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Thylakoid membrane energization and swelling in photoinhibited Chlamydomonas cells is prevented in mutants unable to perform cyclic electron flow

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Abstract

Photoinhibition of Photosystem II in unicellular algae in vivo is accompanied by thylakoid membrane energization and generation of a relatively high ΔpH as demonstrated by 14C-methylamine uptake in intact cells. Presence of ammonium ions in the medium causes extensive swelling of the thylakoid membranes in photoinhibited Chlamydomonas reinhardtii but not in Scenedesmus obliquus wild type and LF-1 mutant cells. The rise in ΔpH and the related thylakoid swelling do not occur at light intensities which do not induce photoinhibition. The rise in ΔpH and membrane energization are not induced by photoinhibitory light in C. reinhardtii mutant cells possessing an active Photosystem II but lacking cytochrome b6/f, plastocyanin or Photosystem I activity and thus being unable to perform cyclic electron flow around Photosystem I. In these mutants the light-induced turnover of the D1 protein of Reaction Center II is considerably reduced. The high light-dependent rise in ΔpH is induced in the LF-1 mutant of Scenedesmus which can not oxidize water but otherwise possesses an active Reaction Center II indicating that PS II-linear electron flow activity and reduction of plastoquinone are not required for this process. Based on these results we conclude that photoinhibition of Photosystem II activates cyclic electron flow around Photosystem I which is responsible for the high membrane energization and ΔpH rise in cells exposed to excessive light intensities.

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Abbreviations

cyt b6/f:

cytochrome b6/f

Diuron:

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

QB :

the secondary quinone acceptor of reaction center II

DNP:

2,4,Dinitrophenol

FCCP:

carbonyl cyanide trifluoromethoxy phenylhydrazone

SDS-PAGE:

sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Chemistry, Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel

    Jacque Topf, Rina Timberg & Itzhak Ohad

  2. Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo 3, Norway

    Huashi Gong

  3. Department of Biology, University of Chicago, USA

    Laurence Mets

Authors
  1. Jacque Topf
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  2. Huashi Gong
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  3. Rina Timberg
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  4. Laurence Mets
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  5. Itzhak Ohad
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Correspondence to Itzhak Ohad.

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Topf, J., Gong, H., Timberg, R. et al. Thylakoid membrane energization and swelling in photoinhibited Chlamydomonas cells is prevented in mutants unable to perform cyclic electron flow. Photosynth Res 32, 59–69 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028798

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028798

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