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Brassinosteroids promote photosynthesis and growth by enhancing activation of Rubisco and expression of photosynthetic genes in Cucumis sativus

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Abstract

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are a new group of plant growth substances that promote plant growth and productivity. We showed in this study that improved growth of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants after treatment with 24-epibrassinolide (EBR), an active BR, was associated with increased CO2 assimilation and quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII). Treatment of brassinazole (Brz), a specific inhibitor for BR biosynthesis, reduced plant growth and at the same time decreased CO2 assimilation and ΦPSII. Thus, the growth-promoting activity of BRs can be, at least partly, attributed to enhanced plant photosynthesis. To understand how BRs enhance photosynthesis, we have analyzed the effects of EBR and Brz on a number of photosynthetic parameters and their affecting factors, including the contents and activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Northern and Western blotting demonstrated that EBR upregulated, while Brz downregulated, the expressions of rbcL, rbcS and other photosynthetic genes. In addition, EBR had a positive effect on the activation of Rubisco based on increased maximum Rubisco carboxylation rates (V c,max), total Rubisco activity and, to a greater extent, initial Rubisco activity. The accumulation patterns of Rubisco activase (RCA) based on immunogold-labeling experiments suggested a role of RCA in BR-regulated activation state of Rubisco. Enhanced expression of genes encoding other Calvin cycle genes after EBR treatment may also play a positive role in RuBP regeneration (J max), thereby increasing maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (V c,max). Thus, BRs promote photosynthesis and growth by positively regulating synthesis and activation of a variety of photosynthetic enzymes including Rubisco in cucumber.

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Abbreviations

A sat :

Light-saturated rate of CO2 assimilation

BRs:

Brassinosteroids

Brz:

Brassinazole

Chl:

Chlorophyll

C i :

Intercellular CO2 concentration

EBR:

24-Epibrassinolide

FBP:

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate

FBPA:

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase

FBPase:

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

Fru6P:

Fructose 6-phosphate

Fv/Fm:

Maximum quantum yield of PSII

Fv′/Fm′:

Efficiency of energy capture by open PSII

Gs:

Stomatal conductance

J max :

Maximum RuBP regeneration rates

PRK:

Ribulose-5-phosphate kinase

qP:

Photochemical quenching coefficient

rbcL:

Rubisco large subunit gene

rbcS:

Rubisco small subunit gene

rca :

Rubisco activase gene

Rubisco:

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

RuBP:

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate

RuPE:

Ribulose phosphate epimerase

SBP:

Sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate

SBPase:

Sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase

Sed7P:

Sedoheptulose 7-phosphate

TPI:

Triose-3-phosphate isomerase

V c,max :

Maximum Rubisco carboxylation rates

ΦPSII :

Quantum yield of PSII

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB119000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (3050344; 30671428) and the Program for Promotion of Basic Research Activities for Innovative Bioscience (PROBRAIN). We thank Dr J Hong for help with the immunogold-labeling experiment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, Huajiachi Campus, Zhejiang University, Kaixuan Road 268, 310029, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Jian Xia, Li-Feng Huang, Yan-Hong Zhou, Wei-Hua Mao, Kai Shi & Jing-Quan Yu

  2. Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Kaixuan Road 268, 310029, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Jian-Xiang Wu

  3. Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo Ku, Tokyo, 1138657, Japan

    Tadao Asami

  4. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2054, USA

    Zhixiang Chen

  5. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Biotechnology, Agricultural Ministry of China, Kaixuan Road 268, 310029, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China

    Jing-Quan Yu

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  1. Xiao-Jian Xia
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Xia, XJ., Huang, LF., Zhou, YH. et al. Brassinosteroids promote photosynthesis and growth by enhancing activation of Rubisco and expression of photosynthetic genes in Cucumis sativus . Planta 230, 1185–1196 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-009-1016-1

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