title: NaCl-induced phosphorylation of light harvesting chlorophyll a/b proteins in thylakoid membranes from the halotolerant green alga, Dunaliella salina.
abstract: Light could induce phosphorylation of light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding proteins (LHCII) in Dunaliella salina and spinach thylakoid membranes. We found that neither phosphorylation was affected by glycerol, whereas treatment with NaCl significantly enhanced light-induced LHCII phosphorylation in D. salina thylakoid membranes and inhibited that in spinach. Furthermore, even in the absence of light, NaCl and several other salts induced LHCII phosphorylation in D. salina thylakoid membranes, but not in spinach thylakoid membranes. In addition, hypertonic shock induced LHCII phosphorylation in intact D. salina under dark conditions and cells adapted to different NaCl concentrations exhibited similar LHCII phosphorylation levels. Taken together, these results show for the first time that while LHCII phosphorylation of D. salina thylakoid membranes resembles that of spinach thylakoid membranes in terms of light-mediated control, the two differ with respect to NaCl sensitivity under light and dark conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 300 Fenglin Road, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Xian-De
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yun-Gang
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003624:Darkness; D008027:Light; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018724:Spinacia oleracea / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D012965:Sodium Chloride