Showing papers on "Photosynthesis published in 2010"
TL;DR: Observations provide compelling evidence for quantum-coherent sharing of electronic excitation across the 5-nm-wide proteins under biologically relevant conditions, suggesting that distant molecules within the photosynthetic proteins are ‘wired’ together by quantum coherence for more efficient light-harvesting in cryptophyte marine algae.
Abstract: One of the most intriguing and most studied features of photosynthesis is the exquisite efficiency with which energy can be transferred within photosynthetic complexes. A new spectroscopic study confirms earlier hints that quantum effects might be at play, by directly revealing quantum-coherent sharing of electronic excitation across 5-nm-wide photosynthetic proteins from Chroomonas CCMP270 marine algae at room temperature. The observation suggests that distant units within the proteins are 'wired' together by quantum-coherence to enhance light-harvesting efficiency. Photosynthesis makes use of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into useful biomass and is vital for life on Earth. Crucial components for the photosynthetic process are antenna proteins, which absorb light and transmit the resultant excitation energy between molecules to a reaction centre. The efficiency of these electronic energy transfers has inspired much work on antenna proteins isolated from photosynthetic organisms to uncover the basic mechanisms at play1,2,3,4,5. Intriguingly, recent work has documented6,7,8 that light-absorbing molecules in some photosynthetic proteins capture and transfer energy according to quantum-mechanical probability laws instead of classical laws9 at temperatures up to 180 K. This contrasts with the long-held view that long-range quantum coherence between molecules cannot be sustained in complex biological systems, even at low temperatures. Here we present two-dimensional photon echo spectroscopy10,11,12,13 measurements on two evolutionarily related light-harvesting proteins isolated from marine cryptophyte algae, which reveal exceptionally long-lasting excitation oscillations with distinct correlations and anti-correlations even at ambient temperature. These observations provide compelling evidence for quantum-coherent sharing of electronic excitation across the 5-nm-wide proteins under biologically relevant conditions, suggesting that distant molecules within the photosynthetic proteins are ‘wired’ together by quantum coherence for more efficient light-harvesting in cryptophyte marine algae.
1,577 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that blue light during growth is qualitatively required for normal photosynthetic functioning and quantitatively mediates leaf responses resembling those to irradiance intensity.
Abstract: The blue part of the light spectrum has been associated with leaf characteristics which also develop under high irradiances. In this study blue light dose–response curves were made for the photosynthetic properties and related developmental characteristics of cucumber leaves that were grown at an equal irradiance under seven different combinations of red and blue light provided by light-emitting diodes. Only the leaves developed under red light alone (0% blue) displayed dysfunctional photosynthetic operation, characterized by a suboptimal and heterogeneously distributed dark-adapted Fv/Fm, a stomatal conductance unresponsive to irradiance, and a relatively low light-limited quantum yield for CO2 fixation. Only 7% blue light was sufficient to prevent any overt dysfunctional photosynthesis, which can be considered a qualitatively blue light effect. The photosynthetic capacity (Amax) was twice as high for leaves grown at 7% blue compared with 0% blue, and continued to increase with increasing blue percentage during growth measured up to 50% blue. At 100% blue, Amax was lower but photosynthetic functioning was normal. The increase in Amax with blue percentage (0–50%) was associated with an increase in leaf mass per unit leaf area (LMA), nitrogen (N) content per area, chlorophyll (Chl) content per area, and stomatal conductance. Above 15% blue, the parameters Amax, LMA, Chl content, photosynthetic N use efficiency, and the Chl:N ratio had a comparable relationship as reported for leaf responses to irradiance intensity. It is concluded that blue light during growth is qualitatively required for normal photosynthetic functioning and quantitatively mediates leaf responses resembling those to irradiance intensity.
633 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that studies of CO2 fluxes from soil, especially in ecosystems with a high contribution of root-derived CO2, should consider photosynthesis as one of the main drivers of C fluxes, and calls for incorporating photosynthesis in soil C turnover models.
Abstract: CO2 efflux from soil depends on the availability of organic substances respired by roots and microorganisms. Therefore, photosynthetic activity supplying carbohydrates from leaves to roots and rhizosphere is a key driver of soil CO2. This fact has been overlooked in most soil CO2 studies because temperature variations are highly correlated with solar radiation and mask the direct effect of photosynthesis on substrate availability in soil. This review highlights the importance of photosynthesis for rhizosphere processes and evaluates the time lag between carbon (C) assimilation and CO2 release from soil. Mechanisms and processes contributing to the lag were evaluated. We compared the advantages and shortcomings of four main approaches used to estimate this time lag: (1) interruption of assimilate flow from leaves into the roots and rhizosphere, and analysis of the decrease of CO2 efflux from soil, (2) time series analysis (TSA) of CO2 fluxes from soil and photosynthesis proxies, (3) analysis of natural δ13C variation in CO2 with photosynthesis-related parameters or δ13C in the phloem and leaves, and (4) pulse labeling of plants in artificial 14CO2 or 13CO2 atmosphere with subsequent tracing of 14C or 13C in CO2 efflux from soil. We concluded that pulse labeling is the most advantageous approach. It allows clear evaluation not only of the time lag, but also of the label dynamics in soil CO2, and helps estimate the mean residence time of recently assimilated C in various above- and belowground C pools. The impossibility of tracing the phloem pressure–concentration waves by labeling approach may be overcome by its combination with approaches based on TSA of CO2 fluxes and its δ13C with photosynthesis proxies. Numerous studies showed that the time lag for grasses is about 12.5±7.5 (SD) h. The time lag for mature trees was much longer (∼4–5 days). Tree height slightly affected the lag, with increasing delay of 0.1 day m−1. By evaluating bottle-neck processes responsible for the time lag, we conclude that, for trees, the transport of assimilates in phloem is the rate-limiting step. However, it was not possible to predict the lag based on the phloem transport rates reported in the literature. We conclude that studies of CO2 fluxes from soil, especially in ecosystems with a high contribution of root-derived CO2, should consider photosynthesis as one of the main drivers of C fluxes. This calls for incorporating photosynthesis in soil C turnover models.
606 citations
TL;DR: Results showed that oxygenic photosynthesis can be re-directed to generate useful small volatile hydrocarbons, while consuming CO(2), without a prior requirement for the harvesting, dewatering and processing of the respective biomass.
586 citations
TL;DR: Recent advances in carbon/nitrogen metabolisms as well as sensing and signaling systems in illuminated leaves of C3-plants are discussed and a perspective of the type of experiments that are now required in order to take understanding to a higher level is provided.
581 citations
TL;DR: The evolutionary origins of photorespiration are reviewed as well as new insights into the interaction with other metabolic processes such as nitrogen assimilation and mitochondrial respiration are revealed.
534 citations
TL;DR: Evidence is presented that carbon dioxide inhibition of nitrate assimilation is a major determinant of plant responses to rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, and that the relative availability of soil ammonium and nitrate to most plants will become increasingly important in determining their productivity as well as their quality as food.
Abstract: The concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere may double by the end of the 21st century. The response of higher plants to a carbon dioxide doubling often includes a decline in their nitrogen status, but the reasons for this decline have been uncertain. We used five independent methods with wheat and Arabidopsis to show that atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment inhibited the assimilation of nitrate into organic nitrogen compounds. This inhibition may be largely responsible for carbon dioxide acclimation, the decrease in photosynthesis and growth of plants conducting C(3) carbon fixation after long exposures (days to years) to carbon dioxide enrichment. These results suggest that the relative availability of soil ammonium and nitrate to most plants will become increasingly important in determining their productivity as well as their quality as food.
498 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, a model was proposed in which damaged D1 is removed in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by a hetero-oligomeric complex composed of two different types of FtsH sub-unit, with degradation proceeding from the N-terminus of D1 in a highly processive reaction.
Abstract: †Background Photosystem II (PSII) is the light-driven water:plastoquinone oxidoreductase of oxygenic photosynthesis and is found in the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. Considerable attention is focused on how PSII is assembled in vivo and how it is repaired following irreversible damage by visible light (so-called photoinhibition). Understanding these processes might lead to the development of plants with improved growth characteristics especially under conditions of abiotic stress. †Scope Here we summarize recent results on the assembly and repair of PSII in cyanobacteria, which are excellent model organisms to study higher plant photosynthesis. †Conclusions Assembly of PSII is highly co-ordinated and proceeds through a number of distinct assembly intermediates. Associated with these assembly complexes are proteins that are not found in the final functional PSII complex. Structural information and possible functions are beginning to emerge for several of these ‘assembly’ factors, notably Ycf48/Hcf136, Psb27 and Psb28. A number of other auxiliary proteins have been identified that appear to have evolved since the divergence of chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. The repair of PSII involves partial disassembly of the damaged complex, the selective replacement of the damaged sub-unit ( predominantly the D1 sub-unit) by a newly synthesized copy, and reassembly. It is likely that chlorophyll released during the repair process is temporarily stored by small CAB-like proteins (SCPs). A model is proposed in which damaged D1 is removed in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 by a hetero-oligomeric complex composed of two different types of FtsH sub-unit (FtsH2 and FtsH3), with degradation proceeding from the N-terminus of D1 in a highly processive reaction. It is postulated that a similar mechanism of D1 degradation also operates in chloroplasts. Deg proteases are not required for D1 degradation in Synechocystis 6803 but members of this protease family might play a supplementary role in D1 degradation in chloroplasts under extreme conditions.
461 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that chlorophyll f is [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a (C55H70O6N4Mg), which suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis can be extended further into the infrared region and may open associated bioenergy applications.
Abstract: Chlorophylls are essential for light-harvesting and energy transduction in photosynthesis. Four chemically distinct varieties have been known for the past 60 years. Here we report isolation of a fifth, which we designate chlorophyll f. Its in vitro absorption (706 nanometers) and fluorescence (722 nanometers) maxima are red-shifted compared to all other chlorophylls from oxygenic phototrophs. On the basis of the optical, mass, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, we propose that chlorophyll f is [2-formyl]-chlorophyll a (C55H70O6N4Mg). This finding suggests that oxygenic photosynthesis can be extended further into the infrared region and may open associated bioenergy applications.
418 citations
TL;DR: Results show that the differential impact of soil water deficit on photosynthesis and rosette expansion results in an increased availability of C for the roots, an increased turnover of C metabolites, and a low-cost C-based osmotic adjustment, and these responses are performed without major reformatting of the primary metabolism machinery.
Abstract: Growth and carbon (C) fluxes are severely altered in plants exposed to soil water deficit. Correspondingly, it has been suggested that plants under water deficit suffer from C shortage. In this study, we test this hypothesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) by providing an overview of the responses of growth, C balance, metabolites, enzymes of the central metabolism, and a set of sugar-responsive genes to a sustained soil water deficit. The results show that under drought, rosette relative expansion rate is decreased more than photosynthesis, leading to a more positive C balance, while root growth is promoted. Several soluble metabolites accumulate in response to soil water deficit, with K+ and organic acids as the main contributors to osmotic adjustment. Osmotic adjustment costs only a small percentage of the daily photosynthetic C fixation. All C metabolites measured (not only starch and sugars but also organic acids and amino acids) show a diurnal turnover that often increased under water deficit, suggesting that these metabolites are readily available for being metabolized in situ or exported to roots. On the basis of 30 enzyme activities, no in-depth reprogramming of C metabolism was observed. Water deficit induces a shift of the expression level of a set of sugar-responsive genes that is indicative of increased, rather than decreased, C availability. These results converge to show that the differential impact of soil water deficit on photosynthesis and rosette expansion results in an increased availability of C for the roots, an increased turnover of C metabolites, and a low-cost C-based osmotic adjustment, and these responses are performed without major reformatting of the primary metabolism machinery.
398 citations
TL;DR: Five different approaches that integrate photosynthesis with microbial fuel cells-photoMFCs are reviewed, including electrocatalytic bioelectrochemical systems that convert hydrogen from photosynthesis and sediment-based BESs that can convert excreted organics from cyanobacteria or plants.
TL;DR: The analysis presented here suggests that the evolution of Rubisco is confined to an effectively one-dimensional landscape, which is manifested in simple power law correlations between its kinetic parameters, and appears to be tuned to the intracellular environment in which it resides such that the net photosynthesis rate is nearly optimal.
Abstract: Rubisco (D-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase), probably the most abundant protein in the biosphere, performs an essential part in the process of carbon fixation through photosynthesis, thus facilitating life on earth. Despite the significant effect that Rubisco has on the fitness of plants and other photosynthetic organisms, this enzyme is known to have a low catalytic rate and a tendency to confuse its substrate, carbon dioxide, with oxygen. This apparent inefficiency is puzzling and raises questions regarding the roles of evolution versus biochemical constraints in shaping Rubisco. Here we examine these questions by analyzing the measured kinetic parameters of Rubisco from various organisms living in various environments. The analysis presented here suggests that the evolution of Rubisco is confined to an effectively one-dimensional landscape, which is manifested in simple power law correlations between its kinetic parameters. Within this one-dimensional landscape, which may represent biochemical and structural constraints, Rubisco appears to be tuned to the intracellular environment in which it resides such that the net photosynthesis rate is nearly optimal. Our analysis indicates that the specificity of Rubisco is not the main determinant of its efficiency but rather the trade-off between the carboxylation velocity and CO2 affinity. As a result, the presence of oxygen has only a moderate effect on the optimal performance of Rubisco, which is determined mostly by the local CO2 concentration. Rubisco appears as an experimentally testable example for the evolution of proteins subject both to strong selection pressure and to biochemical constraints that strongly confine the evolutionary plasticity to a low-dimensional landscape.
TL;DR: Investigation of chlorophyll a fluorescence indicated that Cd treatment decreasing photosynthesis was not due to stomatal restriction, while was closely related integrity damage or function lost of the photosynthetic machinery which can be concluded from the higher intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) and lower Fv/Fm and ΦPSII.
TL;DR: In this paper, the same authors measured metabolic fluxes in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris grown with 13C-labeled acetate and found that it metabolized 22% of the acetate provided to CO2 and then fixed 68% of this CO2 into cell material using the Calvin cycle.
Abstract: The Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle (Calvin cycle) catalyzes virtually all primary productivity on Earth and is the major sink for atmospheric CO2. A less appreciated function of CO2 fixation is as an electron-accepting process. It is known that anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria require the Calvin cycle to accept electrons when growing with light as their sole energy source and organic substrates as their sole carbon source. However, it was unclear why and to what extent CO2 fixation is required when the organic substrates are more oxidized than biomass. To address these questions we measured metabolic fluxes in the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris grown with 13C-labeled acetate. R. palustris metabolized 22% of acetate provided to CO2 and then fixed 68% of this CO2 into cell material using the Calvin cycle. This Calvin cycle flux enabled R. palustris to reoxidize nearly half of the reduced cofactors generated during conversion of acetate to biomass, revealing that CO2 fixation plays a major role in cofactor recycling. When H2 production via nitrogenase was used as an alternative cofactor recycling mechanism, a similar amount of CO2 was released from acetate, but only 12% of it was reassimilated by the Calvin cycle. These results underscore that N2 fixation and CO2 fixation have electron-accepting roles separate from their better-known roles in ammonia production and biomass generation. Some nonphotosynthetic heterotrophic bacteria have Calvin cycle genes, and their potential to use CO2 fixation to recycle reduced cofactors deserves closer scrutiny.
TL;DR: It is shown that diverse genera of cyanobacteria including biofilm-forming and pelagic strains have a conserved light-dependent electrogenic activity, i.e. the ability to transfer electrons to their surroundings in response to illumination, which illustrates that cyanobacterial electrogensic activity is an important microbiological conduit of solar energy into the biosphere.
Abstract: Background
Cyanobacteria account for 20–30% of Earth's primary photosynthetic productivity and convert solar energy into biomass-stored chemical energy at the rate of ∼450 TW [1]. These single-cell microorganisms are resilient predecessors of all higher oxygenic phototrophs and can be found in self-sustaining, nitrogen-fixing communities the world over, from Antarctic glaciers to the Sahara desert [2].
Methodology/Principal Findings
Here we show that diverse genera of cyanobacteria including biofilm-forming and pelagic strains have a conserved light-dependent electrogenic activity, i.e. the ability to transfer electrons to their surroundings in response to illumination. Naturally-growing biofilm-forming photosynthetic consortia also displayed light-dependent electrogenic activity, demonstrating that this phenomenon is not limited to individual cultures. Treatment with site-specific inhibitors revealed the electrons originate at the photosynthetic electron transfer chain (P-ETC). Moreover, electrogenic activity was observed upon illumination only with blue or red but not green light confirming that P-ETC is the source of electrons. The yield of electrons harvested by extracellular electron acceptor to photons available for photosynthesis ranged from 0.05% to 0.3%, although the efficiency of electron harvesting likely varies depending on terminal electron acceptor.
Conclusions/Significance
The current study illustrates that cyanobacterial electrogenic activity is an important microbiological conduit of solar energy into the biosphere. The mechanism responsible for electrogenic activity in cyanobacteria appears to be fundamentally different from the one exploited in previously discovered electrogenic bacteria, such as Geobacter, where electrons are derived from oxidation of organic compounds and transported via a respiratory electron transfer chain (R-ETC) [3], [4]. The electrogenic pathway of cyanobacteria might be exploited to develop light-sensitive devices or future technologies that convert solar energy into limited amounts of electricity in a self-sustainable, CO2-free manner.
TL;DR: It is suggested that water motion should be considered a fundamental factor, equivalent to light and nutrients, in determining photosynthesis rates in marine benthic autotrophs.
Abstract: Worldwide, many marine coastal habitats are facing rapid deterioration due in part to human-driven changes in habitat characteristics, including changes in flow patterns, a factor known to greatly affect primary production in corals, algae, and seagrasses. The effect of flow traditionally is attributed to enhanced influx of nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) across the benthic boundary layer from the water to the organism however, here we report that the organism’s photosynthetic response to changes in the flow is nearly instantaneous, and that neither nutrients nor DIC limits this rapid response. Using microelectrodes, dual-pulse amplitude-modulated fluorometry, particle image velocimetry, and real time mass-spectrometry with the common scleractinian coral Favia veroni, the alga Gracilaria cornea, and the seagrass Halophila stipulacea, we show that this augmented photosynthesis is due to flow-driven enhancement of oxygen efflux from the organism to the water, which increases the affinity of the RuBisCO to CO2. No augmentation of photosynthesis was found in the absence of flow or when flow occurred, but the ambient concentration of oxygen was artificially elevated. We suggest that water motion should be considered a fundamental factor, equivalent to light and nutrients, in determining photosynthesis rates in marine benthic autotrophs.
TL;DR: This review discusses the two fundamentally different mechanisms of Pchlide reduction in photosynthetic organisms, Rhodobacter capsulatus and Rhodob bacteria.
TL;DR: The effects of nitrogen deficiency on CO 2 assimilation, carbohydrate content and biomass were studied in two olive cultivars and it was found that both the high carbohydrate and the low nitrogen content inhibit photosynthesis in nitrogen-deprived olive plants.
TL;DR: It is suggested that NPQ is a fundamental mechanism for survival in excess light and that upon land colonization, photosynthetic organisms evolved a unique mechanism for excess energy dissipation before losing the ancestral one found in algae.
Abstract: Light is the source of energy for photosynthetic organisms; when in excess, however, it also drives the formation of reactive oxygen species and, consequently, photoinhibition. Plants and algae have evolved mechanisms to regulate light harvesting efficiency in response to variable light intensity so as to avoid oxidative damage. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) consists of the rapid dissipation of excess excitation energy as heat. Although widespread among oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, NPQ shows important differences in its machinery. In land plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana, NPQ depends on the presence of PSBS, whereas in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii it requires a different protein called LHCSR. In this work, we show that both proteins are present in the moss Physcomitrella patens. By generating KO mutants lacking PSBS and/or LHCSR, we also demonstrate that both gene products are active in NPQ. Plants lacking both proteins are more susceptible to high light stress than WT, implying that they are active in photoprotection. These results suggest that NPQ is a fundamental mechanism for survival in excess light and that upon land colonization, photosynthetic organisms evolved a unique mechanism for excess energy dissipation before losing the ancestral one found in algae.
TL;DR: In this paper, the toxic effect of core-shell copper oxide nanoparticles on the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was investigated with regards to the change of algal cellular population structure, primary photochemistry of photosystem II and reactive oxygen species formation.
TL;DR: A C4 genome-scale model based on the Arabidopsis model but extended by adding reactions and transporters responsible to represent three different C4 subtypes, which is the first large-scale metabolic model that encapsulates metabolic interactions between two different cell types.
Abstract: Leaves of C4 grasses (such as maize [Zea mays], sugarcane [Saccharum officinarum], and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor]) form a classical Kranz leaf anatomy. Unlike C3 plants, where photosynthetic CO2 fixation proceeds in the mesophyll (M), the fixation process in C4 plants is distributed between two cell types, the M cell and the bundle sheath (BS) cell. Here, we develop a C4 genome-scale model (C4GEM) for the investigation of flux distribution in M and BS cells during C4 photosynthesis. C4GEM, to our knowledge, is the first large-scale metabolic model that encapsulates metabolic interactions between two different cell types. C4GEM is based on the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) model (AraGEM) but has been extended by adding reactions and transporters responsible to represent three different C4 subtypes (NADP-ME [for malic enzyme], NAD-ME, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase). C4GEM has been validated for its ability to synthesize 47 biomass components and consists of 1,588 unique reactions, 1,755 metabolites, 83 interorganelle transporters, and 29 external transporters (including transport through plasmodesmata). Reactions in the common C4 model have been associated with well-annotated C4 species (NADP-ME subtypes): 3,557 genes in sorghum, 11,623 genes in maize, and 3,881 genes in sugarcane. The number of essential reactions not assigned to genes is 131, 135, and 156 in sorghum, maize, and sugarcane, respectively. Flux balance analysis was used to assess the metabolic activity in M and BS cells during C4 photosynthesis. Our simulations were consistent with chloroplast proteomic studies, and C4GEM predicted the classical C4 photosynthesis pathway and its major effect in organelle function in M and BS. The model also highlights differences in metabolic activities around photosystem I and photosystem II for three different C4 subtypes. Effects of CO2 leakage were also explored. C4GEM is a viable framework for in silico analysis of cell cooperation between M and BS cells during photosynthesis and can be used to explore C4 plant metabolism.
TL;DR: The photosynthesis-fermentation model with double CO(2) fixation in both photosynthesis and fermentation stages, enhances carbon conversion ratio of sugar to oil and thus provides an efficient approach for the production of algal lipid.
TL;DR: In photosynthesis, electron transfer along the photosynthetic chain results in a vectorial transfer of protons from the stroma to the lumenal space of the thylakoids, which promotes the generation of an electrochemical proton gradient, which comprises a gradient of electric potential and proton concentration.
Abstract: In photosynthesis, electron transfer along the photosynthetic chain results in a vectorial transfer of protons from the stroma to the lumenal space of the thylakoids. This promotes the generation of an electrochemical proton gradient (Δμ(H)(+)), which comprises a gradient of electric potential (ΔΨ) and of proton concentration (ΔpH). The Δμ(H)(+) has a central role in the photosynthetic process, providing the energy source for ATP synthesis. It is also involved in many regulatory mechanisms. The ΔpH modulates the rate of electron transfer and triggers deexcitation of excess energy within the light harvesting complexes. The ΔΨ is required for metabolite and protein transport across the membranes. Its presence also induces a shift in the absorption spectra of some photosynthetic pigments, resulting in the so-called ElectroChromic Shift (ECS). In this review, we discuss the characteristic features of the ECS, and illustrate possible applications for the study of photosynthetic processes in vivo.
TL;DR: It is concluded that isotopic approaches are not well suited to document whether changes in photosynthesis of tall trees can rapidly affect soil respiration, and flux-based approaches are compared.
Abstract: Ecosystem respiration is known to vary following changes in canopy photosynthesis. However, the timing of this coupling is not well understood. Here, we summarize the literature on soil and ecosystem respiration where the speed of transfer of photosynthetic sugars from the plant canopy via the phloem to the roots was determined. Estimates of the transfer speed can be grouped according to whether the study employed isotopic or canopy/soil flux-based techniques. These two groups should provide different estimates of transfer times because transport of sucrose molecules, and pressure-concentration waves, in phloem differ. A steady-state and a dynamic photosynthesis/phloem-transport/soil gas diffusion model were employed to interpret our results. Starch storage and partly soil gas diffusion affected transfer times, but phloem path-length strongly controlled molecule transfer times. Successful modelling required substantially different phloem properties (higher specific conductivity and turgor pressure difference) in tall compared with small plants, which is significant for our understanding of tall trees' physiology. Finally, we compared isotopic and flux-based approaches for the determination of the link between canopy photosynthesis and ecosystem respiration. We conclude that isotopic approaches are not well suited to document whether changes in photosynthesis of tall trees can rapidly affect soil respiration.
TL;DR: It is shown that photosystem I from a thermophilic bacterium and cytochrome-c(6) can, in combination with a platinum catalyst, generate a stable supply of hydrogen in vitro upon illumination, estimated to be approximately 25-fold greater than current biomass-to-fuel strategies.
Abstract: There is considerable interest in making use of solar energy through photosynthesis to create alternative forms of fuel. Here, we show that photosystem I from a thermophilic bacterium and cytochrome-c(6) can, in combination with a platinum catalyst, generate a stable supply of hydrogen in vitro upon illumination. The self-organized platinization of the photosystem I nanoparticles allows electron transport from sodium ascorbate to photosystem I via cytochrome-c(6) and finally to the platinum catalyst, where hydrogen gas is formed. Our system produces hydrogen at temperatures up to 55 degrees C and is temporally stable for >85 days with no decrease in hydrogen yield when tested intermittently. The maximum yield is approximately 5.5 micromol H(2) h(-1) mg(-1) chlorophyll and is estimated to be approximately 25-fold greater than current biomass-to-fuel strategies. Future work will further improve this yield by increasing the kinetics of electron transfer, extending the spectral response and replacing the platinum catalyst with a renewable hydrogenase.
TL;DR: Findings support an important functional role for PGPase in dinoflagellates that is potentially compromised under CO(2) enrichment and enhance photoacclimation to the subsaturating light levels.
Abstract: Ocean acidification is expected to lower the net accretion of coral reefs yet little is known about its effect on coral photophysiology. This study investigated the effect of increasing CO(2) on photosynthetic capacity and photoprotection in Acropora formosa. The photoprotective role of photorespiration within dinoflagellates (genus Symbiodinium) has largely been overlooked due to focus on the presence of a carbon-concentrating mechanism despite the evolutionary persistence of a Form II Rubisco. The photorespiratory fixation of oxygen produces phosphoglycolate that would otherwise inhibit carbon fixation though the Calvin cycle if it were not converted to glycolate by phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGPase). Glycolate is then either excreted or dealt with by enzymes in the photorespiratory glycolate and/or glycerate pathways adding to the pool of carbon fixed in photosynthesis. We found that CO(2) enrichment led to enhanced photoacclimation (increased chlorophyll a per cell) to the subsaturating light levels. Light-enhanced dark respiration per cell and xanthophyll de-epoxidation increased, with resultant decreases in photosynthetic capacity (P(nmax)) per chlorophyll. The conservative CO(2) emission scenario (A1B; 600-790 ppm) led to a 38% increase in the P(nmax) per cell whereas the 'business-as-usual' scenario (A1F1; 1160-1500 ppm) led to a 45% reduction in PGPase expression and no change in P(nmax) per cell. These findings support an important functional role for PGPase in dinoflagellates that is potentially compromised under CO(2) enrichment.
TL;DR: The results indicated that AM symbiosis protect maize plants against low temperature stress through improving the water status and photosynthetic capacity.
Abstract: The effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus etunicatum, on growth, water status, chlorophyll concentration and photosynthesis in maize (Zea mays L.) plants was investigated in pot culture under low temperature stress. The maize plants were placed in a sand and soil mixture at 25°C for 7 weeks, and then subjected to 5°C, 15°C and 25°C for 1 week. Low temperature stress decreased AM root colonization. AM symbiosis stimulated plant growth and had higher root dry weight at all temperature treatments. Mycorrhizal plants had better water status than corresponding non-mycorrhizal plants, and significant differences were found in water conservation (WC) and water use efficiency (WUE) regardless of temperature treatments. AM colonization increased the concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and chlorophyll a + b. The maximal fluorescence (Fm), maximum quantum efficiency of PSII primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and potential photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fo) were higher, but primary fluorescence (Fo) was lower in AM plants compared with non-AM plants. AM inoculation notably increased net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (E) of maize plants. Mycorrhizal plants had higher stomatal conductance (gs) than non-mycorrhizal plants with significant difference only at 5°C. Intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) was lower in mycorrhizal than that in non-mycorrhizal plants, especially under low temperature stress. The results indicated that AM symbiosis protect maize plants against low temperature stress through improving the water status and photosynthetic capacity.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of temperature (5-35 °C) and water content (WC, 20-100%) on CO 2 exchange in light and dark biocrusts of the cool Colorado Plateau Desert in Utah and the hot Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico was examined.
Abstract: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are an integral part of the soil system in arid regions worldwide, stabilizing soil surfaces, aiding vascular plant establishment, and are significant sources of ecosystem nitrogen and carbon. Hydration and temperature primarily control ecosystem CO 2 flux in these systems. Using constructed mesocosms for incubations under controlled laboratory conditions, we examined the effect of temperature (5-35 °C) and water content (WC, 20-100%) on CO 2 exchange in light (cyanobacterially dominated) and dark (cyanobacteria/lichen and moss dominated) biocrusts of the cool Colorado Plateau Desert in Utah and the hot Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. In light crusts from both Utah and New Mexico, net photosynthesis was highest at temperatures > 30 °C. Net photosynthesis in light crusts from Utah was relatively insensitive to changes in soil moisture. In contrast, light crusts from New Mexico tended to exhibit higher rates of net photosynthesis at higher soil moisture. Dark crusts originating from both sites exhibited the greatest net photosynthesis at intermediate soil water content (40-60%). Declines in net photosynthesis were observed in dark crusts with crusts from Utah showing declines at temperatures >25 °C and those originating from New Mexico showing declines at temperatures >35 °C. Maximum net photosynthesis in all crust types from all locations were strongly influenced by offsets in the optimal temperature and water content for gross photosynthesis compared with dark respiration. Gross photosynthesis tended to be maximized at some intermediate value of temperature and water content and dark respiration tended to increase linearly. The results of this study suggest biocrusts are capable of CO 2 exchange under a wide range of conditions. However, significant changes in the magnitude of this exchange should be expected for the temperature and precipitation changes suggested by current climate models.
TL;DR: The diversity of auxiliary routes of electron transport in microalgae are discussed, with particular focus in the presence of these components in the microalgal genomes recently sequenced.
Abstract: Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms which cover an extraordinary phylogenic diversity and have colonized extremely diverse habitats. Adaptation to contrasted environments in terms of light and nutrient’s availabilities has been possible through a high flexibility of the photosynthetic machinery. Indeed, optimal functioning of photosynthesis in changing environments requires a fine tuning between the conversion of light energy by photosystems and its use by metabolic reaction, a particularly important parameter being the balance between phosphorylating (ATP) and reducing (NADPH) power supplies. In addition to the main route of electrons operating during oxygenic photosynthesis, called linear electron flow or Z scheme, auxiliary routes of electron transfer in interaction with the main pathway have been described. These reactions which include non-photochemical reduction of intersystem electron carriers, cyclic electron flow around PSI, oxidation by molecular O2 of the PQ pool or of the PSI electron acceptors, participate in the flexibility of photosynthesis by avoiding over-reduction of electron carriers and modulating the NADPH/ATP ratio depending on the metabolic demand. Forward or reverse genetic approaches performed in model organisms such as Arabidopsis thaliana for higher plants, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for green algae and Synechocystis for cyanobacteria allowed identifying molecular components involved in these auxiliary electron transport pathways, including Ndh-1, Ndh-2, PGR5, PGRL1, PTOX and flavodiiron proteins. In this article, we discuss the diversity of auxiliary routes of electron transport in microalgae, with particular focus in the presence of these components in the microalgal genomes recently sequenced. We discuss how these auxiliary mechanisms of electron transport may have contributed to the adaptation of microalgal photosynthesis to diverse and changing environments.
TL;DR: To identify genes associated with the cytokinin-induced enhanced drought tolerance, the transcriptome of wild-type and transgenic tobacco plants expressing P(SARK)::IPT was analyzed under well-watered and prolonged water deficit conditions using the tomato GeneChip.
Abstract: To identify genes associated with the cytokinin-induced enhanced drought tolerance, we analyzed the transcriptome of wild-type and transgenic tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ‘SR1’) plants expressing P SARK ::IPT (for senescence-associated receptor kinase::isopentenyltransferase) grown under wellwatered and prolonged water defi cit conditions using the tomato GeneChip. During water defi cit, the expression of genes encoding components of the carotenoid pathway leading to ABA biosynthesis was enhanced in the wild-type plants, but repressed in the transgenic plants. On the other hand, transgenic plants displayed higher transcript abundance of genes involved in the brassinosteroid biosynthetic pathways. Several genes coding for proteins associated with Chl synthesis, light reactions, the Calvin– Benson cycle and photorespiration were induced in the transgenic plants. Notably, increased transcript abundance of genes associated with PSII, the cytochrome b 6 / f complex, PSI, NADH oxidoreductase and the ATP complex was found in the P SARK ::IPT plants. The increased transcript abundance was assessed by quantitative PCR and the increased protein levels were confi rmed by Western blots. Our results indicated that while the photosynthetic apparatus in the wild-type plants was degraded, photosynthesis in the transgenic plants was not affected and photosynthetic proteins were not degraded. During water defi cit, wild-type plants displayed a signifi cant reduction in electron transfer and photochemical quenching, with a marked increase in non-photochemical quenching, suggesting a decrease in energy transfer to the PSII core complexes and an increase in cyclic electron transfer reactions.