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Characterization of photosynthesis in Arabidopsis ER-to-plastid lipid trafficking mutants

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Abstract

Vascular plants use two pathways to synthesize galactolipids, the predominant lipid species in chloroplasts—a prokaryotic pathway that resides entirely in the chloroplast, and a eukaryotic pathway that involves assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum. Mutants deficient in the endoplasmic reticulum pathway, trigalactosyldiacylglycerol (tgd1-1 and tgd2-1) mutants, had been previously identified with reduced contents of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and digalactosyldiacylglycerol, and altered lipid molecular species composition. Here, we report that the altered lipid composition affected photosynthesis in lipid trafficking mutants. It was found that proton motive force as measured by electrochromic shift was reduced by ~40 % in both tgd mutants. This effect was accompanied by an increase in thylakoid conductance attributable to ATPase activity and so the rate of ATP synthesis was nearly unchanged. Thylakoid conductance to ions also increased in tgd mutants. However, gross carbon assimilation in tgd mutants as measured by gas exchange was only marginally affected. Rubisco activity, electron transport rate, and photosystem I and II oxidation status were not altered. Despite the large differences in proton motive force, responses to heat and high light stress were similar between tgd mutants and the wild type.

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Abbreviations

MGDG:

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol

DGDG:

Digalactosyldiacylglycerol

PS:

Photosystem

ER:

Endoplastic reticulum

TGDG:

Trigalactosyldiacylglycerol

GGGT:

Galactolipids:galactolipids galactosyltransferase

PC:

Phosphotidylcholine

PA:

Phosphotidic acid

TAG:

Triacylglycerol

NoFOSpec:

Non-focusing optics spectrophotometer

ECS:

Electrochromic shift

DIRK:

Dark-interval relaxation kinetics

pmf :

Proton motive force

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. David Kramer for his helpful advice on using the NoFOSpec and Dr. Sean E. Weise for his technical assistance with LI-6400. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation Grants IOS-0950574 to T.D.S. and MCB-0741395 to C.B.

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  1. Jinpeng Gao

    Present address: Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Ziru Li, Jinpeng Gao, Christoph Benning & Thomas D. Sharkey

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  1. Ziru Li
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  2. Jinpeng Gao
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Correspondence to Thomas D. Sharkey.

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Li, Z., Gao, J., Benning, C. et al. Characterization of photosynthesis in Arabidopsis ER-to-plastid lipid trafficking mutants. Photosynth Res 112, 49–61 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-012-9734-9

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