Chlorophyll b in angiosperms: Functions in photosynthesis, signaling and ontogenetic regulation

Chlorophyll b (Chlb) is an antenna chlorophyll. The binding of Chlb by antenna proteins is crucial for the correct assembly of the antenna complexes in thylakoid membranes. Since the levels of the proteins of major and minor antenna are affected to different extents by Chlb binding, the availability of Chlb influences the composition and the size of antenna complexes which in turn determine the supramolecular organization of the thylakoid membranes in grana. Therefore, Chlb synthesis levels have a major impact on lateral mobility and diffusion of membrane molecules, and thus affect not only light harvesting and thermal energy dissipation processes, but also linear electron transport and repair processes in grana. Furthermore, in angiosperms Chlb synthesis affects plant functions beyond chloroplasts. First, the stability of pigment-protein complexes in the antennae, which depends on Chlb, is an important factor in the regulation of plant ontogenesis, and Chlb levels were recently shown to influence plant ontogenetic signaling. Second, the amounts of minor antenna proteins in chloroplasts, which depend on the availability of Chlb, were recently shown to affect ABA levels and signaling in plants. These mechanisms can be examined in mutants where Chlb synthesis is reduced or abolished. The dramatic effects caused by the lack of Chlb on plant productivity are interpreted in this review in light of the pleiotropic effects on photosynthesis and signaling, and the potential to manipulate Chlb biosynthesis for the improvement of crop production is discussed.

The molecular cloning and clarification of a photorespiratory mutant, oscdm1, using enhancer trapping

Enhancer trap systems have been demonstrated to increase the effectiveness of gene identification in rice. In this study, a chlorophyll-deficient mutant, named oscdm1, was screened and characterized in detail from a T-DNA enhancer-tagged population. The oscdm1 plants were different from other chlorophyll-deficient mutants; they produced chlorotic leaves at the third leaf stage, which gradually died with further growth of the plants. However, the oscdm1 plants were able to survive exposure to elevated CO₂ levels, similar to photorespiratory mutants. An analysis of the T-DNA flanking sequence in the oscdm1 plants showed that the T-DNA was inserted into the promoter region of a serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) gene. OsSHMT1 is a key enzyme that is ubiquitous in nature and structurally conserved across kingdoms. The enzyme is responsible for the interconversion of serine and glycine and is essential for cellular one-carbon metabolism. Full-length OsSHMT1 complemented the oscdm1 phenotype, and the downregulation of OsSHMT1 in wild-type plants by RNA interference (RNAi) produced plants that mimicked the oscdm1 phenotype. GUS assays and quantitative PCR revealed the preferential expression of OsSHMT1 in young leaves. TEM revealed serious damage to the thylakoid membrane in oscdm1 chloroplasts. The oscdm1 plants showed more extensive damage than wild type using an IMAGING-PAM fluorometer, especially under high light intensities. OsSHMT1-GFP localized exclusively to mitochondria. Further analysis revealed that the H₂O₂ content in the oscdm1 plants was twice that in wild type at the fourth leaf stage. This suggests that the thylakoid membrane damage observed in the oscdm1 plants was caused by excessive H₂O₂. Interestingly, OsSHMT1-overexpressing plants exhibited increased photosynthetic efficiency and improved plant productivity. These results lay the foundation for further study of the OsSHMT1 gene and will help illuminate the functional role of OsSHMT1 in photorespiration in rice.

SVR4 (suppressor of variegation 4) and SVR4-like: two proteins with a role in proper organization of the chloroplast genetic machinery

SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION 4 (SVR4, also called MRL7) and its homolog SVR4-like (also called MRL7-Like) were originally identified as important proteins for proper function of the chloroplast in Arabidopsis. Both are nuclear-encoded chloroplast-located proteins, and knockout mutants of either gene result in seedling lethality. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that chloroplast development is arrested at an early developmental stage in both mutants. Accordingly, in the mutant plants severely decreased levels of photosynthetic pigments as well as subunits of the photosynthetic complexes could be detected. In absence of either of the two proteins chloroplast DNA organization was clearly affected. Immunological analysis revealed that SVR4 is a component of the transcriptionally active chromosome (TAC) from barley chloroplasts. Analyses of gene expression indicate that SVR4 and SVR4-like are required for proper function of the plastid transcriptional machinery. We propose that SVR4 and SVR4-like function as molecular chaperones ensuring proper organization of the nucleoids in chloroplasts.