A Protein Phosphorylation Threshold for Functional Stacking of Plant Photosynthetic Membranes

Phosphorylation of photosystem II (PSII) proteins affects macroscopic structure of thylakoid photosynthetic membranes in chloroplasts of the model plant Arabidopsis. In this study, light-scattering spectroscopy revealed that stacking of thylakoids isolated from wild type Arabidopsis and the mutant lacking STN7 protein kinase was highly influenced by cation (Mg⁺⁺) concentrations. The stacking of thylakoids from the stn8 and stn7stn8 mutants, deficient in STN8 kinase and consequently in light-dependent phosphorylation of PSII, was increased even in the absence of Mg⁺⁺. Additional PSII protein phosphorylation in wild type plants exposed to high light enhanced Mg⁺⁺-dependence of thylakoid stacking. Protein phosphorylation in the plant leaves was analyzed during day, night and prolonged darkness using three independent techniques: immunoblotting with anti-phosphothreonine antibodies; Diamond ProQ phosphoprotein staining; and quantitative mass spectrometry of peptides released from the thylakoid membranes by trypsin. All assays revealed dark/night-induced increase in phosphorylation of the 43 kDa chlorophyll-binding protein CP43, which compensated for decrease in phosphorylation of the other PSII proteins in wild type and stn7, but not in the stn8 and stn7stn8 mutants. Quantitative mass spectrometry determined that every PSII in wild type and stn7 contained on average 2.5±0.1 or 1.4±0.1 phosphoryl groups during day or night, correspondingly, while less than every second PSII had a phosphoryl group in stn8 and stn7stn8. It is postulated that functional cation-dependent stacking of plant thylakoid membranes requires at least one phosphoryl group per PSII, and increased phosphorylation of PSII in plants exposed to high light enhances stacking dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes.     

The structure of photosystem II in Arabidopsis: localization of the CP26 and CP29 antenna complexes

A genetic approach has been adopted to investigate the organization of the light-harvesting proteins in the photosystem II (PSII) complex in plants. PSII membrane fragments were prepared from wild-type Arabidopis thaliana and plants expressing antisense constructs to Lhcb4 and Lhcb5 genes, lacking CP29 and CP26, respectively (Andersson et al. (2001) Plant Cell 13, 1193-1204). Ordered PS II arrays and PS II supercomplexes were isolated from the membranes of plants lacking CP26 but could not be prepared from those lacking CP29. Membranes and supercomplexes lacking CP26 were less stable than those prepared from the wild type. Transmission electron microscopy aided by single-particle image analysis was applied to the ordered arrays and the isolated PSII complexes. The difference between the images obtained from wild type and antisense plants showed the location of CP26 to be near CP43 and one of the light-harvesting complex trimers. Therefore, the location of the CP26 within PSII was directly established for the first time, and the location of the CP29 complex was determined by elimination. Alterations in the packing of the PSII complexes in the thylakoid membrane also resulted from the absence of CP26. The minor light-harvesting complexes each have a unique location and important roles in the stabilization of the oligomeric PSII structure.     

Core protein phosphorylation facilitates the repair of photodamaged photosystem II at high light

Phosphorylation of photosystem II (PSII) reaction center protein D1 has been hypothesised to function as a signal for the migration of photodamaged PSII core complex from grana membranes to stroma lamellae for concerted degradation and replacement of the photodamaged D1 protein. Here, by using the mutants with impaired capacity (stn8) or complete lack (stn7 stn8) in phosphorylation of PSII core proteins, the role of phosphorylation in PSII photodamage and repair was investigated. We show that the lack of PSII core protein phosphorylation disturbs the disassembly of PSII supercomplexes at high light, which is a prerequisite for efficient migration of damaged PSII complexes from grana to stroma lamellae for repair. This results in accumulation of photodamaged PSII complexes, which in turn results, upon prolonged exposure to high light (HL), in general oxidative damage of photosynthetic proteins in the thylakoid membrane.     

Phosphoproteomics of Arabidopsis chloroplasts reveals involvement of the STN7 kinase in phosphorylation of nucleoid protein pTAC16

Light-regulated protein kinases STN7 and STN8 phosphorylate thylakoid membrane proteins and also affect expression of several chloroplast proteins via yet unknown mechanisms. Comparative phosphoproteomics of acetic acid protein extracts of chloroplasts from Arabidopsis thaliana wild type, stn7, stn8 and stn7stn8 mutants yielded two previously unknown findings: (i) neither STN7 nor STN8 kinase was required for phosphorylation of Ser-48 in Lhcb1.1-1.3 proteins; and (ii) phosphorylation of Thr-451 in pTAC16 protein was STN7-dependent. pTAC16 was found distributed between thylakoids and nucleoid. Its knockout did not affect the nucleoid protein composition and the Thr-451 phosphorylated protein was excluded from the nucleoid. Thr-451 of pTAC16 is conserved in all studied plants and its phosphorylation may regulate membrane-anchoring functions of the nucleoid.     

The STN8 kinase‐PBCP phosphatase system is responsible for high‐light‐induced reversible phosphorylation of the PSII inner antenna subunit CP29 in rice

Reversible phosphorylation of thylakoid light‐harvesting proteins is a mechanism to compensate for unbalanced excitation of photosystem I (PSI) versus photosystem II (PSII) under limiting light. In monocots, an additional phosphorylation event on the PSII antenna CP29 occurs upon exposure to excess light, enhancing resistance to light stress. Different from the case of the major LHCII antenna complex, the STN7 kinase and its related PPH1 phosphatase were proven not to be involved in CP29 phosphorylation, indicating that a different set of enzymes act in the high‐light (HL) response. Here, we analyze a rice stn8 mutant in which both PSII core proteins and CP29 phosphorylation are suppressed in HL, implying that STN8 is the kinase catalyzing this reaction. In order to identify the phosphatase involved, we produced a recombinant enzyme encoded by the rice ortholog of AtPBCP, antagonist of AtSTN8, which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of PSII core proteins. The recombinant protein was active in dephosphorylating P‐CP29. Based on these data, we propose that the activities of the OsSTN8 kinase and the antagonistic OsPBCP phosphatase, in addition to being involved in the repair of photo‐damaged PSII, are also responsible for the HL‐dependent reversible phosphorylation of the inner antenna CP29.     

Phosphorylation of Photosystem II Controls Functional Macroscopic Folding of Photosynthetic Membranes in Arabidopsis

Photosynthetic thylakoid membranes in plants contain highly folded membrane layers enriched in photosystem II, which uses light energy to oxidize water and produce oxygen. The sunlight also causes quantitative phosphorylation of major photosystem II proteins. Analysis of the Arabidopsis thaliana stn7xstn8 double mutant deficient in thylakoid protein kinases STN7 and STN8 revealed light-independent phosphorylation of PsbH protein and greatly reduced N-terminal phosphorylation of D2 protein. The stn7xstn8 and stn8 mutants deficient in light-induced phosphorylation of photosystem II had increased thylakoid membrane folding compared with wild-type and stn7 plants. Significant enhancement in the size of stacked thylakoid membranes in stn7xstn8 and stn8 accelerated gravity-driven sedimentation of isolated thylakoids and was observed directly in plant leaves by transmission electron microscopy. Increased membrane folding, caused by the loss of light-induced protein phosphorylation, obstructed lateral migration of the photosystem II reaction center protein D1 and of processing protease FtsH between the stacked and unstacked membrane domains, suppressing turnover of damaged D1 in the leaves exposed to high light. These findings show that the high level of photosystem II phosphorylation in plants is required for adjustment of macroscopic folding of large photosynthetic membranes modulating lateral mobility of membrane proteins and sustained photosynthetic activity.The use of captured sunlight energy to split water and drive oxygenic photosynthesis by photosystem II (PSII) (Barber, 2006) inevitably generates reactive oxygen species and causes oxidative damage to the PSII protein pigment complex. The light-induced damage to PSII, in particular to the D1 reaction center protein, requires PSII repair to sustain its photosynthetic function (Takahashi and Murata, 2008). Impairment and degradation of D1 increase with rising light intensities, and this protein has the fastest turnover rate among the photosynthetic proteins of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria (Yokthongwattana and Melis, 2006). However, in plants, the PSII is segregated in highly stacked membrane layers of very large thylakoid membranes (Andersson and Anderson, 1980; Kirchhoff et al., 2008), which are densely folded to fit inside chloroplasts (Mullineaux, 2005; Shimoni et al., 2005). As a consequence, the PSII repair cycle in plants is slower than in cyanobacteria (Yokthongwattana and Melis, 2006), and it includes migration of the PSII complex from the stacked membrane domains (grana) to the unstacked membranes (stroma lamellae), where proteolysis and insertion of a newly synthesized D1 protein occurs (Baena-Gonzalez and Aro, 2002; Yokthongwattana and Melis, 2006). High light also causes quantitative phosphorylation of the membrane surface–exposed regions of D1, D2, CP43, and PsbH proteins of PSII in plants (Rintamäki et al., 1997; Vener et al., 2001), but the function of this phosphorylation is largely unknown and reports on its importance for the D1 protein turnover are conflicting (Bonardi et al., 2005; Tikkanen et al., 2008).Phosphorylation of the PSII proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana depends mostly on the light-activated protein kinase STN8 (Vainonen et al., 2005), while the STN7 kinase is essential for phosphorylation of the light-harvesting proteins of PSII (Bellafiore et al., 2005; Bonardi et al., 2005; Tikkanen et al., 2006). An earlier study on Arabidopsis mutants lacking both STN7 and STN8 (stn7xstn8), as well as only STN8, concluded that protein phosphorylation was not essential for PSII repair (Bonardi et al., 2005), while more recent work revealed a dramatic retardation in D1 degradation under high light in the stn8 and stn7xstn8 mutants (Tikkanen et al., 2008). Moreover, it was shown that the lack of PSII phosphorylation resulted in accumulation of photodamaged PSII complexes and in general oxidative damage of photosynthetic proteins in the thylakoid membranes under high light (Tikkanen et al., 2008). The other study revealed that the stn7xstn8 double mutant grown under natural field conditions produced 41% less seeds than wild-type plants (Frenkel et al., 2007), which also indicated physiological importance of thylakoid protein phosphorylation in maintenance of plant fitness.To uncover the function of light-dependent protein phosphorylation in plant photosynthetic membranes, we performed a detailed analysis of the Arabidopsis mutants deficient in the protein kinases STN7 and STN8. The earlier published results on protein phosphorylation analyses in the stn7xstn8 mutant of Arabidopsis were restricted to antiphosphothreonine antibody-based immunodetection and did not reveal any phosphorylation of PSII core proteins (Bonardi et al., 2005; Tikkanen et al., 2008). Using a mass spectrometry (MS) approach and immunoblot analyses with two complementary antiphosphothreonine antibodies, we find remaining light-independent phosphorylation of PsbH and D2 proteins of PSII in stn7xstn8. We demonstrate that degradation and aggregation patterns of the D1 protein in stn7xstn8 differ from those in wild-type, stn7, and stn8 plants. We also observe a reproducible delay in the degradation of D1 in high light–treated leaves of stn7xstn8 and stn8 compared with the wild-type and stn7 plants. Finally, we show that phosphorylation of PSII proteins modulates macroscopic rearrangements of the entire membrane network of plant thylakoids, which facilitates lateral mobility of membrane proteins, required for repair and sustained activity of PSII.     

Loss‐of‐function of OsSTN8 suppresses the photosystem II core protein phosphorylation and interferes with the photosystem II repair mechanism in rice (Oryza sativa)

STN8 kinase is involved in photosystem II (PSII) core protein phosphorylation (PCPP). To examine the role of PCPP in PSII repair during high light (HL) illumination, we characterized a T–DNA insertional knockout mutant of the rice (Oryza sativa) STN8 gene. In this osstn8 mutant, PCPP was significantly suppressed, and the grana were thin and elongated. Upon HL illumination, PSII was strongly inactivated in the mutants, but the D1 protein was degraded more slowly than in wild‐type, and mobilization of the PSII supercomplexes from the grana to the stromal lamellae for repair was also suppressed. In addition, higher accumulation of reactive oxygen species and preferential oxidation of PSII reaction center core proteins in thylakoid membranes were observed in the mutants during HL illumination. Taken together, our current data show that the absence of STN8 is sufficient to abolish PCPP in osstn8 mutants and to produce all of the phenotypes observed in the double mutant of Arabidopsis, indicating the essential role of STN8‐mediated PCPP in PSII repair.     

Differential phosphorylation of thylakoid proteins in mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts from maize plants grown under low or high light

In C4 plants, such as maize, the photosynthetic apparatus is partitioned over two cell types called mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS), which have different structure and specialization of the photosynthetic thylakoid membranes. We characterized protein phosphorylation in thylakoids of the two cell types from maize grown under either low or high light. Western blotting with phosphothreonine antibodies and ProQ phosphostaining detected light-dependent changes in the protein phosphorylation patterns. LC-MS/MS with alternating CID and electron transfer dissociation sequencing of peptide ions mapped 15 protein phosphorylation sites. Phosphorylated D2, CP29, CP26, Lhcb2 proteins, and ATPsynthase were found only in M membranes. A previously unknown phosphorylation site was mapped in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase from the BS cells. Phosphorylation stoichiometry was calculated from the ratios of normalized ion currents for phosphorylated to nonphosphorylated peptide pairs from the D1, D2, CP43, and PbsH proteins of photosystem II (PSII). Every PSII in M thylakoids contained on average 1.5 ± 0.1 or 2.3 ± 0.2 phosphoryl groups in plants grown under either low or high light, while in BS membranes the corresponding numbers were 0.25 ± 0.1 or 0.7 ± 0.2, respectively. It is suggested that the phosphorylation level, as well as turnover of PSII depend on the structure of thylakoids.     

STN8 protein kinase in Arabidopsis thaliana is specific in phosphorylation of photosystem II core proteins

Combination of reversed genetics with analyses of in vivo protein phosphorylation in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that STN8 protein kinase is specific in phosphorylation of N-terminal threonine residues in D1, D2, and CP43 proteins, and Thr-4 in the PsbH protein of photosystem II. Phosphorylation of D1, D2, and CP43 in the light-exposed leaves of two Arabidopsis lines with T-DNA insertions in the stn8 gene was found significantly reduced in the assays with anti-phosphothreonine antibodies. Protein phosphorylation in each of the mutants was quantified comparatively to the wild type by mass spectrometric analyses of phosphopeptides released from the photosynthetic membranes and differentially labeled with stable isotopes. The lack of STN8 caused 50-60% reduction in D1 and D2 phosphorylation, but did not change the phosphorylation level of two peptides that could correspond to light-harvesting proteins encoded by seven different genes in Arabidopsis. Phosphorylation of the PsbH protein at Thr-4 was completely abolished in the plants lacking STN8. Phosphorylation of Thr-4 in the wild type required both light and prior phosphorylation at Thr-2, indicating that STN8 is a light-activated kinase that phosphorylates Thr-4 only after another kinase phosphorylates Thr-2. Analysis of the STN8 catalytic domain suggests that selectivity of STN8 in phosphorylation of the very N-terminal residues in D1, D2, and CP43, and Thr-4 in PsbH pre-phosphorylated at Thr-2 may be explained by the long loops obstructing entrance into the kinase active site and seven additional basic residues in the vicinity of the catalytic site, as compared with the homologous STN7 kinase responsible for phosphorylation of light-harvesting proteins.     

Thylakoid protein phosphorylation in dynamic regulation of photosystem II in higher plants

In higher plants, the photosystem (PS) II core and its several light harvesting antenna (LHCII) proteins undergo reversible phosphorylation cycles according to the light intensity. High light intensity induces strong phosphorylation of the PSII core proteins and suppresses the phosphorylation level of the LHCII proteins. Decrease in light intensity, in turn, suppresses the phosphorylation of PSII core, but strongly induces the phosphorylation of LHCII. Reversible and differential phosphorylation of the PSII-LHCII proteins is dependent on the interplay between the STN7 and STN8 kinases, and the respective phosphatases. The STN7 kinase phosphorylates the LHCII proteins and to a lesser extent also the PSII core proteins D1, D2 and CP43. The STN8 kinase, on the contrary, is rather specific for the PSII core proteins. Mechanistically, the PSII-LHCII protein phosphorylation is required for optimal mobility of the PSII-LHCII protein complexes along the thylakoid membrane. Physiologically, the phosphorylation of LHCII is a prerequisite for sufficient excitation of PSI, enabling the excitation and redox balance between PSII and PSI under low irradiance, when excitation energy transfer from the LHCII antenna to the two photosystems is efficient and thermal dissipation of excitation energy (NPQ) is minimised. The importance of PSII core protein phosphorylation is manifested under highlight when the photodamage of PSII is rapid and phosphorylation is required to facilitate the migration of damaged PSII from grana stacks to stroma lamellae for repair. The importance of thylakoid protein phosphorylation is highlighted under fluctuating intensity of light where the STN7 kinase dependent balancing of electron transfer is a prerequisite for optimal growth and development of the plant. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Photosystem II.     

Differential turnover of the photosystem II reaction centre D1 protein in mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts of maize

Photoinhibition is caused by an imbalance between the rates of the damage and repair cycle of photosystem II D1 protein in thylakoid membranes. The PSII repair processes include (i) disassembly of damaged PSII-LHCII supercomplexes and PSII core dimers into monomers, (ii) migration of the PSII monomers to the stroma regions of thylakoid membranes, (iii) dephosphorylation of the CP43, D1 and D2 subunits, (iv) degradation of damaged D1 protein, and (v) co-translational insertion of the newly synthesized D1 polypeptide and reassembly of functional PSII complex. Here, we studied the D1 turnover cycle in maize mesophyll and bundle sheath chloroplasts using a protein synthesis inhibitor, lincomycin. In both types of maize chloroplasts, PSII was found as the PSII-LHCII supercomplex, dimer and monomer. The PSII core and the LHCII proteins were phosphorylated in both types of chloroplasts in a light-dependent manner. The rate constants for photoinhibition measured for lincomycin-treated leaves were comparable to those reported for C3 plants, suggesting that the kinetics of the PSII photodamage is similar in C3 and C4 species. During the photoinhibitory treatment the D1 protein was dephosphorylated in both types of chloroplasts but it was rapidly degraded only in the bundle sheath chloroplasts. In mesophyll chloroplasts, PSII monomers accumulated and little degradation of D1 protein was observed. We postulate that the low content of the Deg1 enzyme observed in mesophyll chloroplasts isolated from moderate light grown maize may retard the D1 repair processes in this type of plastids.     

Thylakoid Protein Phosphorylation in Higher Plant Chloroplasts Optimizes Electron Transfer under Fluctuating Light

Several proteins of photosystem II (PSII) and its light-harvesting antenna (LHCII) are reversibly phosphorylated according to light quantity and quality. Nevertheless, the interdependence of protein phosphorylation, nonphotochemical quenching, and efficiency of electron transfer in the thylakoid membrane has remained elusive. These questions were addressed by investigating in parallel the wild type and the stn7, stn8, and stn7 stn8 kinase mutants of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), using the stn7 npq4, npq4, npq1, and pgr5 mutants as controls. Phosphorylation of PSII-LHCII proteins is strongly and dynamically regulated according to white light intensity. Yet, the changes in phosphorylation do not notably modify the relative excitation energy distribution between PSII and PSI, as typically occurs when phosphorylation is induced by “state 2” light that selectively excites PSII and induces the phosphorylation of both the PSII core and LHCII proteins. On the contrary, under low-light conditions, when excitation energy transfer from LHCII to reaction centers is efficient, the STN7-dependent LHCII protein phosphorylation guarantees a balanced distribution of excitation energy to both photosystems. The importance of this regulation diminishes at high light upon induction of thermal dissipation of excitation energy. Lack of the STN7 kinase, and thus the capacity for equal distribution of excitation energy to PSII and PSI, causes relative overexcitation of PSII under low light but not under high light, leading to disturbed maintenance of fluent electron flow under fluctuating light intensities. The physiological relevance of the STN7-dependent regulation is evidenced by severely stunted phenotypes of the stn7 and stn7 stn8 mutants under strongly fluctuating light conditions.Several proteins of PSII and its light-harvesting antenna (LHCII) are reversibly phosphorylated by the STN7 and STN8 kinase-dependent pathways according to the intensity and quality of light (Bellafiore et al., 2005; Bonardi et al., 2005). The best-known phosphorylation-dependent phenomenon in the thylakoid membrane is the state transition: a regulatory mechanism that modulates the light-harvesting capacity between PSII and PSI. According to the traditional view, “state 1” prevails when plants are exposed to far-red light (state 1 light), which selectively excites PSI. Alternatively, thylakoids are in “state 2” when plants are exposed to blue or red light (state 2 light), favoring PSII excitation. In state 1, the yield of fluorescence from PSII is higher in comparison with state 2 (for review, see Allen and Forsberg, 2001). State transitions are dependent on the phosphorylation of LHCII proteins (Bellafiore et al., 2005) and their association with PSI proteins, particularly PSI-H (Lunde et al., 2000). Under state 2 light, both the PSII core and LHCII proteins are strongly phosphorylated, whereas the state 1 light induces dephosphorylation of both the PSII core and LHCII phosphoproteins (Piippo et al., 2006; Tikkanen et al., 2006). In nature, however, such extreme changes in light quality rarely occur. The intensity of light, on the contrary, fluctuates frequently in all natural habitats occupied by photosynthetic organisms, thus constantly modulating the extent of thylakoid protein phosphorylation in a highly dynamic manner (Tikkanen et al., 2008a).The regulation of PSII-LHCII protein phosphorylation by the quantity of light is much more complex than the regulatory circuits induced by the state 1 and state 2 lights. Whereas changes in light quality induce a concurrent increase or decrease in the phosphorylation levels of both the PSII core (D1, D2, and CP43) and LHCII (Lhcb1 and Lhcb2) proteins, the changes in white light intensity may influence the kinetics of PSII core and LHCII protein phosphorylation in higher plant chloroplasts even in opposite directions (Tikkanen et al., 2008a). Indeed, it is well documented that low light (LL; i.e. lower than that generally experienced during growth) induces strong phosphorylation of LHCII but relatively weak phosphorylation of the PSII core proteins. Exposure of plants to high light (HL) intensities, on the contrary, promotes the phosphorylation of PSII core proteins but inhibits the activity of the LHCII kinase, leading to dephosphorylation of LHCII proteins (Rintamäki et al., 2000; Hou et al., 2003).Thylakoid protein phosphorylation induces dynamic migrations of PSII-LHCII proteins along the thylakoid membrane (Bassi et al., 1988; Iwai et al., 2008) and modulation of thylakoid ultrastructure (Chuartzman et al., 2008). According to the traditional state transition theory, the phosphorylation of LHCII proteins decreases the antenna size of PSII and increases that of PSI, which is reflected as a quenched fluorescence emission from PSII. Alternatively, subsequent dephosphorylation of LHCII increases the antenna size of PSII and decreases that of PSI, which in turn is seen as increased PSII fluorescence (Bennett et al., 1980; Allen et al., 1981; Allen and Forsberg, 2001). This view was recently challenged based on studies with thylakoid membrane fractions, revealing that modulations in the relative distribution of excitation energy between PSII and PSI by LHCII phosphorylation specifically occur in the areas of grana margins, where both PSII and PSI function under the same antenna system, and the energy distribution between the photosystems is regulated via a more subtle mechanism than just the robust migration of phosphorylated LHCII (Tikkanen et al., 2008b). It has also been reported that most of the PSI reaction centers are located in the grana margins in a close vicinity to PSII-LHCII-rich grana thylakoids (Kaftan et al., 2002), providing a perfect framework for the regulation of excitation energy distribution from LHCII to both PSII and PSI.When considering the natural light conditions, the HL intensities are the only known light conditions that in higher plant chloroplasts specifically dephosphorylate only the LHCII proteins but not the PSII core proteins. However, such light conditions do not lead to enhanced function of PSII. Instead, the HL conditions strongly down-regulate the function of PSII via nonphotochemical quenching of excitation energy (NPQ) and PSII photoinhibition (for review, see Niyogi, 1999). On the other hand, after dark acclimation of leaves and relaxation of NPQ, PSII functions much more efficiently when plants/leaves are transferred to LL despite strong phosphorylation of LHCII, as compared with the low phosphorylation state of LHCII upon transfer to HL conditions.The delicate regulation of thylakoid protein phosphorylation in higher plant chloroplasts according to prevailing light intensity is difficult to integrate with the traditional theory of state transitions (i.e. the regulation of the absorption cross-section of PSII and PSI by reversible phosphorylation of LHCII). Moreover, besides LHCII proteins, reversible phosphorylation of the PSII core proteins may also play a role in dynamic light acclimation of plants. Recently, we demonstrated that the PSII core protein phosphorylation is a prerequisite for controlled turnover of the PSII reaction center protein D1 upon photodamage (Tikkanen et al., 2008a). This, however, does not exclude the possibility that the strict regulation of PSII core protein phosphorylation is also connected to the regulation of light harvesting and photosynthetic electron transfer. Moreover, the interactions between PSII and LHCII protein phosphorylation, nonphotochemical quenching, and cyclic electron flow around PSI in the regulation of photosynthetic electron transfer reactions remain poorly understood. To gain a deeper insight into such regulatory networks, we explored the effect of strongly fluctuating white light on chlorophyll (chl) fluorescence in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants differentially deficient in PSII-LHCII protein phosphorylation and/or the regulatory systems of NPQ.     

Proteomic characterization of hierarchical megacomplex formation in Arabidopsis thylakoid membrane

Conversion of solar energy into chemical energy in plant chloroplasts concomitantly modifies the thylakoid architecture and hierarchical interactions between pigment–protein complexes. Here, the thylakoids were isolated from light‐acclimated Arabidopsis leaves and investigated with respect to the composition of the thylakoid protein complexes and their association into higher molecular mass complexes, the largest one comprising both photosystems (PSII and PSI) and light‐harvesting chlorophyll a/b‐binding complexes (LHCII). Because the majority of plant light‐harvesting capacity is accommodated in LHCII complexes, their structural interaction with photosystem core complexes is extremely important for efficient light harvesting. Specific differences in the strength of LHCII binding to PSII core complexes and the formation of PSII supercomplexes are well characterized. Yet, the role of loosely bound L‐LHCII that disconnects to a large extent during the isolation of thylakoid protein complexes remains elusive. Because L‐LHCII apparently has a flexible role in light harvesting and energy dissipation, depending on environmental conditions, its close interaction with photosystems is a prerequisite for successful light harvesting in vivo. Here, to reveal the labile and fragile light‐dependent protein interactions in the thylakoid network, isolated membranes were subjected to sequential solubilization using detergents with differential solubilization capacity and applying strict quality control. Optimized 3D‐lpBN‐lpBN‐sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system demonstrated that PSII–LHCII supercomplexes, together with PSI complexes, hierarchically form larger megacomplexes via interactions with L‐LHCII trimers. The polypeptide composition of LHCII trimers and the phosphorylation of Lhcb1 and Lhcb2 were examined to determine the light‐dependent supramolecular organization of the photosystems into megacomplexes.     

Arabidopsis mutants deleted in the light-harvesting protein Lhcb4 have a disrupted photosystem II macrostructure and are defective in photoprotection

The role of the light-harvesting complex Lhcb4 (CP29) in photosynthesis was investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana by characterizing knockout lines for each of the three Lhcb4 isoforms (Lhcb4.1/4.2/4.3). Plants lacking all isoforms (koLhcb4) showed a compensatory increase of Lhcb1 and a slightly reduced photosystem II/I ratio with respect to the wild type. The absence of Lhcb4 did not result in alteration in electron transport rates. However, the kinetic of state transition was faster in the mutant, and nonphotochemical quenching activity was lower in koLhcb4 plants with respect to either wild type or mutants retaining a single Lhcb4 isoform. KoLhcb4 plants were more sensitive to photoinhibition, while this effect was not observed in knockout lines for any other photosystem II antenna subunit. Ultrastructural analysis of thylakoid grana membranes showed a lower density of photosystem II complexes in koLhcb4. Moreover, analysis of isolated supercomplexes showed a different overall shape of the C₂S₂ particles due to a different binding mode of the S-trimer to the core complex. An empty space was observed within the photosystem II supercomplex at the Lhcb4 position, implying that the missing Lhcb4 was not replaced by other Lhc subunits. This suggests that Lhcb4 is unique among photosystem II antenna proteins and determinant for photosystem II macro-organization and photoprotection.     

Unique organization of photosystem II supercomplexes and megacomplexes in Norway spruce

Photosystem II (PSII) complexes are organized into large supercomplexes with variable amounts of light‐harvesting proteins (Lhcb). A typical PSII supercomplex in plants is formed by four trimers of Lhcb proteins (LHCII trimers), which are bound to the PSII core dimer via monomeric antenna proteins. However, the architecture of PSII supercomplexes in Norway spruce[Picea abies (L.) Karst.] is different, most likely due to a lack of two Lhcb proteins, Lhcb6 and Lhcb3. Interestingly, the spruce PSII supercomplex shares similar structural features with its counterpart in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [Kou?il et al. (2016) New Phytol. 210 , 808–814]. Here we present a single‐particle electron microscopy study of isolated PSII supercomplexes from Norway spruce that revealed binding of a variable amount of LHCII trimers to the PSII core dimer at positions that have never been observed in any other plant species so far. The largest spruce PSII supercomplex, which was found to bind eight LHCII trimers, is even larger than the current largest known PSII supercomplex from C. reinhardtii. We have also shown that the spruce PSII supercomplexes can form various types of PSII megacomplexes, which were also identified in intact grana membranes. Some of these large PSII supercomplexes and megacomplexes were identified also in Pinus sylvestris, another representative of the Pinaceae family. The structural variability and complexity of LHCII organization in Pinaceae seems to be related to the absence of Lhcb6 and Lhcb3 in this family, and may be beneficial for the optimization of light‐harvesting under varying environmental conditions.     

Short-term down-regulation of zeaxanthin epoxidation in Arabidopsis thaliana in response to photo-oxidative stress conditions

The epoxidation of zeaxanthin (Zx) to violaxanthin after exposure to different light stress conditions has been studied in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Formation of Zx was induced by illumination of intact leaves for up to 8 h at different light intensities and temperatures. The kinetics of epoxidation was found to be gradually retarded with increasing light stress during pre-illumination, indicating a gradual down-regulation of the Zx epoxidase activity. Retardation of the epoxidation rates by a factor of up to 10 was inducible either by increasing the light intensity or by extending the illumination time or by decreasing the temperature during pre-illumination. The retardation of the epoxidation kinetics was correlated with a decrease of the PSII quantum efficiency after the pre-illumination treatment. Experiments with the stn7/stn8 mutant of Arabidopsis indicated that the thylakoid protein kinases STN7 and STN8, which are required for the phosphorylation of PSII proteins, are not involved in the short-term down-regulation of Zx epoxidation. However, the retardation of Zx epoxidation was maintained in thylakoids isolated from pre-illuminated leaves, indicating that a direct modification of the Zx epoxidase is most likely involved in the light-induced down-regulation.     

Light acclimation involves dynamic re‐organization of the pigment–protein megacomplexes in non‐appressed thylakoid domains

Thylakoid energy metabolism is crucial for plant growth, development and acclimation. Non‐appressed thylakoids harbor several high molecular mass pigment–protein megacomplexes that have flexible compositions depending upon the environmental cues. This composition is important for dynamic energy balancing in photosystems (PS) I and II. We analysed the megacomplexes of Arabidopsis wild type (WT) plants and of several thylakoid regulatory mutants. The stn7 mutant, which is defective in phosphorylation of the light‐harvesting complex (LHC) II, possessed a megacomplex composition that was strikingly different from that of the WT. Of the nine megacomplexes in total for the non‐appressed thylakoids, the largest megacomplex in particular was less abundant in the stn7 mutant under standard growth conditions. This megacomplex contains both PSI and PSII and was recently shown to allow energy spillover between PSII and PSI (Nat. Commun., 6, 2015, 6675). The dynamics of the megacomplex composition was addressed by exposing plants to different light conditions prior to thylakoid isolation. The megacomplex pattern in the WT was highly dynamic. Under darkness or far red light it showed low levels of LHCII phosphorylation and resembled the stn7 pattern; under low light, which triggers LHCII phosphorylation, it resembled that of the tap38/pph1 phosphatase mutant. In contrast, solubilization of the entire thylakoid network with dodecyl maltoside, which efficiently solubilizes pigment–protein complexes from all thylakoid compartments, revealed that the pigment–protein composition remained stable despite the changing light conditions or mutations that affected LHCII (de)phosphorylation. We conclude that the composition of pigment–protein megacomplexes specifically in non‐appressed thylakoids undergoes redox‐dependent changes, thus facilitating maintenance of the excitation balance between the two photosystems upon changes in light conditions.     

Lack of the light-harvesting complex CP24 affects the structure and function of the grana membranes of higher plant chloroplasts

The photosystem II (PSII) light-harvesting antenna in higher plants contains a number of highly conserved gene products whose function is unknown. Arabidopsis thaliana plants depleted of one of these, the CP24 light-harvesting complex, have been analyzed. CP24-deficient plants showed a decrease in light-limited photosynthetic rate and growth, but the pigment and protein content of the thylakoid membranes were otherwise almost unchanged. However, there was a major change in the macroorganization of PSII within these membranes; electron microscopy and image analysis revealed the complete absence of the C(2)S(2)M(2) light-harvesting complex II (LHCII)/PSII supercomplex predominant in wild-type plants. Instead, only C(2)S(2) supercomplexes, which are deficient in the LHCIIb M-trimers, were found. Spectroscopic analysis confirmed the disruption of the wild-type macroorganization of PSII. It was found that the functions of the PSII antenna were disturbed: connectivity between PSII centers was reduced, and maximum photochemical yield was lowered; rapidly reversible nonphotochemical quenching was inhibited; and the state transitions were altered kinetically. CP24 is therefore an important factor in determining the structure and function of the PSII light-harvesting antenna, providing the linker for association of the M-trimer into the PSII complex, allowing a specific macroorganization that is necessary both for maximum quantum efficiency and for photoprotective dissipation of excess excitation energy.     

Identification of STN7/STN8 kinase targets reveals connections between electron transport,metabolism and gene expression

The thylakoid‐associated kinases STN7 and STN8 are involved in short‐ and long‐term acclimation of photosynthetic electron transport to changing light conditions. Here we report the identification of STN7/STN8 in vivo targets that connect photosynthetic electron transport with metabolism and gene expression. Comparative phosphoproteomics with the stn7 and stn8 single and double mutants identified two proteases, one RNA‐binding protein, a ribosomal protein, the large subunit of Rubisco and a ferredoxin‐NADP reductase as targets for the thylakoid‐associated kinases. Phosphorylation of three of the above proteins can be partially complemented by STN8 in the stn7 single mutant, albeit at lower efficiency, while phosphorylation of the remaining three proteins strictly depends on STN7. The properties of the STN7‐dependent phosphorylation site are similar to those of phosphorylated light‐harvesting complex proteins entailing glycine or another small hydrophobic amino acid in the ?1 position. Our analysis uncovers the STN7/STN8 kinases as mediators between photosynthetic electron transport, its immediate downstream sinks and long‐term adaptation processes affecting metabolite accumulation and gene expression.