Impact of iron deficiency and iron re-supply during the early stages of vegetative development in maize (Zea mays L.)

The consequences of iron deficiency and iron re-supply were evaluated during the early stages of growth and development of young maize plantlets grown hydroponically in the absence of iron. Various parameters, such as fresh and dry weights, and the concentration of chlorophylls, iron, copper, manganese, calcium, magnesium and potassium in leaves, were measured at various times during the first 15 d of culture. Ten-day-old maize plantlets grown without iron displayed severe alterations, with a 50% decrease in iron and chlorophyll concentrations in leaves, and serious impairments in mitochondria and chloroplast ultrastructure. In contrast, neither leaf nor root growth, nor other mineral concentrations other than iron were significantly affected at this stage of development. In an attempt to characterize proteins potentially involved in iron nutrition or the adaptative response to iron starvation, comparative 2D-gel electrophoretic analysis of polypeptides was carried out on soluble and membrane fractions prepared from leaves and roots of iron-deficient and iron-sufficient 10-d-old maize plantlets. Two polypeptides (11 and 17 kDa, pI of about 6.8) from the microsomal fraction of leaves were found to be repressed under iron-deficient conditions. Some other polypeptides were found to he induced in microsomal fractions either from roots or leaves. Significant variations in the concentration of most of these polypeptides were observed from one experiment to another. It can be concluded from this study that, at this early stage of maize vegetative growth and development, molecular variations induced by iron deficiency do not affect major house-keeping proteins, but probably affect very specific events depending on low abundance proteins.     

Fluorescence decay kinetics of mutants of corn deficient in photosystem I and photosystem II

The fast fluorescence decay kinetics of two photosynthetic mutants of corn (Zea mays) have been compared with those of normal corn. The fluorescence of normal corn can be resolved into three exponential decay components of lifetime 900–1500 ps (slow), 300–500 ps (middle) and 50–120 ps (fast), the yields of which are affected by light intensity and Mg²⁺ levels. The Photosystem II-(PS II)-defective mutant hcf-3 has similar decay lifetimes (approx. 1200, 450 and 100 ps) but is not affected by light intensity, reflecting the absence of PS II charge recombination. However, yields do respond to Mg²⁺ in a fashion typical of normal corn, which may be correlated with the presence of normal levels of light-harvesting chlorophyll a + b complex (LHCP). The PS I mutant hcf-50 also shows three-component decay kinetics. In conjunction with the results on the LHCP-deficient mutant of barley presented in a recent paper (Karukstis, K.K. and Sauer, K. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 766, 148–155), these data suggest that the slow component of normal chloroplasts is kinetically controlled by the decay processes of the LHCP and that the energy comes from one of two sources: (a) charge recombination in the reaction centre or (b) energy transferred within or between LHCP units only. The fast component appears to originate from both PS I and PS II. The complex response of the middle component to cations and light intensity, and its presence in all of the mutants, suggests that it also may have multiple origins.     

Effect of copper deficiency on photosynthetic electron transport in wheat plants

Copper deficiency in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Nazareno Stramppeli) markedly affects photosynthetic activity. Flag leaves of copper-deficient plants showed a 50% reduction of the photosynthetic rate expressed as mg CO₂ dm⁻²h⁻¹. The activities of PSI and PSII, determined for isolated chloroplasts, as well as fluorescence measurements on intact leaves of copper-deficient plants, indicated a low activity of photosynthetic electron transport. Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity was not affected by copper deficiency but copper deficiency affected the chloroplast ultrastructure, especially at the level of grana, where a disorganization of thylakoids is evident.     

Strong-light photoinhibition treatment accelerates the changes of protein secondary structures in triton-treated photosystem I and photosystem II complexes

Changes in the protein secondary structure and electron transport activity of the Triton X-100-treated photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) complexes after strong illumination treatment were studied using Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and an oxygen electrode. Short periods of photoinhibitory treatment led to obvious decreases in the rates of PSI-mediated electron transport activity and PSII-mediated oxygen evolution in the native or Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes. In the native PSI and PSII complexes, the protein secondary structures had little changes after the photoinhibitory treatment. However, in both Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes, short photoinhibition times caused significant loss of -helical content and increase of -sheet structure, similar to the conformational changes in samples of Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes after long periods of dark incubation. Our results demonstrate that strong-light treatment to the Triton-treated PSI and PSII complexes accelerates destruction of the transmembrane structure of proteins in the two photosynthetic membranes.     

Evidence for the operation of alternative electron transport routes through photosystem I in intact barley leaves under weak and moderate white light

The functioning of alternative routes of photosynthetic electron transport was analyzed from the kinetics of dark reduction of P700⁺ , an oxidized primary donor of PSI, in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves irradiated by white light of various intensities. Redox changes of P700 were monitored as absorbance changes at 830 nm using PAM 101 specialized device. Irradiation of dark-adapted leaves caused a gradual P700⁺ accumulation, and the steady-state level of oxidized P700 increased with intensity of actinic light. The kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction after a pulse of strong actinic light, assayed from the absorbance changes at 830 nm, was fitted by a single exponential term with a halftime of 10–12 ms. Two slower components were observed in the kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction after leaf irradiation by attenuated actinic light. The contribution of slow components to P700⁺ reduction increased with the decrease in actinic light intensity. Two slow components characterized by halftimes similar to those observed after leaf irradiation by weak white light were found in the kinetics of dark reduction of P700⁺ oxidized in leaves with far-red light specifically absorbed by PSI. The treatment of leaves with methyl viologen, an artificial PSI electron acceptor, significantly accelerated the accumulation of P700⁺ under light. At the same time, the presence of methyl viologen, which inhibits ferredoxin-dependent electron transport around PSI, did not affect three components of the kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction obtained after irradiations with various actinic light intensities. It was concluded that some part of PSI reaction centers was not reduced by electron transfer from PSII under weak or moderate intensities of actinic light. In this population of PSI centers, P700⁺ was reduced via alternative electron transport routes. Insensitivity of the kinetics of P700⁺ dark reduction to methyl viologen evidences that the input of electrons to PSI from the reductants (NADPH or NADH) localized in the chloroplast stroma was effective under those light conditions.Translated from Fiziologiya Rastenii, Vol. 52, No. 1, 2005, pp. 5–11.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Bukhov, Egorova.     

Charge recombination in photosystem I at low temperatures kinetics of electron tunneling

Absorption changes accompanying light-induced P-700 oxidation and the decay of P-700+ in the dark were measured in the temperature range 294-5 K over a broad time scale (three to four orders of magnitude). Two qualitatively different types of kinetics for the dark decay of P-700⁺ were observed. In the 294-240K region, a usual exponential kinetics is observed with the rate constant κ = 1 · 10¹⁰ · exp(-16 000/RT) s^?1, with R in cal/mol per degree. Below 220 K, a rather unusual logarithmic or near-logarithmic kinetics are observed. These kinetics can be explained quantitatively if one assumes for the various (P-700+ ··· X^-) pairs a broad rectangular or near-rectangular distribution over the values of the rate constant. The following kinetic equation corresponding to this model was obtained: n_t/n_o = [In(κ_max/κ_min)]-1 - [In(1/κ_min)? In t] where no and nt are respectively the initial concentration of P-700⁺ and its concentration at time t, and kmax and kmin the maximum and minimum values of the rate constant, respectively. The decay processes observed can be ascribed to electron tunneling. Distribution over the values of k can be accounted for by different environments or different mutual orientations of P-700⁺ and X^?, or by different distances between them in the various reacting pairs.The corresponding distribution function was reconstructed from the experimentally measured P-700+-decay curves. The rate of tunneling was found to be temperature dependent. In the 160-80-K region, the temperature dependence corresponds to an activation energy of 2.9 kcal/mol. Below 80 K, new modes of P-700+ decay with lower activation energy become operative. The tunneling distance for the majority of the (P-700+ ··· X^?) pairs was estimated from the EPR linewidth of P-700+ to exceed 13.2 A.     

Analysis of donors of electrons to photosystem I and cyclic electron flow by redox kinetics of P700 in chloroplasts of isolated bundle sheath strands of maize

Bundle sheath chloroplasts of NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) type C₄ species have a high demand for ATP, while being deficient in linear electron flow and oxidation of water by photosystem II (PSII). To evaluate electron donors to photosystem I (PSI) and possible pathways of cyclic electron flow (CEF1) in isolated bundle sheath strands of maize (Zea mays L.), an NADP-ME species, light-induced redox kinetics of the reaction center chlorophyll of PSI (P700) were followed under aerobic conditions. Donors of electrons to CEF1 are needed to compensate for electrons lost from the cycle. When stromal electron donors to CEF1 are generated during pre-illumination with actinic light (AL), they retard the subsequent rate of oxidation of P700 by far-red light. Ascorbate was more effective than malate in generating stromal electron donors by AL. The generation of stromal donors by ascorbate was inhibited by DCMU, showing ascorbate donates electrons to the oxidizing side of PSII. The inhibitors of NADPH dehydrogenase (NDH), amytal and rotenone, accelerated the oxidation rate of P700 by far-red light after AL, indicating donation of electrons to the intersystem from stromal donors via NDH. These inhibitors, however, did not affect the steady-state level of P700⁺ under AL, which represents a balance of input and output of electrons in P700. In contrast, antimycin A, the inhibitor of the ferredoxin-plastoquinone reductase-dependent CEF1, substantially lowered the level of P700⁺ under AL. Thus, the primary pathway of ATP generation by CEF1 may be through ferredoxin-plastoquinone, while function of CEF1 via NDH may be restricted by low levels of ferredoxin-NADP reductase. NDH may contribute to redox poising of CEF1, or function to generate ATP in linear electron flow to O₂ via PSI, utilizing NADPH generated from malate by chloroplastic NADP-ME.     

Ferredoxin-quinone reductase benefits cyclic electron flow around photosystem 1 in tobacco leaves upon exposure to chilling stress under low irradiance

The function of chloroplast ferredoxin quinone reductase (FQR)-dependent flow was examined by comparing a wild type tobacco and a tobacco transformant (ΔndhB) in which the ndhB gene had been disrupted with their antimycin A (AA)-fed leaves upon exposure to chilling temperature (4 °C) under low irradiance (100 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ photon flux density). During the chilling stress, the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS) 2 (F_v/F_m) decreased markedly in both the controls and AA-fed leaves, and P700⁺ was also lower in AA-fed leaves than in the controls, implying that FQR-dependent cyclic electron flow around PS1 functioned to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from chilling stress under low irradiance. Under such stress, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), particularly the fast relaxing NPQ component (q_f) and the de-epoxidized ratio of the xanthophyll cycle pigments, (A+Z)/(V+A+Z), formed the difference between AA-fed leaves and controls. The lower NPQ in AA-fed leaves might be related to an inefficient proton gradient across thylakoid membranes (ΔpH) because of inhibiting an FQR-dependent cyclic electron flow around PS1 at chilling temperature under low irradiance.     

Quantification of cyclic electron flow around Photosystem I in spinach leaves during photosynthetic induction

The variation of the rate of cyclic electron transport around Photosystem I (PS I) during photosynthetic induction was investigated by illuminating dark-adapted spinach leaf discs with red + far-red actinic light for a varied duration, followed by abruptly turning off the light. The post-illumination re-reduction kinetics of P700⁺, the oxidized form of the photoactive chlorophyll of the reaction centre of PS I (normalized to the total P700 content), was well described by the sum of three negative exponential terms. The analysis gave a light-induced total electron flux from which the linear electron flux through PS II and PS I could be subtracted, yielding a cyclic electron flux. Our results show that the cyclic electron flux was small in the very early phase of photosynthetic induction, rose to a maximum at about 30 s of illumination, and declined subsequently to <10% of the total electron flux in the steady state. Further, this cyclic electron flow, largely responsible for the fast and intermediate exponential decays, was sensitive to 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea, suggesting an important role of redox poising of the cyclic components for optimal function. Significantly, our results demonstrate that analysis of the post-illumination re-reduction kinetics of P700⁺ allows the quantification of the cyclic electron flux in intact leaves by a relatively straightforward method.     

Uptake kinetics of iron-phytosiderophores in two maize genotypes differing in iron efficiency

Iron inefficiency in the maize ( Zea mays L.) mutant ysl is caused by a defect in the uptake system for Fe-phytosiderophores. To characterize this defect further, the uptake kinetics of Fe-phytosiderophores in ysl was compared to the Fe-efficient maize cultivar Alice. Short-term uptake of ⁵⁹Fe-labeled Fe-deoxymugineic acid (Fe-DMA) was measured over a concentration range of 0.03 to 300 μM. Iron uptake in Fe-deficient plants followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics up to about 30 μM and was linear at higher concentrations, indicating two kinetically distinct components in the uptake of Fe-phytosiderophores. The saturable component had similar K_m (∼ 10 μM) in both genotypes. In contrast. V_max was 5.5 μmol Fe-DMA g⁻¹ dry weight [30 min]⁻¹ in Alice, but only 0.6 μmol Fe-DMA g⁻¹ dry weight [30 min]⁻¹ in _ysl. Uptake experiments with double-labeled ⁵⁹Fe-[¹⁴C]DMA suggest that in both cultivars Fe-DMA was taken up by the roots as the intact chelate. The results indicate the existence of a high-affinity and a low-affinity uptake system mediating Fe-phytosiderophore transport across the root plasma membrane in maize. Apparently, the mutation responsible for Fe inefficiency in ysl affected high-affected uptake and led to a decrease in activity and/or number of Fe-phytosiderophore transporters.     

Induction patterns of delayed luminescence from isolated chloroplasts. I. Response of delayed luminescence to changes in the prompt fluorescence yield

1. Using a phosphoroscope, delayed luminescence and prompt chlorophyll fluorescence from isolated chloroplasts have been compared during the induction period.2. Two distinct decay components of delayed luminescence were measured a “fast” component (from ≈1 ms to ≈6 ms) and a “slow” component (at ≈6 ms).3. The fast luminescence component often did not correlate with the fluorescence changes while the slow component significantly changed its intensity during the induction period in a manner which could usually be linearly correlated with variable portion of the fluorescence yield change.4. This correlation was evident after preillumination with far-red light or after allowing a considerable time for dark relaxation.5. The close relationship between the slow luminescence component and variable fluorescence yield was observed with a large range of light intensities and also in the presence of 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea which considerably changes the fluorescence induction kinetics.6. Valinomycin and other antibiotics reduced the amplitude of the 6 ms (slow) luminescence without affecting its relation with the fluorescence induction suggesting possibly that a constant electrical gradient exist in the dark or formed very rapidly in the light, which effects the emission intensity.7. Changes in salt levels of suspending media equally affected the amplitude of both delayed luminescence and variable fluorescence under conditions when the reduction of Q is maximal and constant.8. The results are discussed in terms of several models. It is concluded that the model of independent Photosystem II units together with photosynthetic back reaction concept is incompatible with the data. Other alternative models (the “lake” model and photosynthetic back reaction; recombination of charges in the antenna chlorophyll; the “W” hypothesis) were in closer agreement with the results.     

The cyclic electron pathways around photosystem I in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as determined in vivo by photoacoustic measurements of energy storage

The photoacoustic technique was used to measure energy storage by cyclic electron transfer around photosystem I in intact Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells illuminated with far-red light (>715 nm). The in-vivo cyclic pathway was characterized by investigating the effects of various chemicals on energy storage. Participation of plastoquinone and ferredoxin in the cyclic electron flow was confirmed by the complete suppression of energy storage in the presence of the plastoquinol antagonist 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB) and the ferredoxin inhibitors/competitors methylviologen, phenylmercuric acetate and p-benzoquinone. Two alternative electron cycles are demonstrated to operate in vivo. One cycle is sensitive to antimycin A, myxothiazol and 2-(n-heptyl)-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide (HQNO) and is catalyzed by ferredoxin which reduces plastoquinone through a route involving cytochrome b ₆ and its protonmotive Q-cycle. The other cycle is unaffected by the above-mentioned inhibitors but is sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), an inhibitor of the ferredoxin-NADP reductase, and 2-monophosphoadenosine-5-diphosphoribose (PADR), an analogue of NADP, showing that the electron recycling was mediated by NADPH. Possibly, electrons enter the plastoquinone pool through the action of a NAD(P)H dehydrogenase, which is insensitive to classical inhibitors of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase. Loss of energy storage by photosystem-I-driven cyclic electron transfer in farred light was observed only when antimycin A, myxothiazol or HQNO was used in combination with NEM or PADR. Analysis of the light-intensity dependence and the rate of in-vivo cyclic electron transfer in the presence of various inhibitors indicates that the NADPH-dependent electron-cycle is the preferential cyclic pathway in Chlamydomonas cells illuminated with far-red light.Abbreviations A^max maximal photothermal signal - Cyt cytochrome - DBMIB 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone - DCMU (diuron) 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea - ES photochemical energy storage - FNR ferredoxin NADP⁺ reductase - HQNO 2-(n-heptyl)-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide - NEM N-ethylmaleimide - P₇₀₀ reaction-center pigment of PSI - PADR 2-monophosphoadenosine-5-diphosphoribose - pBQ p-benzoquinone - PMA phenylmercuric acetate We are very grateful to Dr. M.-H. Montane (Cadarache, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France) for her advice in the electroporation experiments.     

Evaluation of strategy I mechanisms in iron efficient and inefficient maize cultivars

The iron (Fe) efficient maize cultivar WF9 and the Fe inefficient maize mutant ys1 were grown in nutrient solutions with varied Fe supply. Changes in pH, reducing capacity of the roots and the release of Fe(III) reducing compounds were monitored over a period of 11 days. In both cultivars under Fe deficiency, there was no increased release of protons or reducing compounds and no increased reducing capacity of the roots. Indeed, the Fe(III) reduction of the roots of both cultivars tended to be higher in Fe sufficient plants. In contrast to some recent reports, these results demonstrate that the Fe efficient maize cultivar WF9 does not respond to Fe deficiency by strategy I mechanisms. This suggests that differences in Fe efficiency between the two cultivars are probably due to use of strategy II mechanisms for Fe acquisition.     

ApcD is necessary for efficient energy transfer from phycobilisomes to photosystem I and helps to prevent photoinhibition in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002

Phycobilisomes (PBS) are the major light-harvesting, protein-pigment complexes in cyanobacteria and red algae. PBS absorb and transfer light energy to photosystem (PS) II as well as PS I, and the distribution of light energy from PBS to the two photosystems is regulated by light conditions through a mechanism known as state transitions. In this study the quantum efficiency of excitation energy transfer from PBS to PS I in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 was determined, and the results showed that energy transfer from PBS to PS I is extremely efficient. The results further demonstrated that energy transfer from PBS to PS I occurred directly and that efficient energy transfer was dependent upon the allophycocyanin-B alpha subunit, ApcD. In the absence of ApcD, cells were unable to perform state transitions and were trapped in state 1. Action spectra showed that light energy transfer from PBS to PS I was severely impaired in the absence of ApcD. An apcD mutant grew more slowly than the wild type in light preferentially absorbed by phycobiliproteins and was more sensitive to high light intensity. On the other hand, a mutant lacking ApcF, which is required for efficient energy transfer from PBS to PS II, showed greater resistance to high light treatment. Therefore, state transitions in cyanobacteria have two roles: (1) they regulate light energy distribution between the two photosystems; and (2) they help to protect cells from the effects of light energy excess at high light intensities.     

EGTA, a calcium chelator, inhibits electron transport in photosystem II of spinach chloroplasts at two different sites

A fifteen minute incubation of spinach chloroplasts with the divalent Ca²⁺ chelator, EGTA, in concentrations 50–250 μM, inhibits electron transport through both photosystems. All photosystem II partial reactions, including indophenol, ferricyanide and the DCMU-insensitive silicomolybdate reduction are inhibited from 70–100%. The photosystem II donor reaction, diphenyl carbazide → indophenol, is also inhibited, indicating that the inhibition site comes after the Mn²⁺ site, and that the first Ca²⁺ effect noted (site II) is not on the water oxidation enzyme, as is commonly assumed, but between the Mn²⁺ site and plastoquinone A pool. The other photosystem II effect of EGTA (Ca²⁺ site I), occurs in the region between plastoquinone A and P700 in the electron transport chain of chloroplasts. About 50% inhibition of the reaction ascorbate + TMPD → methyl viologen is given by incubation with 200 μM EGTA for 15 min. Ca²⁺ site II activity can be restored with 20 mM CaCl₂. Ca²⁺ site I responds to Ca²⁺ and plastocyanin added jointly. More than 90% activity in the ascorbate + TMPD → methylviologen reaction can be restored. Various ways in which Ca²⁺ ions could affect chloroplast structure and function are discussed. Since EGTA is more likely to penetrate chloroplast membranes than EDTA, which is known to remove CF₁, the coupling factor, from chloroplast membranes, and since Mg²⁺ ions are ineffective in restoring activity, it is concluded that Ca²⁺ may function in the electron transport chain of chloroplasts in a hitherto unsuspected manner.     

Structure and function of wild-type and subunit-depleted photosystem I in Synechocystis

The ability of photosynthetic organisms to use the sun's light as a sole source of energy sustains life on our planet. Photosystems I (PSI) and II (PSII) are large, multi-subunit, pigment–protein complexes that enable photosynthesis, but this intriguing process remains to be explained fully. Currently, crystal structures of these complexes are available for thermophilic prokaryotic cyanobacteria. The mega-Dalton trimeric PSI complex from thermophilic cyanobacterium, Thermosynechococcus elongatus, was solved at 2.5?Å resolution with X-ray crystallography. That structure revealed the positions of 12 protein subunits (PsaA-F, PsaI-M, and PsaX) and 127 cofactors.Although mesophilic organisms perform most of the world's photosynthesis, no well-resolved trimeric structure of a mesophilic organism exists. Our research model for a mesophilic cyanobacterium was Synechocystis sp. PCC6803. This study aimed to obtain well-resolved crystal structures of [1] a monomeric PSI with all subunits, [2] a trimeric PSI with a reduced number of subunits, and [3] the full, trimeric wild-type PSI complex. We only partially succeeded with the first two structures, but we successfully produced the trimeric PSI structure at 2.5?Å resolution. This structure was comparable to that of the thermophilic species, but we provided more detail. The PSI trimeric supercomplex consisted of 33 protein subunits, 72 carotenoids, 285 chlorophyll a molecules, 51 lipids, 9 iron-sulfur clusters, 6 plastoquinones, 6 putative calcium ions, and over 870 water molecules.This study showed that the structure of the PSI in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 differed from previously described PSI structures. These findings have broadened our understanding of PSI structure.     

AS-1 cyanophage infection inhibits the photosynthetic electron flow of photosystem II in Synechococcus sp. PCC 6301, a cyanobacterium

In Synechococcus sp. cells AS-1 cyanophage infection gradually inhibits the photosystem II mediated photosynthetic electron flow whereas the activity of photosystem I is apparently unaffected by the cyanophage infection. Transient fluorescence induction and flash-induced delayed luminescence decay studies revealed that the inhibition may occur at the level of the secondary acceptor, Q_B of photosystem II. In addition, the breakdown of D₁-protein is inhibited, comparable to DCMU-induced protection of D₁-protein turnover, in AS-1-infected cells.     

Multiple pathways of charge recombination revealed by the temperature dependence of electron transfer kinetics in cyanobacterial photosystem I

The kinetics of charge recombination in Photosystem I P₇₀₀-F_A/F_B complexes and P₇₀₀-F_X cores lacking the terminal iron?sulfur clusters were studied over a temperatures range of 310 K to 4.2 K. Analysis of the charge recombination kinetics in this temperature range allowed the assignment of backward electron transfer from the different electron acceptors to P₇₀₀⁺. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of these recombination reactions were determined. The kinetics of all electron transfer reactions were activation-less below 170 K, the glass transition temperature of the water-glycerol solution. Above this temperature, recombination from [F_A/F_B]^? in P₇₀₀-F_A/F_B complexes was found to proceed along two pathways with different activation energies (E_a). The charge recombination via A_1A has an E_a of ~290 meV and is dominant at temperatures above ~280 K, whereas the direct recombination from F_X^? has an E_a of 22 meV and is prevalent in the 200 K to 270 K temperature range. Charge recombination from the F_X cluster becomes highly heterogeneous at temperatures below 200 K. The conformational mobility of Photosystem I was studied by molecular dynamics simulations. The F_X cluster was found to ‘swing’ by ~30° along the axis between the two sulfur atoms proximal to F_A/F_B. The partial rotation of F_X is accompanied by significant changes of electric potential within the iron?sulfur cluster, which may induce preferential electron localization at different atoms of the F_X cluster. These effects may account for the partial arrest of forward electron transfer and for the heterogeneity of charge recombination observed at the glass transition temperature.     

Electrogenic reduction of the primary electron donor P700 by plastocyanin in photosystem I complexes

An electrometric technique was used to investigate electron transfer between spinach plastocyanin (Pc) and photooxidized primary electron donor P700 in photosystem I (PS I) complexes from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. In the presence of Pc, the fast unresolvable kinetic phase of membrane potential generation related to electron transfer between P700 and the terminal iron–sulfur acceptor F_B was followed by additional electrogenic phases in the microsecond and millisecond time scales, which contribute approximately 20% to the overall electrogenicity. These phases are attributed to the vectorial electron transfer from Pc to the protein-embedded chlorophyll dimer P700⁺ within the PsaA/PsaB heterodimer. The observed rate constant of the millisecond kinetic phase exhibited a saturation profile at increasing Pc concentration, suggesting the formation of a transient complex between Pc and PS I with the dissociation constant K_d of about 80 μM. A small but detectable fast electrogenic phase was observed at high Pc concentration. The rate constant of this phase was independent of Pc concentration, indicating that it is related to a first-order process.     

Genotype-specific differences in chilling tolerance of maize in relation to chilling-induced changes in water status and abscisic acid accumulation

Four inbred maize lines differing in chilling tolerance were used to study changes in water status and abscisic acid (ABA) levels before, during and after a chilling period. Seedlings were raised in fertilized soil at 24/22°C (day/night), 70% relative humidity. and a 12-h photoperiod with 200 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ from fluorescent tubes. At an age of 2 weeks the plants were conditioned at 14/12°C for 4 days and then chilled for 5 days at 5/3°C. The other conditions (relative humidity, quantum flux, photoperiod) were unchanged. After the chilling period the plants were transferred to the original conditions for recovery. The third leaves were used to study changes in leaf necrosis, ion efflux, transpiration, water status and ABA accumulation. Pronounced differences in chilling tolerance between the 4 lines as estimated by necrotic leaf areas, ion efflux and whole plant survival were observed. Conditioning significantly increased tolerance against chilling at 5/3°C in all genotypes. The genotypes with low chilling tolerance had lower water and osmotic potentials than the more tolerant genotypes during a chilling period at 5/3°C. These differences were related to higher transpiration rates and lower diffusive resistance values of the more susceptible lines. During chilling stress at 5/3°C ABA levels were quadrupled. Only a small rise was measurable during conditioning at 14/12°C. However, conditioning enhanced the rise of ABA during subsequent chilling. ABA accumulation in the two lines with a higher chilling tolerance was triggered at a higher leaf water potential and reached higher levels than in the less tolerant lines. We conclude that chilling tolerance in maize is related to the ability for fast and pronounced formation of ABA as a protective agent against chilling injury.