Enhanced formation of methane in plant cell cultures by inhibition of cytochrome c oxidase.
The claim of methane (CH₄) formation in plants has caused much controversy and debate within the scientific community over the past 4 years. Here, using both stable isotope and concentration measurements, we demonstrate that CH₄ formation occurs in plant cell cultures that were grown in the dark under sterile conditions. Under non-stress conditions the plant cell cultures produced trace amounts [0.3-0.6 ng g⁻¹ dry weight (DW) h⁻¹] of CH₄ but these could be increased by one to two orders of magnitude (up to 12 ng g⁻¹ DW h⁻¹) when sodium azide, a compound known to disrupt electron transport flow at the cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV) in plant mitochondria, was added to the cell cultures. The addition of other electron transport chain (ETC) inhibitors did not result in significant CH₄ formation indicating that a site-specific disturbance of the ETC at complex IV causes CH₄ formation in plant cells. Our study is an important first step in providing more information on non-microbial CH₄ formation from living plants particularly under abiotic stress conditions that might affect the electron transport flow at the cytochrome c oxidase in plant mitochondria.
Air Chemistry Department, Max-Planck Institute for Chemistry, D-55020 Mainz.
Asher
A
Wishkerman
Steffen
S
Greiner
Miklós
M
Ghyczy
Mihály
M
Boros
Thomas
T
Rausch
Katharina
K
Lenhart
Frank
F
Keppler
D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000378:metabolism*; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism*; D007612:Kanamycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008697:Methane / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D012402:Rotenone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012457:Salicylamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D019810:Sodium Azide / Q000494:pharmacology; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000378:metabolism*; D027843:Vitis / Q000378:metabolism*
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D012457:Salicylamides; D012402:Rotenone; D007612:Kanamycin; C005703:salicylhydroxamic acid; D019810:Sodium Azide; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D008697:Methane