Characterization of photosystem II photochemistry in transgenic tobacco plants with lowered Rubisco activase content.
Rubisco activase plays an important role in the regulation of CO(2) assimilation. However, it is unknown how activase regulates photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry. To investigate the effects of Rubisco activase on PSII photochemistry, we obtained transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants with 50% (i7), 25% (i28), and 5% (i46) activase levels as compared to wild type plants by using a gene encoding tobacco activase for the RNAi construct. Both CO(2) assimilation and PSII activity were significantly reduced only in transgenic i28 and i46 plants, suggesting that activase deficiency led to decreased PSII activity. Flash-induced fluorescence kinetics indicated that activase deficiency resulted in a slow electron transfer between Q(A) (primary quinine electron acceptor of PSII) and Q(B) (secondary quinone electron acceptor of PSII). Thermoluminescence measurements revealed that activase deficiency induced a shift of S(2)Q(A)(-) and S(2)Q(B)(-) recombinations to higher temperatures in parallel, and a decrease in the intensities of the thermoluminescence emissions. Activase deficiency also dampened the period-four oscillation of the thermoluminescence B-band. Protein gel blot analysis showed that activase deficiency resulted in a significant decrease in the content of D1, D2, CP43, CP47, and PsbO proteins. Transmission electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that activase deficiency induced a significant decrease in the number of grana stacks per chloroplast and discs per grana stack. Our results suggest that activase plays an important role in maintaining PSII function and chloroplast development.
Cai
Bin
B
Photosynthesis Research Center, Key Laboratory of Photobiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, PR China.
Zhang
Aihong
A
Yang
Zhipan
Z
Lu
Qingtao
Q
Wen
Xiaogang
X
Lu
Congming
C
D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D004579:Electron Transport; D005453:Fluorescence; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007700:Kinetics; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D013696:Temperature; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D045331:Photosystem I Protein Complex; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D010940:Plant Proteins; C054765:rca protein, plant; D002734:Chlorophyll; D002245:Carbon Dioxide