Biogenesis and Evolution of Photosynthetic (Thylakoid) Membranes

Work in molecular phylogeny during the past few years has documented that the biogenesis, maintenance, adaptation, and controlled resorption of thylakoid (photosynthetic) membranes are by far more complex than the requirements for maintaining their function, especially in plants (eukaryotic photoautotrophs). Plants, due to their genome compartmentation that originated in a cohabitation of cells (endosymbiotic events), have evolved an exquisite set of regulatory mechanisms for their energy-transducing organelles. These operate in concert with basically ancient regulatory circuits originating in the organelle ancestors. It appears that the biogenesis of thylakoid membranes, as that of chloroplasts in general, cannot be understood without knowledge of the history of the cells.     

Light Activation of Purified Aconitase by Washed Thylakoid Membranes of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Purified aconitase, an iron-sulfur protein, from either beef heart mitochondria or pig heart can be activated fully by light when combined with washed thylakoid membranes from pea (Pisum sativum L.) chloroplasts. The light activation of the enzyme does not require any other additive or cofactor and is sensitive to 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea, 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol, ferricyanide, and methyl viologen, indicating that the photoelectron transport system of the thylakoid membranes, and in particular, photosystem I, is involved in the process of activation. Light activation of the enzyme is also markedly inhibited when the thylakoid membranes are treated with sulfite or arsenite, and abolished totally when the membranes are treated with Zwittergent, suggesting that the light effect mediator involved in the light modulation of chloroplastic enzymes mediates the activation of purified aconitase also.     

Composition and Function of Thylakoid Membranes from Grana-rich and Grana-deficient Chloroplast Mutants of Barley

Chlorophyll-deficient barley (Hordeum vulgare) mutants were studied that had chlorophyll a/b ratios either higher or lower than the wild type. Mutants with high ratios (>5.2) had a reduced proportion of their photosynthetic lamellae appressed into grana (“grana-deficient” mutants) compared with wild type (chlorophyll a/b = 3.2), while the majority of lamellae in the chloroplasts with low chlorophyll a/b ratios (2.0-2.4) were organized into grana (“grana-rich” mutants).     

Light Activation of Rubisco by Rubisco Activase and Thylakoid Membranes

A reconstituted system comprising ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase(rubisco), rubisco activase, washed thylakoid membranes, andATP was used to demonstrate a light-dependent stimulation ofrubisco activation. ATP, ribulose bisphosphate, H⁺, and Mg²⁺concentrations are normally light-dependent variables in thechloroplast but were maintained at pre-determined levels. Resultsindicated that rubisco activase and washed thylakoid membranesare sufficient to catalyze light stimulation of rubisco activationwith the reconstituted system, and that rubisco activase isrequired for this light stimulation. The washed thylakoid membranesdid not exhibit rubisco activase activity, nor was rubisco activaseprotein detected immunologically. Light-dependent activationof rubisco in the reconstituted system was similar in whole-chainand PS I electron transport reactions, and saturated at approximately100 µmol photons m^–2 s^–1. ¹ Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, LouisianaTech University, Ruston, LA 71272, U.S.A.     

Composition and Characteristic Differences in Photosynthetic Membranes of Two Ecotypes of Reed (Phragmites communis L.) from Different Habitats

As compared with the swamp reed (SR) ecotype of Phragmites communis growing in the desert region of northwest China, plants of the dune reed (DR) ecotype from the same region possessed lower chlorophyll (Chl) content in leaves, and less thylakoids and grana stacks in chloroplasts. Tube gel electrophoresis without stain showed that the contents of Chl-protein (Pro) components related to photosystem 2 (PS2) were markedly lower in the DR thylakoid membranes than in the SR thylakoid membranes, while the contents of Chl-Pro components associated with PS1 were almost the same in both types. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the content of polypeptides of the light-harvesting Chl a/b complex of PS2 (LHC2) was lower in the DR thylakoids. Besides, the conformation of LHC2 within the DR thylakoid membranes was also altered as indicated by circular dichroism spectra. Hence in the DR, reduced energy harvesting by declining the size of LHC2 might be responsible for the down-regulated PS2 activity. Chl fluorescence parameters. F_v/F_m and quantum efficiency of PS2 (_PS2), were lower in the DR leaves than in the SR ones. However, non-photochemical quenching coefficient (q_N) was greater in DR than that in SR, implying other energy dissipation way exists in the DR photosynthetic membranes.     

Effect of Different Light Quality on Photosynthetic Characteristics of Cucumber Leaves

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cultivar "Changchun Mici") seedlings were cultured in Hoagland solution under irradiation with different light spectra (8 h per day) for 20 days. The red light (λmax 658 nm, λ1/2 25 nm), blue light (λmax 450 nm, λ1/2 43 nm) and white fluorescent light possessed the same fluent rate (20 μmol· m-2·s-1 ). The experimental results showed that chlorophyll content of the leaves grown under white light was 7 % and 22.4% higher than those in red and blue light, respectively. Compared with white and blue light, red light induced a lower Chl a/b ratio and a higher level of Chl b in the cucumber leaves. Measurements of the low temperature (77 K) fluorescence emission spectra and kinetics of Chl a fluorescence induction of the leaves proved that the leaves grown under red light expressed the highest PSⅡ and the lowest PSⅠactivities while the leaves under blue light had the lowest PSⅡand the highest PSⅠ activities. The O2 evolution rate of red light-grown leaves was 44.9% higher than that of the white light-grown leaves, while blue light effect was similar to that of white in respect of O2 evolution. It is concluded that light quality is an important factor in regulating the development and activities of PSⅡ and PSⅡand the O2 evolution of photosynthesis in cucumber leaves.     

The Effects of Illumination on the Xanthophyll Composition of the Photosystem II Light-Harvesting Complexes of Spinach Thylakoid Membranes

The xanthophyll composition of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b proteins of photosystem II (LHCII) has been determined for spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves after dark adaptation and following illumination under conditions optimized for conversion of violaxanthin into zeaxanthin. Each of the four LHCII components was found to have a unique xanthophyll composition. The major carotenoid was lutein, comprising 60% of carotenoid in the bulk LHCIIb and 35 to 50% in the minor LHCII components LHCIIa, LHCIIc, and LHCIId. The percent of carotenoid found in the xanthophyll cycle pigments was approximately 10 to 15% in LHCIIb and 30 to 40% in LHCIIa, LHCIIc, and LHCIId. The xanthophyll cycle was active for the pigments bound to all of the LHCII components. The extent of deepoxidation for complexes prepared from light-treated leaves was 27, 65, 69, and 43% for LHCIIa, -b, -c, and -d, respectively. These levels of conversion of violaxanthin to zeaxanthin were found in LHCII prepared by three different isolation procedures. It was estimated that approximately 50% of the zeaxanthin associated with photosystem II is in LHCIIb and 30% is associated with the minor LHCII components.     

根施甜菜碱对干旱胁迫下小麦幼苗类囊体膜组分和功能的影响

干旱胁迫造成两小麦品系类囊体膜上的单半乳糖脂甘油二酯(MGDG)、双半乳糖脂甘油二酯(DGDG)、磷脂酰胆碱(PG)以及叶绿素含量显著下降,甜菜碱预处理能缓解这些组分的下降.干旱胁迫下,抗旱型小麦品系HF9 70 3的硫代异鼠李糖甘油二酯(SQDG)、反式十六碳-烯酸[16:1(3t)]含量显著上升,MGDG中亚麻酸(18:3)相对含量显著下降;而干旱敏感型品系SN215953则表现为SQDG、16:1(3t)含量显著下降,MGDG中脂肪酸变化不明显,这可能是两个小麦品系抗旱性差异的重要原因之一;甜菜碱处理能显著减小干旱处理与对照之间的差异,且对SN215953的作用较HF9703大.另外,干旱胁迫引起类囊体膜上Ca2 -ATPase活性、Hill反应活性及叶片净光合速率下降,外源甜菜碱能缓解其下降趋势.     

盐酸胍对大麦类囊体膜能量分配和电子传递的影响

本文以大麦叶片为实验材料,研究了盐酸胍修饰对类囊体膜能量分配及电子传递的影响。结果表明：盐酸胍处理类囊体膜,室温下Ｆ６８５荧光强度,随着盐酸胍浓度的增加而逐渐下降。盐酸胍处理导致类囊体膜在低温（７７Ｋ）下Ｆ６８５／Ｆ７８６比值下降,并随着盐酸胍浓度的增加而加剧。盐酸胍处理抑制类囊体膜以Ｈ２Ｏ为电子供体的ＤＣＩＰ光还原速度和Ｃｈｌａ诱导荧光产率,这种抑制作用可分别为加入ＰＳＩＩ的人工电子供体ＤＰＣ和     

Photosynthetic Performance and Pigment Composition of Leaves from two Tropical Species is Determined by Light Quality

Abstract: A suitable light quantity and quality is essential for optimal photosynthetic metabolism. Using combinations of three lamp types, the impact of the quality of artificial light conditions on the photosynthetic apparatus of leaves developed in growth chambers was analysed. The VIALOX‐Planta lamps are quite poor outside the green to orange (520 ‐ 620 nm) wavelength range, while the HQI‐BT lamps present a more uniform spectral intensity between 425 and 650 nm (blue to red). The halogen lamps are particularly rich in the red and far red range of the electromagnetic spectra. The lamps also differ in the red: far red ratio, which were 3.07 (VIALOX), 2.06 (HQI‐BT) and 1.12 (halogen). Clear positive effects were detected in most of the photosynthetic parameters in relation to light quality, both at stomatal and mesophyll levels. Despite some species‐dependent sensitivity to blue and red/far red wavelengths, observed among the studied parameters, the best photosynthetic performances of the test plants (Packyrhizus ahipa and Piatã, a hybrid of Coffea dewevrei×Coffea arabica) were obtained almost always with the reinforcement of blue (HQI‐BT lamps), red and far red (halogen lamps) wavelengths and with a red: far red ratio closer to that observed in nature. This suggests the involvement of more than one photoreceptor family in photosynthetic performance. Under such light conditions, increases in net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were observed and, despite the moderate effects on photosynthetic capacity, strong effects were observed in the capture and transfer of light energy in the antennae pigments, photochemical efficiency of photosystem II and electron transport. This was related to the striking quantitative and qualitative impacts observed on total chlorophylls and carotenoids, which reached, in some cases, increases of 100 and 200 %, respectively. Among carotenoids, increases as high as 9‐fold for α‐carotene were observed (P. ahipa), with chlorophyll (a/b), total (chlorophyll/carotenoid) and carotene (α/β) ratios also strongly affected. This would have affected the structure and stability of photosynthetic membranes which, in turn, affected photosynthetic‐related processes (e.g., antennae pigments, photosystem II and electron transport efficiencies). This was particularly clear in the HQI + halogen treatment. The results unequivocally show that light quality could remain a clear limiting factor for leaf/plant development under artificial light conditions, which could be overcome using more than one lamp type, with complementary emission spectra.     

Stimulation of Delayed Light Emission by Salt Gradients and Estimation of the Relative Ionic Permeabilities of the Thylakoid Membranes

The sudden addition of various salts to pre-illuminated ohloroplastsenhances the rate of delayed light-emission. It is argued thatthis stimulation of luminescence is, with some salts, due entirelyto the electrical potential developed as the ions diffuse acrossthe thylakoid membranes. By varying the magnitude of the concentrationgradients and applying the Goldman voltage equation it has beenpossible to obtain quantitative estimates for the relative ionicpermeabilities of the thylakoids. It seems that chloride permeatesas much as 10 times slower than K⁺. Predictions of the effectsof using mixed salt solutions and of preincubation of the chloroplastswith salt at various levels have been made and tested experimentally.From this it is apparent that the action of salts of weak acids,such as benzoic acid, although particularly effective in stimulatingluminescence, cannot be satisfactorily explained on the diffusionpotential hypothesis. Over all the results seem to give quantitative information onthe relative ionic permeabilities of the thylakoids and supportsthe model that delayed light may originate from a charge transfercomplex specifically orientated in this membrane system.     

Effect of 6-Benzylaminopurine on the Structure of the Photosynthetic Apparatus of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.)

The level of endogenous cytokinins changed with growth and development of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) leaves. Typical of juvenile leaves, amounting to 25% of the final leaf size (S _max), was a low content of these plant hormones. The level of cytokinins increased in growing leaves (50% of S _max) and decreased in leaves that stopped growing. The content of cytokinins in senescent leaves dropped considerably. Exogenous treatment with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) had no effect on the structure of the terminal phloem; however, it did (1) stimulate elongation of mesophyll cells; (2) increase the area and thickness of the leaf blade, amount of photosynthetic pigments, and assimilation potential; and (3) delay senescence of the leaves and defoliation, thereby increasing the biomass of the aboveground plant part. It is inferred that BAP has the potential for inducing the development of photosynthetic apparatus and increasing the yield of the green mass of faba bean.     

冠层结构对梨叶片光合特性及果实品质的影响

冠层结构是影响果树生长发育及丰产优质的重要因素。该研究以20年生‘玉露香’梨大冠分层树形为对照(CK),以冠层整形修剪后的3、4和5个主枝的开心树形为处理(分别记为OCC_(3b)、OCC_(4b)和OCC_(5b)),测定了冠层截获的光合有效辐射、叶片的气体交换、叶绿素荧光和果实品质特性,探讨不同冠层结构内光环境的变化对梨树叶片光合特性及果实品质的影响,探讨果树的光合调控和结实规律,为西北黄土高原产区果树的标准化整形修剪提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)OCC_(3b)、OCC_(4b)和OCC_(5b)的冠层不同方位和不同时刻截获的光合有效辐射(PAR)均高于CK。与CK和OCC_(5b)相比,OCC_(3b)和OCC_(4b)叶片光响应的最大净光合速率(P_(nmax))和羧化效率(CE)显著提高。(2)在强光胁迫下,开心树形叶片光呼吸速率(P_r)占总光合速率(P_g)的比例(P_r/P_g)和非光化学淬灭(NPQ)中可恢复组分r(qE)提高,同时不可恢复组分r(qI)降低。(3)OCC_(3b)和OCC_(4b)比OCC_(5b)和CK的单果重、果面红晕面积、果皮花青苷含量、可溶性固形物含量和可溶性总糖含量均显著提高,而可滴定酸含量显著降低。(4)PAR与果面着色面积和果皮花青苷含量呈极显著正相关关系,P_(nmax)与单果重呈极显著正相关关系,而PAR和P_(nmax)均与可滴定酸呈极显著负相关关系。研究发现,OCC_(3b)和OCC_(4b)的梨树冠层内可截获更多的光能,叶片光合能力更强,遭遇强光胁迫时能够通过更高效的热耗散和光呼吸进行自我保护,而且开心形树冠结构还能显著提升果实品质。     

The Effect of Light on the Osmotic Behaviour of the Plumular Hook

Exposure to light brings about a fall in the plasmolyticallydetermined osmotic pressure of the cells of the plumular hookof Vicia to about half the ‘dark’ value. Analysesand conductivity measurements show that light causes a smallrise in osmotically active solutes, which is confirmed by cryoscopicmeasurements. The contradiction lies in an abnormally high ‘dark’plasmolytic value, which is not attributable to entry of theplasmolysing solute; it is tentatively suggested that this isan imbibition phenomenon, and that the effect of light is todecrease the affinity for water by promoting a rise in molecularweight of the cell proteins.     

The Effect of Rain Forest Canopy Architecture on the Distribution of Epiphytic Ferns (Asplenium spp.) in Sabah, Malaysia

Epiphytic plants are a dominant component of the rain forest canopy biota. They represent a significant proportion of canopy plant biomass and diversity, play a key role in nutrient cycling, and support highly abundant and diverse animal communities. Understanding the factors affecting their distribution in this three-dimensional habitat is consequently of great importance, not least because they may be particularly vulnerable to climate change and habitat conversion. Here we investigate how canopy architecture affects the distribution of two species of bird's nest fern ( Asplenium spp.) in pristine rain forest. Both species were found at high abundances ( Asplenium phyllitidis : 136/ha, SE ± 31.6, Asplenium nidus : 44/ha, SE ± 9.2) and their distributions were differentially affected by canopy architecture. Asplenium phyllitidis was found only at heights < 30 m in areas with a thicker lower canopy layer. Asplenium nidus was found at all heights in the canopy and was associated with emergent trees and areas with an open understory. Larger A. phyllitidis were found higher in the canopy while larger A. nidus were found on trunks and branches with a wider diameter. Asplenium nidus seems adapted to withstand the hot dry conditions in the upper canopy and in gaps, and its size is consequently limited only by the size of its support. Asplenium phyllitidis is dominant in areas that are cooler and damper, and so the growth rate of individuals may be limited by light levels. We discuss possible implications of this partitioning for epiphyte communities in the face of climate change and habitat conversion.
     

光质对水稻幼苗初级氮同化的影响

Pure blue(BL) or red light (RL) were obtained by filtering blue or red fluorescent lamp light through plastic filters. With the same intensity of white light(WL) as control, the effects of light quality on the primary nitrogen assimilation of rice seedlings were studied. Irradiation for 2-6 h with BL promoted the uptake of NO-3, the induction of nitrate reductase (NR), and the increase of the NO-3 content in the etiolated seedlings.Seedlings grown under BL for 5-7 d had higher activities of NR, NIR (nitrite reductase) GOGAT (glutamate synthase) as well as GS (glutamine synthetase) than those under WL. However, for more than 10 days under BL, the levels of these enzymes became lower than those of the seedlings under WL. Compared with BL or WL, RL was less effective on the primary nitrogen assimilation.     

光照强度对烤烟光合特性及其生长和品质的影响

以NC89烟草品种为材料,用白纱布遮荫研究了100%、80%、50%和20%全光照处理对烤烟生长发育、光合特性及化学成分的影响.结果表明:(1)随光照强度的减弱,植株茎杆变细,叶片的长宽比增加,叶片数减少,出叶速度变慢,干物质重逐渐减少,并以80%的全光照条件下的株高、叶面积最大.(2)净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr)、叶绿素a/b值均随光照减弱而逐渐下降,胞间CO2浓度(Ci)、叶绿素含量逐渐升高;叶绿素荧光参数Fm、ФPSⅡ、Fv/Fm、QP值逐渐增加.(3)烟碱、淀粉、还原糖、水溶性总糖、总酚含量随光照减弱而降低,而总氮和钾含量升高.综合分析各项测定指标发现,在大于或等于80%全光照(光照强度为770~1 125μmol?m-2?s-1)条件下,烤烟的生长指标变化不大,品质指标符合不同卷烟工业需要,适合优质烟叶的生产.     

光照强度对金果榄光合特性和生长品质的影响

目的:探讨不同光照强度对金果榄植株光合特性和生长的影响.方法:设置光照强度为自然光强的100％、52.7％、33.2％和15.8％四种处理,测定其光合速率等生理指标、叶绿素、生物产量及活性成分含量的变化.结果:1.低光照强度处理的光合速率均高于100％自然光照处理,33.2％处理最高,显著地高于52.7％处理和15.8...