Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sudden changes in the rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence in intact isolated chloroplasts: the role of orthophosphate

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Photosynthesis Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Simultaneous “ripples” (sudden changes in rate) in CO2 dependent O2 evolution and associated chlorophyll a fluorescence were followed in isolated, largely intact, spinach chloroplasts. These ripples could only be observed under conditions in which the supply of inorganic phosphate was limiting. This limitation was achieved either by 1) omission of phosphate in the assay medium, 2) use of inhibitors of the phosphate translocator, or 3) the addition of triose phosphate, a competitive inhibitor of Pi for the same translocator.

The possible relation of these ripples to the dampening oscillations that can be observed in leaves, leaf pieces, isolated cells and protoplasts, is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

Pi :

orthophosphate

PPi::

inorganic pyrophosphate

BSA:

bovine serum albumin

EDTA:

sodium ethylene-diaminetetraacetate

Hepes:

4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine-ethane-sulphonic acid

DHAP:

dihydroxyacetone phosphate

PGA:

3-phosphoglycerate

References

  1. Badger MR, Sharkey TD and vonCaemmerer S (1984) The relationship between steady-state gas exchange of bean leaves and the levels of carbon-reduction-cycle intermediates. Planta 160: 305–313

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bannister TT and Rice G (1968) Parallel time courses of O2 evolution and chlorophyll a fluorescence. Biochim Biophys Acta 162: 555–580

    Google Scholar 

  3. Carver KA and Horton P (1983) PhD Thesis, Univ. of Sheffield, U.K.

  4. Carver KA, Hope AB and Walker DA (1983) Adenine nucleotide status, phosphoglycerate reduction and photosynthetic phosphorylation in a reconstituted chloroplast system. Biochem J 202: 429–434

    Google Scholar 

  5. Carver C. and Horton P. (1986) Observation and characterisation of a transient in the yield of chlorophyll fluorescence in intact spinach chloroplasts. Photosynth Res 11: 109–118

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cerovic Z, Sivak MN and Walker DA (1984) Slow secondary fluorescence kinetics associated with the onset of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in intact isolated chloroplasts. Proc R Soc Lond B 220: 327–338

    Google Scholar 

  7. Delieu TJ and Walker DA (1983) Simultaneous measurement of oxygen evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence from leaf pieces. Plant Physiol 73: 534–541

    Google Scholar 

  8. Edwards GE and Walker DA (1983) C3 C4: Mechanisms, and cellular and environmental regulation, of photosynthesis. Blackwell Scientific Press, Oxford pp 1–542

    Google Scholar 

  9. Flugge UI, Freisl M and Heldt HW (1980) Balance between metabolite accumulation and transport in relation to photosynthesis by isolated spinach chloroplasts. Plant Physiol 65: 574–577

    Google Scholar 

  10. Furbank RT and Foyer CH (1986) Oscillations in levels of metabolites from the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle in spinach leaf discs generated by the transition from air to 5% CO2. Arch Biochem Biophys 246: 240–244

    Google Scholar 

  11. Harris GC, Cheesbrough JK and Walker DA (1983) The effects of mannose on photosynthetic gas exchange in spinach leaf discs. Plant Physiol 71: 108–111

    Google Scholar 

  12. Krause GH and Weis E (1984) Chlorophyll fluorescence as a tool in plant physiology. II Interpretation of the fluorescence signals. Photos Res 5: 139–157

    Google Scholar 

  13. Laisk A Kh and Walker DA (1986) Control of phosphate turnover as a rate limiting factor and possible cause of oscillations in photosynthesis. A mathematical model. Proc R Soc Lond B 227: 281–302

    Google Scholar 

  14. Lavorel J and Etienne A-L (1977) In vivo chlorophyll fluorescence. In (Barber J, ed), Primary processes in photosynthesis, Elsevier/North Holland Biochemical Press, Amsterdam, pp 203–268

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leegood RC and Furbank RT (1986) Stimulation of photosynthesis by 2% oxygen at low temperatures is restored by phosphate. Planta (in press)

  16. Lilley RMcC, Fitzgerald MP, Rienits KG and Walker DA (1975) Criteria of intactness and the photosynthetic activity of spinach chloroplast preparations. New Phytol 75: 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  17. McAlister EC and Myers J (1940) The time course of photosynthesis and fluorescence observed simultaneously. Smithson Misc Collect 99: 1–37

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mourioux G and Douce R (1981) Slow passive diffusion of orthophosphate between intact isolated chloroplasts and suspending medium. Plant Physiol 67: 470–473

    Google Scholar 

  19. Ogawa T (1982) Simple oscillations in photosynthesis of higher plants. Biochim Biophys Acta 681: 103–109

    Google Scholar 

  20. Papageorgiou G and Govindjee (1968) Light induced changes in the fluorescence yield of chlorophyll a fluorescence in vivo. II Chlorella pyrenoidosa. Biophys J 8: 1316–1328.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Plesnicâr M and Cerovic Z (1986) Effect of methyl viologen on slow secondary fluorescence kinetics associated with photosynthetic carbon assimilation in intact isolated chloroplasts. Proc R Soc Lond B 226: 237–247

    Google Scholar 

  22. Quick WP and Horton P (1984) Fluorescence induction in isolated barley protoplasts. Proc R Soc Lond B 220: 361–382

    Google Scholar 

  23. Robinson SP and Walker DA (1979) The control of 3-phosphoglycerate reduction in isolated chloroplasts by the concentrations of ATP, ADP and 3-phosphoglycerate. Biochim Biophys Acta 545: 528–536.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Schreiber U (1983) Chlorophyll fluorescence yield changes as a tool in plant physiology: I. The measuring system. Photos Res 4: 361–373

    Google Scholar 

  25. Sivak MN Cerovic Z and Walker DA (1984) In (Sybesma ed) Advances in Photosynthesis Research, Proc. VIth Int. Congress Photosynthesis. Junk, The Hague, Vol. 1, pp 661–664

    Google Scholar 

  26. Sivak MN Dietz KJ Heber U and Walker DA (1985) The relationship between light scattering and chlorophyll a fluorescence during oscillations in photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Arch Biochem Biophys 237: 513–519

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sivak MN, Heber U and Walker DA (1985) Chlorophyll a fluorescence and light-scattering displayed by leaves during induction of photosynthesis. Planta 163: 419–423

    Google Scholar 

  28. Sivak MN and Walker DA (1983) Some effects of CO2 concentration and decreased O2 concentration on induction fluorescence in leaves. Proc R Soc Lond B 217: 377–392

    Google Scholar 

  29. Sivak MN and Walker DA (1985) Chlorophyll a fluorescence; can it shed light on fundamental questions in photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation? Plant Cell Environ 8: 439–448

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sivak MN and Walker DA (1985) Can in vivo photosynthesis be modified? Ann Proc Phytochem Soc 26: 29–44

    Google Scholar 

  31. Sivak MN and Walker DA (1985) Photosynthesis in vivo can be limited by phosphate supply. New Phytol 102: 499–512

    Google Scholar 

  32. Usuda H and Edwards GE (1982) Influence of varying CO2 and orthophosphate concentrations on rates of photosynthesis and synthesis of glycolate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate by wheat chloroplasts. Plant Physiol 69: 469–473

    Google Scholar 

  33. Walker DA (1976) Plastids and intracellular transport. In (Stocking CR and Heber U eds) Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology. Transport in plants III. Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, New series, Vol. 3, pp 85–136

    Google Scholar 

  34. Walker DA (1981) Secondary kinetics of spinach leaves in relation to the onset of photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Planta 153: 273–278

    Google Scholar 

  35. Walker DA and Osmond CB (1986) Measurement of photosynthesis in vivo using a leaf disc electrode: Correlations between light dependence of steady-state photosynthetic O2 evolution and chlorophyll a fluorescence transients. Proc R Soc Lond B 227: 267–280

    Google Scholar 

  36. Walker DA and Robinson SP (1978) Chloroplast and cell. A contemporary view of photosynthetic carbon assimilation. Ber Deutch Bot Ges 91: 513–526

    Google Scholar 

  37. Walker DA and Sivak MN (1985) In vivo chlorophyll a fluorescence transients associated with changes in the CO2 content of the gas-phase. In (Heath R and Preiss J, eds) Regulation of carbon partitioning in photosynthetic tissues. Proceedings VIII Symposium in Plant Physiology, Jan 11–12 1985. Univ. California, Riverside, American Society of Plant Physiologists, Rockville, Maryland, pp 93–108

    Google Scholar 

  38. Walker DA and Sivak MN (1985) Can phosphate limit photosynthetic carbon assimilation in vivo? Physiol Veg 23: 829–841

    Google Scholar 

  39. Walker DA and Sivak MN (1986) Photosynthesis and phosphate: a cellular affair. Trends Bioch Sci 11: 176–179

    Google Scholar 

  40. Walker DA, Sivak MN, Prinsley RT and Cheesbrough JK (1983) Simultaneous measurement of oscillations in oxygen evolution and chlorophyll a fluorescence in leaf pieces. Plant Physiol 73: 542–549

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Hitoshi Nakamoto

    Present address: Department of Botany, Washington State University, 99164, Pullman, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Photosynthesis, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK

    Hitoshi Nakamoto, Mirta N. Sivak & David A. Walker

Authors
  1. Hitoshi Nakamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mirta N. Sivak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David A. Walker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nakamoto, H., Sivak, M.N. & Walker, D.A. Sudden changes in the rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and chlorophyll fluorescence in intact isolated chloroplasts: the role of orthophosphate. Photosynth Res 11, 119–130 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018270

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00018270

Keywords

Search

Navigation