title: Production of ketocarotenoids in tobacco alters the photosynthetic efficiency by reducing photosystem II supercomplex and LHCII trimer stability.
abstract: The consequences of ketocarotenoid production in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants expressing a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii gene encoding a β-carotene ketolase were examined concerning the functionality of the photosynthetic apparatus. T1 plants produced less photosynthetic pigments per dry weight, but Chl a/Chl b ratios remained unchanged. Almost as much ketocarotenoids as accessory xanthophylls accumulated per Chl a molecule. These ketocarotenoids were found mainly in the thylakoid membranes, but were not functionally bound to light-harvesting complexes, although LHCII is known to be able to bind astaxanthin. On the contrary, high amounts of ketocarotenoids probably changed the properties of the lipid phase of the thylakoids, thereby reducing the stability of photosystem II supercomplexes and LHCII trimers and ultimately decreasing grana formation. In addition, photosystem II function in electron transport was impaired, and plants exhibited less non-photochemical quenching compared to wild-type plants. Thus, in order not to disturb vital functions of the plants, production of astaxanthin and other nutritionally valuable ketocarotenoids apparently requires ways to sequester the additional carotenoids to plastoglobuli.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438, Frankfurt/M., Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Röding
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dietzel
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schlicke
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandmann
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Büchel
mesh_terms: D020418:Algal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016825:Chlamydomonas reinhardtii / Q000235:genetics; D004579:Electron Transport / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000378:metabolism; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020418:Algal Proteins; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D002338:Carotenoids; D010105:Oxygenases; C093259:beta-carotene ketolase