Defects in leaf carbohydrate metabolism compromise acclimation to high light and lead to a high chlorophyll fluorescence phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana

The diversity of substrates for plant respiration and how to optimize their use

Plant respiration is a foundational biological process with the potential to be optimized to improve crop yield. To understand and manipulate the outputs of respiration, the inputs of respiration-respiratory substrates-need to be probed in detail. Mitochondria house substrate catabolic pathways and respiratory machinery, so transport into and out of these organelles plays an important role in committing substrates to respiration. The large number of mitochondrial carriers and catabolic pathways that remain unidentified hinder this process and lead to confusion about the identity of direct and indirect respiratory substrates in plants. The sources and usage of respiratory substrates vary and are increasing found to be highly regulated based on cellular processes and environmental factors. This review covers the use of direct respiratory substrates following transport through mitochondrial carriers and catabolism under normal and stressed conditions. We suggest the introduction of enzymes not currently found in plant mitochondria to enable serine and acetate to be direct respiratory substrates in plants. We also compare respiratory substrates by assessing energetic yields, availability in cells, and their full or partial oxidation during cell catabolism. This information can assist in decisions to use synthetic biology approaches to alter the range of respiratory substrates in plants. As a result, respiration could be optimized by introducing, improving, or controlling specific mitochondrial transporters and mitochondrial catabolic pathways.

Photosynthetic acclimation to changing environments

Plants are exposed to environments that fluctuate of timescales varying from seconds to months. Leaves that develop in one set of conditions optimise their metabolism to the conditions experienced, in a process called developmental acclimation. However, when plants experience a sustained change in conditions, existing leaves will also acclimate dynamically to the new conditions. Typically this process takes several days. In this review, we discuss this dynamic acclimation process, focussing on the responses of the photosynthetic apparatus to light and temperature. We briefly discuss the principal changes occurring in the chloroplast, before examining what is known, and not known, about the sensing and signalling processes that underlie acclimation, identifying likely regulators of acclimation.

Lead exposure dose-dependently affects oxidative stress, AsA-GSH, photosynthesis, and mineral content in pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.)

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal pollutant and negatively affects agriculture and ecosystems. Pb can cause oxidative stress and abnormal plant growth. The ascorbic acid-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle mainly exists in chloroplasts and resists oxidative stress, scavenges reactive oxygen radicals, and maintains normal photosynthesis. However, the dosage related effects of Pb on pakchoi photosynthesis, via oxidative stress and the AsA-GSH system, remains unclear. In this study, various Pb dosage stress models were tested (low: 300 mg/kg; medium: 600 mg/kg; high: 900 mg/kg). Pb stress induced a dose-dependent increase in Pb content in pakchoi leaves (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis showed that Se, B, and Pb were significantly and negatively correlated. Pb stress also increased MDA content and decreased antioxidant enzymes SOD, GSH-Px, and T-AOC activities (P < 0.05). We also found that Vc content, as well as the GSH/GSSG ratio, decreased. Additionally, Pb stress destroyed chloroplast structure, decreased photosynthesis indicators Pn, Tr, Gs, Ci and VPD, and attenuated Fv/Fm and Fv/Fo (P < 0.05). In the high-dose group, the contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids decreased significantly, while the expression of chloroplast development genes (GLK, GLN2) decreased (P < 0.05). Our data suggest that Pb stress leads to dosage-dependent, aberrant photosynthesis by inhibiting the AsA-GSH system in pakchoi. This study expands the Pb toxicology research field and provides indications for screening antagonists.

The availability of neither D2 nor CP43 limits the biogenesis of photosystem II in tobacco

The pathway of photosystem II (PSII) assembly is well understood, and multiple auxiliary proteins supporting it have been identified, but little is known about rate-limiting steps controlling PSII biogenesis. In the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC6803 and the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, indications exist that the biosynthesis of the chloroplast-encoded D2 reaction center subunit (PsbD) limits PSII accumulation. To determine the importance of D2 synthesis for PSII accumulation in vascular plants and elucidate the contributions of transcriptional and translational regulation, we modified the 5'-untranslated region of psbD via chloroplast transformation in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). A drastic reduction in psbD mRNA abundance resulted in a strong decrease in PSII content, impaired photosynthetic electron transport, and retarded growth under autotrophic conditions. Overexpression of the psbD mRNA also increased transcript abundance of psbC (the CP43 inner antenna protein), which is co-transcribed with psbD. Because translation efficiency remained unaltered, translation output of pbsD and psbC increased with mRNA abundance. However, this did not result in increased PSII accumulation. The introduction of point mutations into the Shine-Dalgarno-like sequence or start codon of psbD decreased translation efficiency without causing pronounced effects on PSII accumulation and function. These data show that neither transcription nor translation of psbD and psbC are rate-limiting for PSII biogenesis in vascular plants and that PSII assembly and accumulation in tobacco are controlled by different mechanisms than in cyanobacteria or in C. reinhardtii.

Regulation of Photosynthetic Carbohydrate Metabolism by a Raf-Like Kinase in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

To optimize growth and development, plants monitor photosynthetic activities and appropriately regulate various cellular processes. However, signaling mechanisms that coordinate plant growth with photosynthesis remain poorly understood. To identify factors that are involved in signaling related to photosynthetic stimuli, we performed a phosphoproteomic analysis with Marchantia polymorpha, an extant bryophyte species in the basal lineage of land plants. Among proteins whose phosphorylation status changed differentially between dark-treated plants and those after light irradiation but failed to do so in the presence of a photosynthesis inhibitor, we identified a B4-group Raf-like kinase, named PHOTOSYNTHESIS-RELATED RAF (MpPRAF). Biochemical analyses confirmed photosynthesis-activity-dependent changes in the phosphorylation status of MpPRAF. Mutations in the MpPRAF gene resulted in growth retardation. Measurement of carbohydrates demonstrated both hyper-accumulation of starch and reduction of sucrose in Mppraf mutants. Neither inhibition of starch synthesis nor exogenous supply of sucrose alleviated the growth defect, suggesting serious impairment of Mppraf mutants in both the synthesis of sucrose and the repression of its catabolism. As a result of the compromised photosynthate metabolism, photosynthetic electron transport was downregulated in Mppraf mutants. A mutated MpPRAF with a common amino acid substitution for inactivating kinase activity was unable to rescue the Mppraf mutant defects. Our results provide evidence that MpPRAF is a photosynthesis signaling kinase that regulates sucrose metabolism.

Intracellular phosphate homeostasis - A short way from metabolism to signaling

Phosphorus in plant cells occurs in inorganic form as both ortho- and pyrophosphate or bound to organic compounds, like e.g., nucleotides, phosphorylated metabolites, phospholipids, phosphorylated proteins, or phytate as P storage in the vacuoles of seeds. Individual compartments of the cell are surrounded by membranes that are selective barriers to avoid uncontrolled solute exchange. A controlled exchange of phosphate or phosphorylated metabolites is accomplished by specific phosphate transporters (PHTs) and the plastidial phosphate translocator family (PTs) of the inner envelope membrane. Plastids, in particular chloroplasts, are the site of various anabolic sequences of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Apart from their role in metabolism PHTs and PTs are presumed to be also involved in communication between organelles and plant organs. Here we will focus on the integration of phosphate transport and homeostasis in signaling processes. Recent developments in this field will be critically assessed and potential future developments discussed. In particular, the occurrence of various plastid types in one organ (i.e. the leaf) with different functions with respect to metabolism or sensing, as has been documented recently following a tissue-specific proteomics approach (Beltran et al., 2018), will shed new light on functional aspects of phosphate homeostasis.

The Xylulose 5-Phosphate/Phosphate Translocator Supports Triose Phosphate, but Not Phosphoenolpyruvate Transport Across the Inner Envelope Membrane of Plastids in Arabidopsis thaliana Mutant Plants

The xylulose 5-phosphate/phosphate translocator (PTs) (XPT) represents a link between the plastidial and extraplastidial branches of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. Its role is to retrieve pentose phosphates from the extraplastidial space and to make them available to the plastids. However, the XPT transports also triose phosphates and to a lesser extent phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP). Thus, it might support both the triose phosphate/PT (TPT) in the export of photoassimilates from illuminated chloroplasts and the PEP/PT (PPT) in the import of PEP into green or non-green plastids. In mutants defective in the day- and night-path of photoassimilate export from the chloroplasts (i.e., knockout of the TPT [tpt-2] in a starch-free background [adg1-1])the XPT provides a bypass for triose phosphate export and thereby guarantees survival of the adg1-1/tpt-2 double mutant. Here we show that the additional knockout of the XPT in adg1-1/tpt-2/xpt-1 triple mutants results in lethality when the plants were grown in soil. Thus the XPT can functionally support the TPT. The PEP transport capacity of the XPT has been revisited here with a protein heterologously expressed in yeast. PEP transport rates in the proteoliposome system were increased with decreasing pH-values below 7.0. Moreover, PEP transport determined in leaf extracts from wild-type plants showed a similar pH-response, suggesting that in both cases PEP2- is the transported charge-species. Hence, PEP import into illuminated chloroplasts might be unidirectional because of the alkaline pH of the stroma. Here the consequence of a block in PEP transport across the envelope was analyzed in triple mutants defective in both PPTs and the XPT. PPT1 is knocked out in the cue1 mutant. For PPT2 two new mutant alleles were isolated and established as homozygous lines. In contrast to the strong phenotype of cue1, both ppt2 alleles showed only slight growth retardation. As plastidial PEP is required e.g., for the shikimate pathway of aromatic amino acid synthesis, a block in PEP import should result in a lethal phenotype. However, the cue1-6/ppt2-1/ppt2-1 triple mutant was viable and even exhibited residual PEP transport capacity. Hence, alternative ways of PEP transport must exist and are discussed.

The Combined Loss of Triose Phosphate and Xylulose 5-Phosphate/Phosphate Translocators Leads to Severe Growth Retardation and Impaired Photosynthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana tpt/xpt Double Mutants

The xylulose 5-phosphate/phosphate translocator (XPT) represents the fourth functional member of the phosphate translocator (PT) family residing in the plastid inner envelope membrane. In contrast to the other three members, little is known on the physiological role of the XPT. Based on its major transport substrates (i.e., pentose phosphates) the XPT has been proposed to act as a link between the plastidial and extraplastidial branches of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP). As the XPT is also capable of transporting triose phosphates, it might as well support the triose phosphate PT (TPT) in exporting photoassimilates from the chloroplast in the light ('day path of carbon') and hence in supplying the whole plant with carbohydrates. Two independent knockout mutant alleles of the XPT (xpt-1 and xpt-2) lacked any specific phenotype, suggesting that the XPT function is redundant. However, double mutants generated from crossings of xpt-1 to different mutant alleles of the TPT (tpt-1 and tpt-2) were severely retarded in size, exhibited a high chlorophyll fluorescence phenotype, and impaired photosynthetic electron transport rates. In the double mutant the export of triose phosphates from the chloroplasts is completely blocked. Hence, precursors for sucrose biosynthesis derive entirely from starch turnover ('night path of carbon'), which was accompanied by a marked accumulation of maltose as a starch breakdown product. Moreover, pentose phosphates produced by the extraplastidial branch of the OPPP also accumulated in the double mutants. Thus, an active XPT indeed retrieves excessive pentose phosphates from the extra-plastidial space and makes them available to the plastids. Further metabolic profiling revealed that phosphorylated intermediates remained largely unaffected, whereas fumarate and glycine contents were diminished in the double mutants. The assessment of C/N-ratios suggested co-limitations of C- and N-metabolism as possible cause for growth retardation of the double mutants. Feeding of sucrose partially rescued the growth and photosynthesis phenotypes of the double mutants. Immunoblots of thylakoid proteins, spectroscopic determinations of photosynthesis complexes, and chlorophyll a fluorescence emission spectra at 77 Kelvin could only partially explain constrains in photosynthesis observed in the double mutants. The data are discussed together with aspects of the OPPP and central carbon metabolism.

RAPTOR Controls Developmental Growth Transitions by Altering the Hormonal and Metabolic Balance

Vegetative growth requires the systemic coordination of numerous cellular processes, which are controlled by regulatory proteins that monitor extracellular and intracellular cues and translate them into growth decisions. In eukaryotes, one of the central factors regulating growth is the serine/threonine protein kinase Target of Rapamycin (TOR), which forms complexes with regulatory proteins. To understand the function of one such regulatory protein, Regulatory-Associated Protein of TOR 1B (RAPTOR1B), in plants, we analyzed the effect of raptor1b mutations on growth and physiology in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) by detailed phenotyping, metabolomic, lipidomic, and proteomic analyses. Mutation of RAPTOR1B resulted in a strong reduction of TOR kinase activity, leading to massive changes in central carbon and nitrogen metabolism, accumulation of excess starch, and induction of autophagy. These shifts led to a significant reduction of plant growth that occurred nonlinearly during developmental stage transitions. This phenotype was accompanied by changes in cell morphology and tissue anatomy. In contrast to previous studies in rice (Oryza sativa), we found that the Arabidopsis raptor1b mutation did not affect chloroplast development or photosynthetic electron transport efficiency; however, it resulted in decreased CO2 assimilation rate and increased stomatal conductance. The raptor1b mutants also had reduced abscisic acid levels. Surprisingly, abscisic acid feeding experiments resulted in partial complementation of the growth phenotypes, indicating the tight interaction between TOR function and hormone synthesis and signaling in plants.

Reduced vacuolar β-1,3-glucan synthesis affects carbohydrate metabolism as well as plastid homeostasis and structure in Phaeodactylum tricornutum

The β-1,3-glucan chrysolaminarin is the main storage polysaccharide of diatoms. In contrast to plants and green algae, diatoms and most other algal groups do not accumulate storage polysaccharides in their plastids. The diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum possesses only a single gene encoding a putative β-1,3-glucan synthase (PtBGS). Here, we characterize this enzyme by expressing GFP fusion proteins in P. tricornutum and by creating and investigating corresponding gene silencing mutants. We demonstrate that PtBGS is a vacuolar protein located in the tonoplast. Metabolite analyses of two mutant strains with reduced amounts of PtBGS reveal a reduction in their chrysolaminarin content and an increase of soluble sugars and lipids. This indicates that carbohydrates are shunted into alternative pathways when chrysolaminarin production is impaired. The mutant strains show reduced growth and lower photosynthetic capacities, while possessing higher photoprotective abilities than WT cells. Interestingly, a strong reduction in PtBGS expression also results in aberrations of the usually very regular thylakoid membrane patterns, including increased thylakoid thickness, reduced numbers of thylakoids per plastid, and increased numbers of lamellae per thylakoid stack. Our data demonstrate the complex intertwinement of carbohydrate storage in the vacuoles with carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthetic homeostasis, and plastid morphology.

Chlorophyll Fluorescence Video Imaging: A Versatile Tool for Identifying Factors Related to Photosynthesis

Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence provide an elegant and non-invasive means of probing the dynamics of photosynthesis. Advances in video imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence have now made it possible to study photosynthesis at all levels from individual cells to entire crop populations. Since the technology delivers quantitative data, is easily scaled up and can be readily combined with other approaches, it has become a powerful phenotyping tool for the identification of factors relevant to photosynthesis. Here, we review genetic chlorophyll fluorescence-based screens of libraries of Arabidopsis and Chlamydomonas mutants, discuss its application to high-throughput phenotyping in quantitative genetics and highlight potential future developments.

Defense against Reactive Carbonyl Species Involves at Least Three Subcellular Compartments Where Individual Components of the System Respond to Cellular Sugar Status

Methylglyoxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO) are toxic reactive carbonyl species generated as by-products of glycolysis. The pre-emption pathway for detoxification of these products, the glyoxalase (GLX) system, involves two consecutive reactions catalyzed by GLXI and GLXII. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the GLX system is encoded by three homologs of GLXI and three homologs of GLXII, from which several predicted GLXI and GLXII isoforms can be derived through alternative splicing. We identified the physiologically relevant splice forms using sequencing data and demonstrated that the resulting isoforms have different subcellular localizations. All three GLXI homologs are functional in vivo, as they complemented a yeast GLXI loss-of-function mutant. Efficient MGO and GO detoxification can be controlled by a switch in metal cofactor usage. MGO formation is closely connected to the flux through glycolysis and through the Calvin Benson cycle; accordingly, expression analysis indicated that GLXI is transcriptionally regulated by endogenous sugar levels. Analyses of Arabidopsis loss-of-function lines revealed that the elimination of toxic reactive carbonyl species during germination and seedling establishment depends on the activity of the cytosolic GLXI;3 isoform. The Arabidopsis GLX system involves the cytosol, chloroplasts, and mitochondria, which harbor individual components that might be used at specific developmental stages and respond differentially to cellular sugar status.

Deficiency of the Stroma-Lamellar Protein LIL8/PSB33 Affects Energy Transfer Around PSI in Arabidopsis

Light-harvesting-like (LIL) proteins are a group of proteins that share a consensus amino acid sequence with light-harvesting Chl-binding (LHC) proteins. We hypothesized that they might be involved in photosynthesis-related processes. In order to gain a better understanding of a potential role in photosynthesis-related processes, we examined the most recently identified LIL protein, LIL8/PSB33. Recently, it was suggested that this protein is an auxiliary PSII core protein which is involved in organization of the PSII supercomplex. However, we found that the majority of LIL8/PSB33 was localized in stroma lamellae, where PSI is predominant. Moreover, the PSI antenna sizes measured under visible light were slightly increased in the lil8 mutants which lack LIL8/PSB33 protein. Analysis of fluorescence decay kinetics and fluorescence decay-associated spectra indicated that energy transfer to quenching sites within PSI was partially hampered in these mutants. On the other hand, analysis of the steady-state fluorescence spectra in these mutants indicates that a population of LHCII is energetically disconnected from PSII. Taken together, we suggest that LIL8/PSB33 is involved in the fine-tuning of light harvesting and/or energy transfer around both photosystems.

Dynamic Acclimation to High Light in Arabidopsis thaliana Involves Widespread Reengineering of the Leaf Proteome

Leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana transferred from low to high light increase their capacity for photosynthesis, a process of dynamic acclimation. A mutant, gpt2, lacking a chloroplast glucose-6-phosphate/phosphate translocator, is deficient in its ability to acclimate to increased light. Here, we have used a label-free proteomics approach, to perform relative quantitation of 1993 proteins from Arabidopsis wild type and gpt2 leaves exposed to increased light. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006598. Acclimation to light is shown to involve increases in electron transport and carbon metabolism but no change in the abundance of photosynthetic reaction centers. The gpt2 mutant shows a similar increase in total protein content to wild type but differences in the extent of change of certain proteins, including in the relative abundance of the cytochrome b6f complex and plastocyanin, the thylakoid ATPase and selected Benson-Calvin cycle enzymes. Changes in leaf metabolite content as plants acclimate can be explained by changes in the abundance of enzymes involved in metabolism, which were reduced in gpt2 in some cases. Plants of gpt2 invest more in stress-related proteins, suggesting that their reduced ability to acclimate photosynthetic capacity results in increased stress.

An Arabidopsis mutant with high operating efficiency of Photosystem II and low chlorophyll fluorescence

The overall light energy to biomass conversion efficiency of plant photosynthesis is generally regarded as low. Forward genetic screens in Arabidopsis have yielded very few mutants with substantially enhanced photochemistry. Here, we report the isolation of a novel Arabidopsis mutant with a high operating efficiency of Photosystem II (φPSII) and low chlorophyll fluorescence from a library of lines harboring T-DNA constructs encoding artificial transcription factors. This mutant was named Low Chlorophyll Fluorescence 1 (LCF1). Only a single T-DNA insertion was detected in LCF1, which interrupted the expression of the full length mRNA of the gene At4g36280 (MORC2). We demonstrate that the high φPSII and low levels of chlorophyll fluorescence were due to a decrease in PSII:PSI ratio. Although LCF1 plants had decreased rosette surface area and biomass under normal growth conditions, they contained more starch per gram fresh weight. The growth defect of LCF1 was alleviated by low light and short day conditions, and growth could even be enhanced after a period of dark-induced senescence, showing that the plant can utilize its excess photosynthetic conversion capacity as a resource when needed.

Plants grow with a little help from their organelle friends

Chloroplasts and mitochondria are indispensable for plant development. They not only provide energy and carbon sources to cells, but also have evolved to become major players in a variety of processes such as amino acid metabolism, hormone biosynthesis and cellular signalling. As semi-autonomous organelles, they contain a small genome that relies largely on nuclear factors for its maintenance and expression. An intensive crosstalk between the nucleus and the organelles is therefore essential to ensure proper functioning, and the nuclear genes encoding organellar proteins involved in photosynthesis and oxidative phosphorylation are obviously crucial for plant growth. Organ growth is determined by two main cellular processes: cell proliferation and cell expansion. Here, we review how plant growth is affected in mutants of organellar proteins that are differentially expressed during leaf and root development. Our findings indicate a clear role for organellar proteins in plant organ growth, primarily during cell proliferation. However, to date, the role of the nuclear-encoded organellar proteins in the cellular processes driving organ growth has not been investigated in much detail. We therefore encourage researchers to extend their phenotypic characterization beyond macroscopic features in order to get a better view on how chloroplasts and mitochondria regulate the basic processes of cell proliferation and cell expansion, essential to driving growth.

Photosynthesis Activates Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase via Sugar Accumulation

Plant plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase acts as a primary transporter via proton pumping and regulates diverse physiological responses by controlling secondary solute transport, pH homeostasis, and membrane potential. Phosphorylation of the penultimate threonine and the subsequent binding of 14-3-3 proteins in the carboxyl terminus of the enzyme are required for H(+)-ATPase activation. We showed previously that photosynthesis induces phosphorylation of the penultimate threonine in the nonvascular bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha However, (1) whether this response is conserved in vascular plants and (2) the process by which photosynthesis regulates H(+)-ATPase phosphorylation at the plasma membrane remain unresolved issues. Here, we report that photosynthesis induced the phosphorylation and activation of H(+)-ATPase in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves via sugar accumulation. Light reversibly phosphorylated leaf H(+)-ATPase, and this process was inhibited by pharmacological and genetic suppression of photosynthesis. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses indicated that light-induced phosphorylation of H(+)-ATPase occurred autonomously in mesophyll cells. We also show that the phosphorylation status of H(+)-ATPase and photosynthetic sugar accumulation in leaves were positively correlated and that sugar treatment promoted phosphorylation. Furthermore, light-induced phosphorylation of H(+)-ATPase was strongly suppressed in a double mutant defective in ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase and triose phosphate/phosphate translocator (adg1-1 tpt-2); these mutations strongly inhibited endogenous sugar accumulation. Overall, we show that photosynthesis activated H(+)-ATPase via sugar production in the mesophyll cells of vascular plants. Our work provides new insight into signaling from chloroplasts to the plasma membrane ion transport mechanism.

Retrograde signaling: Organelles go networking

The term retrograde signaling refers to the fact that chloroplasts and mitochondria utilize specific signaling molecules to convey information on their developmental and physiological states to the nucleus and modulate the expression of nuclear genes accordingly. Signals emanating from plastids have been associated with two main networks: 'Biogenic control' is active during early stages of chloroplast development, while 'operational' control functions in response to environmental fluctuations. Early work focused on the former and its major players, the GUN proteins. However, our view of retrograde signaling has since been extended and revised. Elements of several 'operational' signaling circuits have come to light, including metabolites, signaling cascades in the cytosol and transcription factors. Here, we review recent advances in the identification and characterization of retrograde signaling components. We place particular emphasis on the strategies employed to define signaling components, spanning the entire spectrum of genetic screens, metabolite profiling and bioinformatics. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'EBEC 2016: 19th European Bioenergetics Conference, Riva del Garda, Italy, July 2-6, 2016', edited by Prof. Paolo Bernardi.

Acclimation of metabolism to light in Arabidopsis thaliana: the glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator GPT2 directs metabolic acclimation

Mature leaves of plants transferred from low to high light typically increase their photosynthetic capacity. In Arabidopsis thaliana, this dynamic acclimation requires expression of GPT2, a glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator. Here, we examine the impact of GPT2 on leaf metabolism and photosynthesis. Plants of wild type and of a GPT2 knockout (gpt2.2) grown under low light achieved the same photosynthetic rate despite having different metabolic and transcriptomic strategies. Immediately upon transfer to high light, gpt2.2 plants showed a higher rate of photosynthesis than wild-type plants (35%); however, over subsequent days, wild-type plants acclimated photosynthetic capacity, increasing the photosynthesis rate by 100% after 7 d. Wild-type plants accumulated more starch than gpt2.2 plants throughout acclimation. We suggest that GPT2 activity results in the net import of glucose 6-phosphate from cytosol to chloroplast, increasing starch synthesis. There was clear acclimation of metabolism, with short-term changes typically being reversed as plants acclimated. Distinct responses to light were observed in wild-type and gpt2.2 leaves. Significantly higher levels of sugar phosphates were observed in gpt2.2. We suggest that GPT2 alters the distribution of metabolites between compartments and that this plays an essential role in allowing the cell to interpret environmental signals.

Photosynthetic complex stoichiometry dynamics in higher plants: biogenesis, function, and turnover of ATP synthase and the cytochrome b6f complex

During plant development and in response to fluctuating environmental conditions, large changes in leaf assimilation capacity and in the metabolic consumption of ATP and NADPH produced by the photosynthetic apparatus can occur. To minimize cytotoxic side reactions, such as the production of reactive oxygen species, photosynthetic electron transport needs to be adjusted to the metabolic demand. The cytochrome b6f complex and chloroplast ATP synthase form the predominant sites of photosynthetic flux control. Accordingly, both respond strongly to changing environmental conditions and metabolic states. Usually, their contents are strictly co-regulated. Thereby, the capacity for proton influx into the lumen, which is controlled by electron flux through the cytochrome b6f complex, is balanced with proton efflux through ATP synthase, which drives ATP synthesis. We discuss the environmental, systemic, and metabolic signals triggering the stoichiometry adjustments of ATP synthase and the cytochrome b6f complex. The contribution of transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of subunit synthesis, and the importance of auxiliary proteins required for complex assembly in achieving the stoichiometry adjustments is described. Finally, current knowledge on the stability and turnover of both complexes is summarized.

Alanine aminotransferase variants conferring diverse NUE phenotypes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT, E.C. 2.6.1.2), is a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate-dependent (PLP) enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of an amino group from alanine to 2-oxoglutarate to produce glutamate and pyruvate, or vice versa. It has been well documented in both greenhouse and field studies that tissue-specific over-expression of AlaAT from barley (Hordeum vulgare, HvAlaAT) results in a significant increase in plant NUE in both canola and rice. While the physical phenotypes associated with over-expression of HvAlaAT have been well characterized, the role this enzyme plays in vivo to create a more N efficient plant remains unknown. Furthermore, the importance of HvAlaAT, in contrast to other AlaAT enzyme homologues in creating this phenotype has not yet been explored. To address the role of AlaAT in NUE, AlaAT variants from diverse sources and different subcellular locations, were expressed in the wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 background and alaat1;2 (alaat1-1;alaat2-1) knockout background in various N environments. The analysis and comparison of both the physical and physiological properties of AlaAT over-expressing transgenic plants demonstrated significant differences between plants expressing the different AlaAT enzymes under different external conditions. This analysis indicates that the over-expression of AlaAT variants other than HvAlaAT in crop plants could further increase the NUE phenotype(s) previously observed.

Hexokinase 1 is required for glucose-induced repression of bZIP63, At5g22920, and BT2 in Arabidopsis

Simple sugars, like glucose (Glc) and sucrose (Suc), act as signals to modulate the expression of hundreds of genes in plants. Frequently, however, it remains unclear whether this regulation is induced by the sugars themselves or by their derivatives generated in the course of carbohydrate (CH) metabolism. In the present study, we tested the relevance of different CH metabolism and allocation pathways affecting expression patterns of five selected sugar-responsive genes (bZIP63, At5g22920, BT2, MGD2, and TPS9) in Arabidopsis thaliana. In general, the expression followed diurnal changes in the overall sugar availability. However, under steady growth conditions, this response was hardly impaired in the mutants for CH metabolizing/ transporting proteins (adg1, sex1, sus1-4, sus5/6, and tpt2), including also hexokinase1 (HXK1) loss- and gain-of-function plants-gin2.1 and oe3.2, respectively. In addition, transgenic plants carrying pbZIP63::GUS showed no changes in reporter-gene-expression when grown on sugar under steady-state conditions. In contrast, short-term treatments of agar-grown seedlings with 1% Glc or Suc induced pbZIP63::GUS repression, which became even more apparent in seedlings grown in liquid media. Subsequent analyses of liquid-grown gin2.1 and oe3.2 seedlings revealed that Glc -dependent regulation of the five selected genes was not affected in gin2.1, whereas it was enhanced in oe3.2 plants for bZIP63, At5g22920, and BT2. The sugar treatments had no effect on ATP/ADP ratio, suggesting that changes in gene expression were not linked to cellular energy status. Overall, the data suggest that HXK1 does not act as Glc sensor controlling bZIP63, At5g22920, and BT2 expression, but it is nevertheless required for the production of a downstream metabolic signal regulating their expression.

Loss of cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase affects carbohydrate metabolism in leaves and is essential for fertility of Arabidopsis

Carbohydrate metabolism in plants is tightly linked to photosynthesis and is essential for energy and carbon skeleton supply of the entire organism. Thus, the hexose phosphate pools of the cytosol and the chloroplast represent important metabolic resources that are maintained through action of phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI) and phosphoglucose mutase interconverting glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, and glucose 1-phosphate. Here, we investigated the impact of disrupted cytosolic PGI (cPGI) function on plant viability and metabolism. Overexpressing an artificial microRNA targeted against cPGI (amiR-cpgi) resulted in adult plants with vegetative tissue essentially free of cPGI activity. These plants displayed diminished growth compared with the wild type and accumulated excess starch in chloroplasts but maintained low sucrose content in leaves at the end of the night. Moreover, amiR-cpgi plants exhibited increased nonphotochemical chlorophyll a quenching during photosynthesis. In contrast to amiR-cpgi plants, viable transfer DNA insertion mutants disrupted in cPGI function could only be identified as heterozygous individuals. However, homozygous transfer DNA insertion mutants could be isolated among plants ectopically expressing cPGI. Intriguingly, these plants were only fertile when expression was driven by the ubiquitin10 promoter but sterile when the seed-specific unknown seed protein promoter or the Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter were employed. These data show that metabolism is apparently able to compensate for missing cPGI activity in adult amiR-cpgi plants and indicate an essential function for cPGI in plant reproduction. Moreover, our data suggest a feedback regulation in amiR-cpgi plants that fine-tunes cytosolic sucrose metabolism with plastidic starch turnover.

How sugars might coordinate chloroplast and nuclear gene expression during acclimation to high light intensities

The concept of retrograde control of nuclear gene expression assumes the generation of signals inside the chloroplasts, which are either released from or sensed inside of the organelle. In both cases, downstream signaling pathways lead eventually to a differential regulation of nuclear gene expression and the production of proteins required in the chloroplast. This concept appears reasonable as the majority of the over 3000 predicted plastidial proteins are encoded by nuclear genes. Hence, the nucleus needs information on the status of the chloroplasts, such as during acclimation responses, which trigger massive changes in the protein composition of the thylakoid membrane and in the stroma. Here, we propose an additional control mechanism of nuclear- and plastome-encoded photosynthesis genes, taking advantage of pathways involved in sugar- or hormonal signaling. Sugars are major end products of photosynthesis and their contents respond very sensitively to changes in light intensities. Based on recent findings, we ask the question as to whether the carbohydrate status outside the chloroplast can be directly sensed within the chloroplast stroma. Sugars might synchronize the responsiveness of both genomes and thereby help to coordinate the expression of plastome- and nuclear-encoded photosynthesis genes in concert with other, more specific retrograde signals.

Meta-analysis of retrograde signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals a core module of genes embedded in complex cellular signaling networks

Plastid-to-nucleus signaling is essential for the coordination and adjustment of cellular metabolism in response to environmental and developmental cues of plant cells. A variety of operational retrograde signaling pathways have been described that are thought to be triggered by reactive oxygen species, photosynthesis redox imbalance, tetrapyrrole intermediates, and other metabolic traits. Here we report a meta-analysis based on transcriptome and protein interaction data. Comparing the output of these pathways reveals the commonalities and peculiarities stimulated by six different sources impinging on operational retrograde signaling. Our study provides novel insights into the interplay of these pathways, supporting the existence of an as-yet unknown core response module of genes being regulated under all conditions tested. Our analysis further highlights affiliated regulatory cis-elements and classifies abscisic acid and auxin-based signaling as secondary components involved in the response cascades following a plastidial signal. Our study provides a global analysis of structure and interfaces of different pathways involved in plastid-to-nucleus signaling and a new view on this complex cellular communication network.

The essential role of sugar metabolism in the acclimation response of Arabidopsis thaliana to high light intensities

Retrograde signals from chloroplasts are thought to control the expression of nuclear genes associated with plastidial processes such as acclimation to varying light conditions. Arabidopsis mutants altered in the day and night path of photoassimilate export from the chloroplasts served as tools to study the involvement of carbohydrates in high light (HL) acclimation. A double mutant impaired in the triose phosphate/phosphate translocator (TPT) and ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) (adg1-1/tpt-2) exhibits a HL-dependent depletion in endogenous carbohydrates combined with a severe growth and photosynthesis phenotype. The acclimation response of mutant and wild-type plants has been assessed in time series after transfer from low light (LL) to HL by analysing photosynthetic performance, carbohydrates, MgProtoIX (a chlorophyll precursor), and the ascorbate/glutathione redox system, combined with microarray-based transcriptomic and GC-MS-based metabolomic approaches. The data indicate that the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates (predominantly glucose) acts as a short-term response to HL exposure in both mutant and wild-type plants. Only if carbohydrates are depleted in the long term (e.g. after 2 d) is the acclimation response impaired, as observed in the adg1-1/tpt-2 double mutant. Furthermore, meta-analyses conducted with in-house and publicly available microarray data suggest that, in the long term, reactive oxygen species such as H₂O₂ can replace carbohydrates as signals. Moreover, a cross-talk exists between genes associated with the regulation of starch and lipid metabolism. The involvement of genes responding to phytohormones in HL acclimation appears to be less likely. Various candidate genes involved in retrograde control of nuclear gene expression emerged from the analyses of global gene expression.

Fast retrograde signaling in response to high light involves metabolite export, MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE6, and AP2/ERF transcription factors in Arabidopsis

Regulation of the expression of nuclear genes encoding chloroplast proteins allows for metabolic adjustment in response to changing environmental conditions. This regulation is linked to retrograde signals that transmit information on the metabolic state of the chloroplast to the nucleus. Transcripts of several APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR transcription factors (AP2/ERF-TFs) were found to respond within 10 min after transfer of low-light-acclimated Arabidopsis thaliana plants to high light. Initiation of this transcriptional response was completed within 1 min after transfer to high light. The fast responses of four AP2/ERF genes, ERF6, RRTF1, ERF104, and ERF105, were entirely deregulated in triose phosphate/phosphate translocator (tpt) mutants. Similarly, activation of MITOGEN-ACTIVATED PROTEIN KINASE6 (MPK6) was upregulated after 1 min in the wild type but not in the tpt mutant. Based on this, together with altered transcript regulation in mpk6 and erf6 mutants, a retrograde signal transmission model is proposed starting with metabolite export through the triose phosphate/phosphate translocator with subsequent MPK6 activation leading to initiation of AP2/ERF-TF gene expression and other downstream gene targets. The results show that operational retrograde signaling in response to high light involves a metabolite-linked pathway in addition to previously described redox and hormonal pathways.

Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis of systemic responses to local wounding and virus infection in Arabidopsis thaliana

Plants are continuously exposed to changing environmental conditions and must, as sessile organisms, possess sophisticated acclimative mechanisms. To gain insight into systemic responses to local virus infection or wounding, we performed comparative LC-MS/MS protein profiling of distal, virus-free leaves four and five days after local inoculation of Arabidopsis thaliana plants with either Oilseed rape mosaic virus (ORMV) or inoculation buffer alone. Our study revealed biomarkers for systemic signaling in response to wounding and compatible virus infection in Arabidopsis, which should prove useful in further addressing the trigger-specific systemic response network and the elusive systemic signals. We observed responses common to ORMV and mock treatment as well as protein profile changes that are specific to local virus infection or mechanical wounding (mock treatment) alone, which provides evidence for the existence of more than one systemic signal to induce these distinct changes. Comparison of the systemic responses between time points indicated that the responses build up over time. Our data indicate stress-specific changes in proteins involved in jasmonic and abscisic acid signaling, intracellular transport, compartmentalization of enzyme activities, protein folding and synthesis, and energy and carbohydrate metabolism. In addition, a virus-triggered systemic signal appears to suppress antiviral host defense.

Role of metabolite transporters in source-sink carbon allocation

Plants assimilate carbon dioxide during photosynthesis in chloroplasts. Assimilated carbon is subsequently allocated throughout the plant. Generally, two types of organs can be distinguished, mature green source leaves as net photoassimilate exporters, and net importers, the sinks, e.g., roots, flowers, small leaves, and storage organs like tubers. Within these organs, different tissue types developed according to their respective function, and cells of either tissue type are highly compartmentalized. Photoassimilates are allocated to distinct compartments of these tissues in all organs, requiring a set of metabolite transporters mediating this intercompartmental transfer. The general route of photoassimilates can be briefly described as follows. Upon fixation of carbon dioxide in chloroplasts of mesophyll cells, triose phosphates either enter the cytosol for mainly sucrose formation or remain in the stroma to form transiently stored starch which is degraded during the night and enters the cytosol as maltose or glucose to be further metabolized to sucrose. In both cases, sucrose enters the phloem for long distance transport or is transiently stored in the vacuole, or can be degraded to hexoses which also can be stored in the vacuole. In the majority of plant species, sucrose is actively loaded into the phloem via the apoplast. Following long distance transport, it is released into sink organs, where it enters cells as source of carbon and energy. In storage organs, sucrose can be stored, or carbon derived from sucrose can be stored as starch in plastids, or as oil in oil bodies, or - in combination with nitrogen - as protein in protein storage vacuoles and protein bodies. Here, we focus on transport proteins known for either of these steps, and discuss the implications for yield increase in plants upon genetic engineering of respective transporters.

Opinion: prospects for improving photosynthesis by altering leaf anatomy

Engineering higher photosynthetic efficiency for greater crop yields has gained significant attention among plant biologists and breeders. To achieve this goal, manipulation of metabolic targets and canopy architectural features has been heavily emphasized. Given the substantial variations in leaf anatomical features among and within plant species, there is large potential to engineer leaf anatomy for improved photosynthetic efficiency. Here we review how different leaf anatomical features influence internal light distribution, delivery of CO(2) to Rubisco and water relations, and accordingly recommend features to engineer for increased leaf photosynthesis under different environments. More research is needed on (a) elucidating the genetic mechanisms controlling leaf anatomy, and (b) the development of a three dimensional biochemical and biophysical model of leaf photosynthesis, which can help pinpoint anatomical features required to gain a higher photosynthesis.

The Mysterious Rescue of adg1-1/tpt-2 - an Arabidopsis thaliana Double Mutant Impaired in Acclimation to High Light - by Exogenously Supplied Sugars

An Arabidopsis thaliana double mutant (adg1-1/tpt-2) defective in the day- and night-path of photoassimilate export from the chloroplast due to a knockout in the triose phosphate/phosphate translocator (TPT; tpt-2) and a lack of starch [mutation in ADP glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase); adg1-1] exhibits severe growth retardation, a decrease in the photosynthetic capacity, and a high chlorophyll fluorescence (HCF) phenotype under high light conditions. These phenotypes could be rescued when the plants were grown on sucrose (Suc) or glucose (Glc). Here we address the question whether Glc-sensing hexokinase1 (HXK1) defective in the Glc insensitive 2 (gin2-1) mutant is involved in the sugar-dependent rescue of adg1-1/tpt-2. Triple mutants defective in the TPT, AGPase, and HXK1 (adg1-1/tpt-2/gin2-1) were established as homozygous lines and grown together with Col-0 and Landsberg erecta (Ler) wild-type plants, gin2-1, the adg1-1/tpt-2 double mutant, and the adg1-1/tpt-2/gpt2-1 triple mutant [additionally defective in the glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator 2 (GPT2)] on agar in the presence or absence of 50 mM of each Glc, Suc, or fructose (Fru). The growth phenotype of the double mutant and both triple mutants could be rescued to a similar extent only by Glc and Suc, but not by Fru. All three sugars were capable of rescuing the HCF and photosynthesis phenotype, irrespectively of the presence or absence of HXK1. Quantitative RT-PCR analyses of sugar-responsive genes revealed that plastidial HXK (pHXK) was up-regulated in adg1-1/tpt-2 plants grown on sugars, but showed no response in adg1-1/tpt-2/gin2-1. It appears likely that soluble sugars are directly taken up by the chloroplasts and enter further metabolism, which consumes ATP and NADPH from the photosynthetic light reaction and thereby rescues the photosynthesis phenotype of the double mutant. The implication of sugar turnover and probably signaling inside the chloroplasts for the concept of retrograde signaling is discussed.