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Effects of nitrogen starvation on the function and organization of the photosynthetic membranes in Cryptomonas maculata (Cryptophyceae)

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Abstract

Nitrogen deficiency affects both photosystems and the antennae pigment systems in the photosynthetic apparatus of the marine alga, Cryptomonas maculata. Under increasing energy fluence rates, O2 evolution in nitrogen-deficient (-N) cell suspensions never reached a positive value; in control cultures (+N), O2 evolution increased and was saturated at about 6.4 W·m-2 with about 100 μmol O2·mg chlorophyll-1·h-1. During fluorescence-induction experiments at room temperature, Fo and Fmax were significantly increased in-N cells whereas the Fvar/Fmax ratio decreased from 0.6 to 0.1. These observations can be correlated with a significantly decreased population of 12.5-nm-size particles in the exoplasmic-fracture (EF) faces of freeze-cleaved thylakoid membranes in-N cells (Rhiel et al., 1985, Protoplasma 129, 62–73). The EF particles are suggested to represent photosystem II associated with chlorophyll a/c-protein complexes (LHCP). The banding pattern of isolated and Triton X-100-solubilized thylakoid membranes of both +N and-N cells in sucrose gradients showed that the LHCP is still present in-N cells. The same applies to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of these membrane fractions. The reduced number of the 12.5-nm particles in the EF faces of-N cells may be a result of decoupling of the LHCP constituents of the photosystem-II complex rather than their degradation. This is supported by high values for the initial fluorescence Fo in fluorescence-induction experiments and, in part, is indicated by the shift of the maximal fluorescence emission from 693 nm in +N to 684 nm in-N cells. The lack of the CP1 band in the gels of sodium dodecyl sulfate-solubilized thylakoid membranes from-N cells after electrophoresis demonstrates that photosystem I is also severely affected.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

CP1:

chlorophyll-protein complex of PSI

DCMU:

3-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea

LHCP:

light-harvesting chlorophyll a/c protein complex

+N/-N:

control/nitrogen-deficient cell suspension cultures

PSI (II):

photosystem I (II)

SDS-PAGE:

sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Tris:

2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Biologie, Botanik, Philipps-Universität, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, D-355, Marburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    E. Rhiel, K. Krupinska & W. Wehrmeyer

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  1. E. Rhiel
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  2. K. Krupinska
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  3. W. Wehrmeyer
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Dedicated to Prof. Wilhelm Nultsch on the occasion of his 60th birthday

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Rhiel, E., Krupinska, K. & Wehrmeyer, W. Effects of nitrogen starvation on the function and organization of the photosynthetic membranes in Cryptomonas maculata (Cryptophyceae). Planta 169, 361–369 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392132

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