecotypic divergence to different light regimes.

Chloroplast-actin filaments decide the direction of chloroplast avoidance movement under strong light in Arabidopsis thaliana

Chloroplast-actin (cp-actin) filaments are crucial for light-induced chloroplast movement, and appear in the front region of moving chloroplasts when visualized using GFP-mouse Talin. They are short and thick, exist between a chloroplast and the plasma membrane, and move actively and rapidly compared to cytoplasmic long actin filaments that run through a cell. The average period during which a cp-actin filament was observed at the same position was less than 0.5 s. The average lengths of the cp-actin filaments calculated from those at the front region of the moving chloroplast and those around the chloroplast periphery after stopping the movement were almost the same, approximately 0.8 µm. Each cp-actin filament is shown as a dotted line consisting of 4-5 dots. The vector sum of cp-actin filaments in a moving chloroplast is parallel to the moving direction of the chloroplast, suggesting that the direction of chloroplast movement is regulated by the vector sum of cp-actin filaments. However, once the chloroplasts stopped moving, the vector sum of the cp-actin filaments around the chloroplast periphery was close to zero, indicating that the direction of movement was undecided. To determine the precise structure of cp-actin filaments under electron microscopy, Arabidopsis leaves and fern Adiantum capillus-veneris gametophytes were frozen using a high-pressure freezer, and observed under electron microscopy. However, no bundled microfilaments were found, suggesting that the cp-actin filaments were unstable even under high-pressure freezing.

Physiological and Structural Changes in Leaves of Platycrater arguta Seedlings Exposed to Increasing Light Intensities

Understanding the light adaptation of plants is critical for conservation. Platycrater arguta, an endangered deciduous shrub endemic to East Asia, possesses high ornamental and phylogeographic value. However, the weak environmental adaptability of P. arguta species has limited its general growth and conservation. To obtain a deeper understanding of the P. arguta growth conditions, we examined the leaf morphology and physiology via anatomical and chloroplast ultrastructural analyses following exposure to different natural light intensities (full light, 40%, and 10%). The findings indicated that P. arguta seedings in the 10% light intensity had significantly improved leaf morphological characteristics and specific leaf area compared to those exposed to other intensities. The net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll (Chl) content, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), and photosynthetic phosphorus use efficiency (PPUE) exhibited marked increases at a 10% light intensity compared to both 40% light and full light intensities, whereas the light compensation point and dark respiration levels reached their lowest values under the 10% light condition. With reduced light, leaf thickness, palisade tissue, spongy tissue, and stomatal density significantly decreased, whereas the stomatal length, stomatal width, and stomatal aperture were significantly elevated. When exposed to 10% light intensity, the ultrastructure of chloroplasts was well developed, chloroplasts and starch grain size, the number of grana, and thylakoids all increased significantly, while the number of plastoglobules was significantly reduced. Relative distance phenotypic plasticity index analysis exhibited that P. arguta adapts to varying light environments predominantly by adjusting PPUE, Chl b, PNUE, chloroplast area, and the activity of PSII reaction centers. We proposed that P. arguta efficiently utilizes low light to reconfigure its energy metabolism by regulating its leaf structure, photosynthetic capacity, nutrient use efficiency, and chloroplast development.

Potassium regulates diel leaf growth of Brassica napus by coordinating the rhythmic carbon supply and water balance

Carbon and water are two main factors limiting leaf expansion. Restriction of leaf growth by low availability of carbon or water is among the earliest visible effects of potassium (K) deficiency. It is not known how K is involved in regulating the rhythmic supply of these two substrates, which differ remarkably across the day-night cycle, affecting leaf expansion. We investigated the effects of different K regimes on the time courses of leaf expansion, carbon assimilation, carbohydrates, and hydraulic properties of Brassica napus. Potassium supply increased leaf area, predominantly by promoting night-time leaf expansion (>60%), which was mainly associated with increased availability of carbohydrates from photosynthetic carbon fixation and import from old leaves rather than improvement of leaf hydraulics. However, sufficient K improved leaf hydraulic conductance to balance diurnal evaporative water loss and increase the osmotic contribution of water-soluble carbohydrates, thereby maintaining leaf turgor and increasing the daytime expansion rate. The results also indicated an ontogenetic role of K in modifying the amplitude of circadian expansion; almost 80% of the increase in leaf area occurred before the area reached 66.9% of the mature size. Our data provide mechanistic insight into K-mediated diel coordination of rhythmic carbon supply and water balance in leaf expansion.

Comparisons of photosynthetic and anatomical traits between wild and domesticated cotton

Mesophyll conductance (gm) is a crucial leaf trait contributing to the photosynthetic rate (AN). Plant domestication typically leads to an enhancement of AN that is often associated with profound anatomical modifications, but it is unclear which of these structural alterations influence gm. We analyzed the implication of domestication on leaf anatomy and its effect on gm in 26 wild and 31 domesticated cotton genotypes (Gossypium sp.) grown under field conditions. We found that domesticated genotypes had higher AN but similar gm to wild genotypes. Consistent with this, domestication did not translate into significant differences in the fraction of mesophyll occupied by intercellular air spaces (fias) or mesophyll and chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular air space (Sm/S and Sc/S, respectively). However, leaves of domesticated genotypes were significantly thicker, with larger but fewer mesophyll cells with thinner cell walls. Moreover, domesticated genotypes had higher cell wall conductance (gcw) but smaller cytoplasmic conductance (gcyt) than wild genotypes. It appears that domestication in cotton has not generally led to significant improvement in gm, in part because their thinner mesophyll cell walls (increasing gcw) compensate for their lower gcyt, itself due to larger distance between plasmalemma and chloroplast envelopes.

Light-induced chloroplast movements in Oryza species

Light-induced chloroplast movements control efficient light utilization in leaves, and thus, are essential for leaf photosynthesis and biomass production under fluctuating light conditions. Chloroplast movements have been intensively analyzed using wild-type and mutant plants of Arabidopsis thaliana. The molecular mechanism and the contribution to biomass production were elucidated. However, the knowledge of chloroplast movements is very scarce in other plant species, especially grass species including crop plants. Because chloroplast movements are efficient strategy to optimize light capture in leaves and thus promote leaf photosynthesis and biomass, analysis of chloroplast movements in crops is required for biomass production. Here, we analyzed chloroplast movements in a wide range of cultivated and wild species of genus Oryza. All examined Oryza species showed the blue-light-induced chloroplast movements. However, O. sativa and its ancestral species O. rufipogon, both of which are AA-genome species and usually grown in open condition where plants are exposed to full sunlight, showed the much weaker chloroplast movements than Oryza species that are usually grown under shade or semi-shade conditions, including O. officinalis, O. eichingeri, and O. granulata. Further detailed analyses of different O. officinalis accessions, including sun, semi-shade, and shade accessions, indicated that the difference in chloroplast movement strength between domesticated rice plants and wild species might result from the difference in habitat, and the shape of mesophyll chlorenchyma cells. The findings of this study provide useful information for optimizing Oryza growth conditions, and lay the groundwork for improving growth and yield in staple food crop Oryza sativa.

Spectrum of Light as a Determinant of Plant Functioning: A Historical Perspective

The significance of the spectral composition of light for growth and other physiological functions of plants moved to the focus of "plant science" soon after the discovery of photosynthesis, if not earlier. The research in this field recently intensified due to the explosive development of computer-controlled systems for artificial illumination and documenting photosynthetic activity. The progress is also substantiated by recent insights into the molecular mechanisms of photo-regulation of assorted physiological functions in plants mediated by photoreceptors and other pigment systems. The spectral balance of solar radiation can vary significantly, affecting the functioning and development of plants. Its effects are evident on the macroscale (e.g., in individual plants growing under the forest canopy) as well as on the meso- or microscale (e.g., mutual shading of leaf cell layers and chloroplasts). The diversity of the observable effects of light spectrum variation arises through (i) the triggering of different photoreceptors, (ii) the non-uniform efficiency of spectral components in driving photosynthesis, and (iii) a variable depth of penetration of spectral components into the leaf. We depict the effects of these factors using the spectral dependence of chloroplast photorelocation movements interlinked with the changes in light penetration into (light capture by) the leaf and the photosynthetic capacity. In this review, we unfold the history of the research on the photocontrol effects and put it in the broader context of photosynthesis efficiency and photoprotection under stress caused by a high intensity of light.

Dorsoventral photosynthetic asymmetry of tobacco leaves in response to direct and diffuse light

Plants can change leaf forms, adjusting light conditions on their adaxial and abaxial surfaces, to adapt to light environments and enhance their light use efficiencies. The difference between photosynthesis on the two leaf sides (dorsoventral asymmetry) is an important factor that affects light use efficiency. However, photosynthetic dorsoventral asymmetry is rarely compared under direct and diffuse light conditions. To estimate the impacts of recently reported alterations in direct and diffuse light in the sky radiation on plant carbon assimilation, variations in morphology between the two leaf sides in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) were investigated, and the dorsoventral responses of photosynthesis to illuminating directions were compared in direct and diffuse light. Dorsoventral asymmetry was reflected in stomatal densities, anatomic structures, and photochemical traits, which caused markedly different photosynthetic rates as well as stomatal conductances both in direct and diffuse light. However, the degree of photosynthetic asymmetry was weakened in diffuse light. The diffuse light caused a greater stomatal conductance on the abaxial side than direct light, which resulted in reduced photosynthetic asymmetry. In addition, the photosynthetic dorsoventral asymmetry could be affected by the photosynthetic photon flux density. These results contribute to understanding the dorsoventral regulation of photosynthesis in bifacial leaves, and provide a reference for breeding to cope with the increase in the proportion of diffuse light in the future.

Assessment of Portable Chlorophyll Meters for Measuring Crop Leaf Chlorophyll Concentration

Accurate measurement of leaf chlorophyll concentration (LChl) in the field using a portable chlorophyll meter (PCM) is crucial to support methodology development for mapping the spatiotemporal variability of crop nitrogen status using remote sensing. Several PCMs have been developed to measure LChl instantaneously and non-destructively in the field, however, their readings are relative quantities that need to be converted into actual LChl values using conversion functions. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between actual LChl and PCM readings obtained by three PCMs: SPAD-502, CCM-200, and Dualex-4. Field experiments were conducted in 2016 on four crops: corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.), spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and canola (Brassica napus L.), at the Central Experimental Farm of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. To evaluate the impact of other factors (leaf internal structure, leaf pigments other than chlorophyll, and the heterogeneity of LChl distribution) on the conversion function, a global sensitivity analysis was conducted using the PROSPECT-D model to simulate PCM readings under different conditions. Results showed that Dualex-4 had a better performance for actual LChl measurement than SPAD-502 and CCM-200, using a general conversion function for all four crops tested. For SPAD-502 and CCM-200, the error in the readings increases with increasing LChl. The sensitivity analysis reveals that deviations from the calibration functions are more induced by non-uniform LChl distribution than leaf architectures. The readings of Dualex-4 can have a better ability to restrict these influences than those of the other two PCMs.

The importance of chloroplast movement, nonphotochemical quenching, and electron transport rates in light acclimation and tolerance to high light in Arabidopsis thaliana

PREMISE

While essential for photosynthesis, excess light can damage plants. We investigated how growth light conditions affect two photoprotective strategies, chloroplast movement and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), as well as electron transport rates (ETR), and the relative importance of these processes in the short-term stress tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana.

METHODS

We grew wild-type (WT) and mutant plants with impaired chloroplast movement (phot1, phot2, phot1 phot2, chup1) or NPQ (npq1) at low (160 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1 ) or intermediate light (400 μmol photons m^-2 s^-1 ) before quantifying transmission changes due to chloroplast movement, NPQ, ETR, and the ability to recover from a short-term high-light treatment.

RESULTS

Plants with impaired chloroplast avoidance movement (phot2, phot1 phot2, chup1) did not recover as well from a short-term high light treatment as the WT or npq1 and phot1 mutants. Plants grown at intermediate light recovered more completely from the same stress treatment regardless of their genotype and despite reduced degrees of transmission changes due to chloroplast movement. This result was due in part to all genotypes having up to a 2-fold increase in ETR_max and a slight increase in NPQ_max .

CONCLUSIONS

Growth light conditions affect which mechanisms are important in dealing with short-term high-light stress. The chloroplast avoidance response is important for low-light-grown plants, while increases in ETR_max and NPQ_max allow plants grown at intermediate light intensities to avoid being damaged.

UV-B Induces Chloroplast Movements in a Phototropin-Dependent Manner

We examined the impact of UV-B irradiation on chloroplast movements in Arabidopsis leaves. Directional chloroplast movements induced by blue light have been described in multiple plant species. In weak light, chloroplasts accumulate at periclinal cell walls to increase light capture. In strong light, chloroplasts exhibit the avoidance response, as they move towards anticlinal walls to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from light-induced damage. In Arabidopsis, chloroplast movements are triggered by phototropins, phot1 and phot2, which are known as blue/UV-A photoreceptors. We found that irradiation with UV-B of 3.3 µmol·m-2·s-1 induced chloroplast accumulation in wild-type plants. UV-B-triggered accumulation was dependent on the presence of phototropins, especially phot1, but not on UVR8 (the canonical UV-B photoreceptor). Irradiation with strong UV-B of 20 µmol·m-2·s-1 did not induce substantial chloroplast relocations in wild-type leaves. However, in the jac1 mutant, which is defective in chloroplast accumulation, strong UV-B elicited chloroplast avoidance. This indicated that UV-B can also activate signaling to the avoidance response. To assess the possibility of indirect effects of UV-B on chloroplast movements, we examined the impact of UV-B on the actin cytoskeleton, which serves as the motile system for chloroplast movements. While irradiation with UV-B of 3.3 µmol·m-2·s-1 did not affect the actin cytoskeleton, strong UV-B disrupted its structure as shown using an Arabidopsis line expressing Lifeact-green fluorescent protein (GFP). In wild-type plants, pretreatment with strong UV-B attenuated chloroplast responses triggered by subsequent blue light irradiation, further indicating that this UV-B intensity also indirectly affects chloroplast movements. Taken together, our results suggest that the effect of UV-B on chloroplast movement is twofold: it directly induces phototropin-mediated movements; however, at higher intensities, it attenuates the movements in a nonspecific manner.

Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters to assess utilization of excitation energy in photosystem II independently of changes in leaf absorption

Measurement of Pulse-Amplitude-Modulated (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorescence is widely used method for obtaining information on the functional state of photosystem II (PSII). Recently, it has been shown that some of long-established fluorescence parameters must be interpreted with caution, when the light-induced chloroplast movements occur. In our work we have analyzed the effect of chloroplast movements on these parameters. We have derived new parameters that are independent of the change in PSII absorption occurring during measurement. To verify whether there is a need for new parameters or the difference between the parameters commonly used and the newly derived ones is insignificant, we conducted an experiment with Arabidopsis thaliana wild type plants and its phot1 phot2 mutant defective in chloroplast movement. Plants were exposed to light of different qualities (450, 470, 550 or 660 nm) and quantities (100, 400 or 1200 μmol m^-2 s^-1) for up to 40 min. Since the blue light-induced chloroplast avoidance reaction is a photoprotective mechanism, we expected that phot1 phot2 mutant will compensate the lack of this mechanism by increasing non-photochemical quenching. However, using the light at both 450 and 470 nm, the calculation of commonly used parameter, Φ_NPQ (quantum yield of regulated light-induced thermal energy dissipation in PSII) based on Hendrickson et al. [L. Hendrickson, R.T. Furbank, W.S. Chow, Photosynth. Res. 82 (2004) 73-81] showed the opposite. On the other hand, the results obtained using our newly proposed formulae to determine quantum yield of PSII thermal energy dissipation were in line with our assumption. Thus, the experimental data showed that some formulae of fluorescence parameters are dependent on the change in PSII absorption and need to be interpreted carefully. On the contrary, the formulae introduced by us can remove the effect of changes in PSII absorption that occur during measurement, without additional measurements, and give the real estimate of light-induced non-photochemical quenching.

Leaf anatomy does not explain apparent short-term responses of mesophyll conductance to light and CO2 in tobacco

Mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm ), a key photosynthetic trait, is strongly constrained by leaf anatomy. Leaf anatomical parameters such as cell wall thickness and chloroplast area exposed to the mesophyll intercellular airspace have been demonstrated to determine gm in species with diverging phylogeny, leaf structure and ontogeny. However, the potential implication of leaf anatomy, especially chloroplast movement, on the short-term response of gm to rapid changes (i.e. seconds to minutes) under different environmental conditions (CO2 , light or temperature) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to determine whether the observed rapid variations of gm in response to variations of light and CO2 could be explained by changes in any leaf anatomical arrangements. When compared to high light and ambient CO2 , the values of gm estimated by chlorophyll fluorescence decreased under high CO2 and increased at low CO2 , while it decreased with decreasing light. Nevertheless, no changes in anatomical parameters, including chloroplast distribution, were found. Hence, the gm estimated by analytical models based on anatomical parameters was constant under varying light and CO2 . Considering this discrepancy between anatomy and chlorophyll fluorescence estimates, it is concluded that apparent fast gm variations should be due to artefacts in its estimation and/or to changes in the biochemical components acting on diffusional properties of the leaf (e.g. aquaporins and carbonic anhydrase).

Light-dependent spatiotemporal control of plant cell development and organelle movement in fern gametophytes

The haploid gametophyte generation of ferns is an excellent experimental material for cell biology studies because of its simple structure and high sensitivity to light. Each step of the developmental process, such as cell growth, cell cycle and the direction of cell division, is controlled, step by step, by light, unlike what happens in complex seed plant tissues. To perform analyses at the cell or organelle level, we have developed special tools, instruments and techniques, such as a cuvette suitable for repeated centrifugation in particular directions, microbeam irradiators for partial cell irradiation and single-cell ligation technique to create enucleated cells. Some of our main discoveries are as follows: (1) changes in the intracellular position of the nucleus in long protonemal cells by centrifugation revealed that the nuclear position or a factor(s) that is/are co-centrifuged with the nucleus is important for the decision regarding the place of the formation of preprophase bands and the timing of their disappearance, which determines the position where the new cell wall attaches to the mother cell wall; (2) even within a single cell, various phenomena could be induced by blue or red light, with the localization of the blue or red light receptors being different depending on the phenomenon; (3) de novo mRNA synthesis is not involved in the signal transduction pathways underlying light-induced chloroplast movements. In this review article, various microscopic techniques, in addition to the results of physiology studies in fern gametophytes, are described.

Functional characterization of GhPHOT2 in chloroplast avoidance of Gossypium hirsutum

Chloroplast movement mediated by the plant-specific phototropin blue light photoreceptors is crucial for plants to cope with fluctuating light conditions. While chloroplasts accumulate at weak light-illuminated areas, chloroplast avoidance response mediated primarily by the phototropin2 (phot2) receptor is induced by strong light illumination. Although extensive studies have been performed on phot2-mediated chloroplast avoidance in the model plant Arabidopsis, little is known on the role of the corresponding PHOT2 orthologs in chloroplast movement in cotton. In this study, we found that chloroplast avoidance movement also occurs in the tetraploid G. hirsutum and two diploid species, G. arboreum and G. raimondii, albeit with distinct features. Further bioinformatics and genetic analysis identified the cotton PHOT2 ortholog, GhPHOT2-1, which retained a conserved role in plant chloroplast avoidance movement under strong blue light. Ghphot2-1was localized in the plasma membrane and formed aggregates after high blue light irradiation. Constitutive expression of GhPHOT2-1 restored chloroplast avoidance and accumulation response, as well as phototropism, and leaf flattening characteristics of the Arabidopsis phot2 or phot1 phot2 mutants. On the contrary, silencing of GhPHOT2-1 by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) disrupted high blue light-induced chloroplast avoidance movement and caused photo damage in cotton leaves. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that GhPHOT2-1 is a conserved PHOT2 ortholog in regulating chloroplast avoidance and the other aforementioned phot2-mediated responses, implicating its potential role for improving high light tolerance in cotton cultivars.

Partitioning of absorbed light energy within photosystem II in barley can be affected by chloroplast movement

Plants have developed many ways to protect reaction centres of photosystems against overexcitation. One of the mechanisms involves reduction of the leaf absorption cross-section by light-induced chloroplast avoidance reaction. Decrease in the probability of photon absorption by the pigments bound within photosystem II (PSII) complexes leads to the increase in quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Φ_PSII). On the other hand, the decrease of PSII excitation probability causes reduction of chlorophyll a fluorescence intensity which is manifested as the apparent increase of determined quantum yield of regulated light-induced non-photochemical quenching (Φ_NPQ). Absorption of different light intensity by phototropins led to the different chloroplast distribution within barley leaves, estimated by measurement of the leaf transmittance. Due to a weak blue light used for transmittance measurements, leaves exposed to actinic light with wavelengths longer than 520 nm undergo chloroplast accumulation reaction, in contrast with leaves exposed to light with shorter wavelengths, that showed a different extent of chloroplast avoidance reaction. Based on the Φ_NPQ action spectra measured simultaneously with the transmittance, the influence of different chloroplast distribution on Φ_NPQ was assessed. The analysis of results showed that decrease in the leaf absorption cross-section due to increasing part of chloroplasts reaching profile position significantly affected the partitioning of excitation energy within PSII and such rearrangement also distorted measured Φ_NPQ and cannot be neglected in its interpretation. When the majority of chloroplasts reached profile position, the photoprotective effect appeared to be the most prominent for strong blue light that has the highest absorption in the upper leaf layers in comparison with green or red ones.

Actin-mediated movement of chloroplasts

Plants are sessile and require diverse strategies to adapt to fluctuations in the surrounding light conditions. Consequently, the photorelocation movement of chloroplasts is essential to prevent damages that are induced by intense light (avoidance response) and to ensure efficient photosynthetic activities under weak light conditions (accumulation response). The mechanisms that underlie chloroplast movements have been revealed through analysis of the behavior of individual chloroplasts and it has been found that these organelles can move in any direction without turning. This implies that any part of the chloroplast periphery can function as the leading or trailing edge during movement. This ability is mediated by a special structure, which consists of short actin filaments that are polymerized at the leading edge of moving chloroplasts and are specifically localized in the space between the chloroplast and the plasma membrane, and is called chloroplast-actin. In addition, several of the genes that encode proteins that are involved in chloroplast-actin polymerization or maintenance have been identified. In this Review, we discuss the mechanisms that regulate chloroplast movements through polymerization of the chloroplast-actin and propose a model for actin-driven chloroplast photorelocation movement.

Palisade cell shape affects the light-induced chloroplast movements and leaf photosynthesis

Leaf photosynthesis is regulated by multiple factors that help the plant to adapt to fluctuating light conditions. Leaves of sun-light-grown plants are thicker and contain more columnar palisade cells than those of shade-grown plants. Light-induced chloroplast movements are also essential for efficient leaf photosynthesis and facilitate efficient light utilization in leaf cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that leaves of most of the sun-grown plants exhibited no or very weak chloroplast movements and could accomplish efficient photosynthesis under strong light. To examine the relationship between palisade cell shape, chloroplast movement and distribution, and leaf photosynthesis, we used an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, angustifolia (an), which has thick leaves that contain columnar palisade cells similar to those in the sun-grown plants. In the highly columnar cells of an mutant leaves, chloroplast movements were restricted. Nevertheless, under white light condition (at 120 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹), the an mutant plants showed higher chlorophyll content per unit leaf area and, thus, higher light absorption by the leaves than the wild type, which resulted in enhanced photosynthesis per unit leaf area. Our findings indicate that coordinated regulation of leaf cell shape and chloroplast movement according to the light conditions is pivotal for efficient leaf photosynthesis.

Ferns, mosses and liverworts as model systems for light-mediated chloroplast movements

Light-induced chloroplast movement is found in most plant species, including algae and land plants. In land plants with multiple small chloroplasts, under weak light conditions, the chloroplasts move towards the light and accumulate on the periclinal cell walls to efficiently perceive light for photosynthesis (the accumulation response). Under strong light conditions, chloroplasts escape from light to avoid photodamage (the avoidance response). In most plant species, blue light induces chloroplast movement, and phototropin receptor kinases are the blue light receptors. Molecular mechanisms for photoreceptors, signal transduction and chloroplast motility systems are being studied using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, to further understand the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary history of chloroplast movement in green plants, analyses using other plant systems are required. Here, we review recent works on chloroplast movement in green algae, liverwort, mosses and ferns that provide new insights on chloroplast movement.

Blue light differentially represses mesophyll conductance in high vs low latitude genotypes of Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray

To explore what role chloroplast positioning might have in relation to latitudinal variation in mesophyll conductance (g_m) of Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray (black cottonwood), we examined photosynthetic response to different blue light treatments in six representative genotypes (three northern and three southern). The proportion of blue (B) to red light was varied from 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 40:60, and 60:40 while keeping the total photosynthetic photon flux density constant. Mesophyll conductance was estimated by monitoring chlorophyll fluorescence in combination with gas exchange. Compared to the control (10% B), g_m was significantly lower with increasing blue light. Consistent with a change in chloroplast positioning, there was a simultaneous but reversible decrease in chlorophyll content index (CCI), as measured by foliar greenness, while the extracted, actual chlorophyll content (ACC) remained unchanged. Blue-light-induced decreases in g_m and CCI were greater in northern genotypes than in southern genotypes, both absolutely and proportionally, consistent with their inherently higher photosynthetic rate. Treatment of leaves with cytochalasin D, an inhibitor of actin-based chloroplast motility, reduced both CCI and ACC but had no effect on the CCI/ACC ratio and fully blocked any effect of blue light on CCI. Cytochalasin D reduced g_m by ∼56% under 10% B, but did not block the effect of 60% B on g_m, which was reduced a further 20%. These results suggest that the effect of high blue light on g_m is at least partially independent of chloroplast repositioning. High blue light reduced carbonic anhydrase activity by 20% (P<0.05), consistent with a possible reduction in protein-mediated facilitation of CO₂ diffusion.

Importance of the green color, absorption gradient, and spectral absorption of chloroplasts for the radiative energy balance of leaves

Terrestrial green plants absorb photosynthetically active radiation (PAR; 400-700 nm) but do not absorb photons evenly across the PAR waveband. The spectral absorbance of photosystems and chloroplasts is lowest for green light, which occurs within the highest irradiance waveband of direct solar radiation. We demonstrate a close relationship between this phenomenon and the safe and efficient utilization of direct solar radiation in simple biophysiological models. The effects of spectral absorptance on the photon and irradiance absorption processes are evaluated using the spectra of direct and diffuse solar radiation. The radiation absorption of a leaf arises as a consequence of the absorption of chloroplasts. The photon absorption of chloroplasts is strongly dependent on the distribution of pigment concentrations and their absorbance spectra. While chloroplast movements in response to light are important mechanisms controlling PAR absorption, they are not effective for green light because chloroplasts have the lowest spectral absorptance in the waveband. With the development of palisade tissue, the incident photons per total palisade cell surface area and the absorbed photons per chloroplast decrease. The spectral absorbance of carotenoids is effective in eliminating shortwave PAR (<520 nm), which contains much of the surplus energy that is not used for photosynthesis and is dissipated as heat. The PAR absorptance of a whole leaf shows no substantial difference based on the spectra of direct or diffuse solar radiation. However, most of the near infrared radiation is unabsorbed and heat stress is greatly reduced. The incident solar radiation is too strong to be utilized for photosynthesis under the current CO2 concentration in the terrestrial environment. Therefore, the photon absorption of a whole leaf is efficiently regulated by photosynthetic pigments with low spectral absorptance in the highest irradiance waveband and through a combination of pigment density distribution and leaf anatomical structures.

The Evolution of Per-cell Organelle Number

Organelles with their own distinct genomes, such as plastids and mitochondria, are found in most eukaryotic cells. As these organelles and their host cells have evolved, the partitioning of metabolic processes and the encoding of interacting gene products have created an obligate codependence. This relationship has played a role in shaping the number of organelles in cells through evolution. Factors such as stochastic evolutionary forces acting on genes involved in organelle biogenesis, organelle-nuclear gene interactions, and physical limitations may, to varying degrees, dictate the selective constraint that per-cell organelle number is under. In particular, coordination between nuclear and organellar gene expression may be important in maintaining gene product stoichiometry, which may have a significant role in constraining the evolution of this trait.

Chloroplast and nuclear photorelocation movements

Chloroplasts move toward weak light to increase photosynthetic efficiency, and migrate away from strong light to protect chloroplasts from photodamage and eventual cell death. These chloroplast behaviors were first observed more than 100 years ago, but the underlying mechanism has only recently been identified. Ideal plant materials, such as fern gametophytes for photobiological and cell biological approaches, and Arabidopsis thaliana for genetic analyses, have been used along with sophisticated methods, such as partial cell irradiation and time-lapse video recording under infrared light to study chloroplast movement. These studies have revealed precise chloroplast behavior, and identified photoreceptors, other relevant protein components, and novel actin filament structures required for chloroplast movement. In this review, our findings regarding chloroplast and nuclear movements are described.