title: Expression of the algal cytochrome c6 gene in Arabidopsis enhances photosynthesis and growth.
abstract: Photosynthetic plants convert light energy into ATP and NADPH in photosynthetic electron transfer and photophosphorylation, and synthesize mainly carbohydrates in the Calvin-Benson cycle. Here we report the enhancement of photosynthesis and growth of plants by introducing the gene of an algal cytochrome c6, which has been evolutionarily eliminated from higher plant chloroplasts, into the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. At 60 d after planting, the plant height, leaf length and root length of the transformants were 1.3-, 1.1- and 1.3-fold those in the wild-type plants, respectively. At the same time, in the transgenic plants, the amounts of chlorophyll, protein, ATP, NADPH and starch were 1.2-, 1.1-, 1.9-, 1.4- and 1.2-fold those in the wild-type plants, respectively. The CO2 assimilation capacity of the transgenic plants was 1.3-fold that of the wild type. Moreover, in transgenic Arabidopsis expressing algal cytochrome c6, the 1-qP, which reflects the reduced state of the plastoquinone pool, is 30% decreased compared with the wild type. These results show that the electron transfer of photosynthesis of Arabidopsis would be accelerated by the expression of algal cytochrome c6. Our results demonstrate that the growth and photosynthesis of Arabidopsis plants could be enhanced by the expression of the algal cytochrome c6 gene.
authors.affiliation: Bio-organic Chemistry Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa, 252-8510 Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chida
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akazaki
authors.forename: Takako
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suruga
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kadokura
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hakamata
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Tei-ichiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishio
authors.forename: Kintake
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sonoike
authors.forename: Tadatake
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oku
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D045365:Cytochromes c6 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004579:Electron Transport; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D013997:Time Factors; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D045365:Cytochromes c6