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Does a voltage-sensitive outer envelope transport mechanism contributes to the chloroplast iron uptake?

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Abstract

Main conclusion

Based on the effects of inorganic salts on chloroplast Fe uptake, the presence of a voltage-dependent step is proposed to play a role in Fe uptake through the outer envelope.

Although iron (Fe) plays a crucial role in chloroplast physiology, only few pieces of information are available on the mechanisms of chloroplast Fe acquisition. Here, the effect of inorganic salts on the Fe uptake of intact chloroplasts was tested, assessing Fe and transition metal uptake using bathophenantroline-based spectrophotometric detection and plasma emission-coupled mass spectrometry, respectively. The microenvironment of Fe was studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Transition metal cations (Cd2+, Zn2+, and Mn2+) enhanced, whereas oxoanions (NO3 −, SO4 2−, and BO3 3−) reduced the chloroplast Fe uptake. The effect was insensitive to diuron (DCMU), an inhibitor of chloroplast inner envelope-associated Fe uptake. The inorganic salts affected neither Fe forms in the uptake assay buffer nor those incorporated into the chloroplasts. The significantly lower Zn and Mn uptake compared to that of Fe indicates that different mechanisms/transporters are involved in their acquisition. The enhancing effect of transition metals on chloroplast Fe uptake is likely related to outer envelope-associated processes, since divalent metal cations are known to inhibit Fe2+ transport across the inner envelope. Thus, a voltage-dependent step is proposed to play a role in Fe uptake through the chloroplast outer envelope on the basis of the contrasting effects of transition metal cations and oxoaninons.

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Abbreviations

apoLhcII:

Light Harvesting Complex II apoprotein

CCCP:

Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone

DCMU:

3-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea

ΔΨ:

Transmembrane electrochemical potential

IE:

Inner envelope

OE:

Outer envelope

RbcL:

Rubisco large subunit

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Grants financed by the National Office for Research, Development, and Innovation, Hungary (OTKA-NKFIH PD-112047 and PD-111979), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (Project AGL2013–42175-R, co-financed with FEDER) and the Aragón Government (Group A03) to J.A. Á.S. was also supported by the Bolyai János Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (BO/00207/15/4).

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Author notes

  1. Saúl Vázquez

    Present address: Faculty of Science, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. Sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary

    Ádám Solti, Brigitta Müller, Éva Hamar, Hong Diep Pham & Ferenc Fodor

  2. Laboratory of Nuclear Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. Sétány 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary

    Krisztina Kovács

  3. Department of Plant Nutrition, Aula Dei Experimental Station, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), P.O. Box 13034, 50080, Saragossa, Spain

    Saúl Vázquez & Javier Abadía

  4. Department of Agricultural Botany, Crop Physiology and Biotechnology, Institute of Crop Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Böszörményi út 138, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Brigitta Tóth

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Correspondence to Ádám Solti.

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Solti, Á., Kovács, K., Müller, B. et al. Does a voltage-sensitive outer envelope transport mechanism contributes to the chloroplast iron uptake?. Planta 244, 1303–1313 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-016-2586-3

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