Abstract
The effect of light and carbon nutrition on the synthesis of citrate synthase (EC 4.1.3.7) and malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) in dark-grown resting (carbon deficient) and in phototrophic division-synchronized cultures of Euglena gracilis Klebs strain z were investigated. Exposure of dark-grown Euglena to white or red light produced a transient increase in the specific activities of citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase but blue light (of equal energy) was ineffective. Citrate-synthase activity increased at the end of the light phase and in early dark phase in phototrophic cultures division-synchronized by a regime of 14 h light-10 h dark. The addition of ethanol or malate produced a twofold increase in citrate-synthase activity compared with phototrophic cultures. White and blue light, but not red light, produced a transient repression of the metabolite-induced increase in citrate-synthase activity in division-synchronized cultures. Since only red light could effect a transient increase in the specific activity of mitochondrial enzymes, and the blue-red plastid receptor should respond to both blue and red light, the synthesis of mitochondrial enzymes in regreening cultures may be under the control of a new photoreceptor responding only to red light. In division-synchronized phototrophic cells the primary effector of synthesis of mitochondrial enzymes is not light but carbon nutrition.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bovarnick, J.G., Schiff, J.A., Freedman, Z., Egan, J.M., Jr. (1974) Events surrounding the early development of Euglena chloroplasts. 4. Cellular origins of chloroplast enzymes in Euglena. J. Gen. Microbiol. 83, 63–71
Codd, G.A., Merrett, M.J. (1971) Photosynthetic products of division synchronized cultures of Euglena. Plant Physiol 47, 635–639
Collins, N., Merrett, M.J. (1975a) The localization of glycollate pathway enzymes in Euglena. Biochem. J. 148, 321–328
Collins, N, Merrett, M.J. (1975b) Microbody-marker enzymes during transition from phototrophic to organotrophic growth in Euglena. Plant Physiol. 55, 1018–1022
Davis, B., Merrett, M.J. (1973) Malate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in division synchronized cultures of Euglena. Plant Physiol. 51, 1127–1132
Davis, B., Merrett, M.J. (1974) The effect of light on the synthesis of mitochondrial enzymes in division-synchronized Euglena cultures. Plant Physiol. 53, 575–580
Egan, J.M., Jr., Dorsky D., Schiff, J.A. (1975) Events surrounding the early development of Euglena chloroplasts. VI. Action spectra for the formation of chlorophyll, lag elimination in chlorophyll synthesis and the appearance of TPN-dependent triose phosphate dehydrogenase and alkaline DNase activities. Plant Physiol. 56, 318–323
Fong, F., Schiff, J.A. (1977) Mitochondrial respiration and chloroplast development in Euglena gracilis var bacillaris. (Abstr.) Plant Physiol. 59, Suppl. 92
Greenblatt, C.L., Schiff, J.A. (1959) A pheophytin-like pigment in dark adapted Euglena gracilis. J. Protozool. 6, 23–28
Holowinsky, A.W., Schiff, J.A. (1970) Events surrounding the early development of Euglena chloroplasts. I. Induction by preillumination. Plant Physiol. 45, 339–347
Horrum, M.A., Schwartzbach, S.D. (1980) Nutritonal regulation of organelle biogenesis in Euglena: photo-and metabolite induction of mitochondria. Planta 149, 376–383
Horrum, M.A., Schwartzbach, S.D. (1981) Induction of fumarase in resting Euglena. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 714, 407–414
Lowry, O.H., Rosebrough, N.J., Farr, A.L., Randall, R.J. (1951) Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Biol. Chem. 193, 265–275
Schiff, J.A. (1974) The control of chloroplast differentiation in Euglena. In: Proc. III Int. Congr. on Photosynthesis, pp. 1691–1717, Avron, M., ed. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Schiff, J.A. (1978) Photocontrol of chloroplast development in Euglena. In: Chloroplast development, pp 747–767 Akoyunoglou, G., Argyroudi-Akoyunoglou, J.H., eds. Elsevier, Amsterdam
Schiff, J.A., Zeldin, M.H., Rubman, J. (1967) Chlorophyll formation and photosynthetic competence in Euglena during light-induced chloroplast development in the presence 3,(3,4-dichlorophenyl) 1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU). Plant Physiol. 42, 1716–1725
Woodward, J., Merrett, M.J. (1975) Induction potential for glyoxylate cycle enzymes during the cell-cycle of Euglena gracilis. Eur. J. Biochem. 55, 555–559
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cannons, A., Merrett, M.J. The regulation of synthesis of mitochondrial enzymes in regreening and division-synchronized Euglena cultures. Planta 159, 125–129 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392982
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392982