Inter-relationships between light and respiration in the control of ascorbic acid synthesis and accumulation in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves.
The effects of growth irradiance and respiration on ascorbic acid (AA) synthesis and accumulation were studied in the leaves of wild-type and transformed Arabidopsis thaliana with modified amounts of the mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) protein. Plants were grown under low (LL; 50 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1)), intermediate (IL; 100 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1)), or high (HL; 250 micromol photons m(-2) s(-1)) light. Increasing growth irradiance progressively elevated leaf AA content and hence the values of dark-induced disappearance of leaf AA, which were 11, 55, and 89 nmol AA lost g(-1) fresh weight h(-1), from LL-, IL-, and HL-grown leaves, respectively. When HL leaves were supplied with L-galactone-1,4-lactone (L-GalL; the precursor of AA), they accumulated twice as much AA and had double the maximal L-galactone-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (L-GalLDH) activities of LL leaves. Growth under HL enhanced dehydroascorbate reductase and monodehydroascorbate reductase activities. Leaf respiration rates were highest in the HL leaves, which also had higher amounts of cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) activities, as well as enhanced capacity of the AOX and CCO electron transport pathways. Leaves of the AOX-overexpressing lines accumulated more AA than wild-type or antisense leaves, particularly at HL. Intact mitochondria from AOX-overexpressing lines had higher AA synthesis capacities than those from the wild-type or antisense lines even though they had similar L-GalLDH activities. AOX antisense lines had more cytochrome c protein than wild-type or AOX-overexpressing lines. It is concluded that regardless of limitations on L-GalL synthesis by regulation of early steps in the AA synthesis pathway, the regulation of L-GalLDH activity via the interaction of light and respiratory controls is a crucial determinant of the overall ability of leaves to produce and accumulate AA.
Bartoli
Carlos G
CG
Plant Physiology Institute (INFIVE), Schools of Agronomy and of Natural Sciences, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
Yu
Jianping
J
Gómez
Facundo
F
Fernández
Laura
L
McIntosh
Lee
L
Foyer
Christine H
CH
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D019069:Cell Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000502:physiology; D008027:Light; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism; D000099188:Alternative Oxidase
D000975:Antioxidants; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000099188:Alternative Oxidase