Skip to main content
Log in

Light intensity adaptation of the phycobiliprotein content of the red alga Porphyridium

  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the unicellular red algae Porphyridium cruentum and P. aerugineum the phycobiliprotein content of the plastids is regulated by the applied energy fluence rate. Cells cultured at low energy fluence rates (220 μW cm-2) posses up to three times more phycobiliproteins than cells grown at high energy fluence rates (3200 μW cm-2). These values were obtained by direct measurement of the apoprotein of the phycobiliproteins. Transfer of cells from low to high energy fluence rates and vice versa results in an adaptation of the phycobiliprotein content to the new light conditions. This process starts immediately after the transfer of the cells and requires several days. On the other hand, the amount of the enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, which is also a prominent protein of the plastids of red algae, does not change significantly in response to differing fluence rates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

RuBPCase:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

References

  • Boardman, N.K., Björkman, O., Anderson, J.M., Goodschild, D.J., Thorne, S.W. (1974) Photosynthetic adaptation of higher plants to light intensity: relationship between chloroplast structure, composition of the photosystems and photosynthetic rates. In: Proceedings 3rd International Congress on Photosynthesis, vol. 3, pp. 1809–1827, Avron, M. ed. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Boardman, N.K. (1977) Comparative photosynthesis of sun and shade plants. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 28, 355–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brody, M., Emerson, R. (1959) The effect of wavelength and intensity of light on the proportion of pigments in Porphyridium cruentum. Am. J. Bot. 46, 433–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Esen, A. (1978) A simple method for quantitative, semiquantitative and qualitative assay of protein. Anal. Biochem. 89, 264–273

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gantt, E. (1981) Phycobilisomes. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 32, 327–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, F.R., Speer, H.L., Kury, W. (1963) Studies on the growth of the red algae Porphyridium cruentum. Physiol. Plant. 16, 636–643

    Google Scholar 

  • Koch, W. (1953) Untersuchungen an bakterienfreien Massenkulturen der einzelligen Rotalge Porphyridium cruentum Naegeli. Arch. Mikrobiol. 18, 232–241

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli, U.K. (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature (London) 227, 680–684

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichtenthaler, H.K., Kuhn, G., Prenzel, U., Buschmann, C., Meier, D. (1982) Adaptation of chloroplast-ultrastructure and of chlorophyll protein levels to high-light and low-light growth conditions. Z. Naturforsch. Teil C 37, 464–475

    Google Scholar 

  • Mancini, G., Carbonara, A.O., Heremans, J.F. (1965) Immunochemical quantitation of antigens by radial immunodiffusion. Immunochemistry 2, 235–254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owens, O.H., Esaias, W.E. (1976) Physiological responses of phytoplankton to major environmental factors. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. 27, 461–483

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramus, J. (1972) The production of extracellular polysaccharide by the unicellular red alga Porphyridium aerugineum. J. Phycol. 8, 97–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramus, J., Beale, S.I., Mauzerall, D., Howard, K.L. (1976) Changes in a function of water depth. Mar. Biol. 37, 223–229

    Google Scholar 

  • Staehelin, L.A., Giddings, T.H., Badanie, P., Krzynowski, W.W. (1978) A comparison of the supramolecular architecture of photosynthetic membranes of blue green, red, green algae and higher plants. In: Light transducing membranes, pp. 335–355. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinmüller, K., Kaling, M., Zetsche, K. (1983) In-vitro synthesis of phycobiliproteids and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase by non-poly-adenylated-RNA of Cyanidium caldarium and Porphyridium aerugineum. Planta 159, 308–313

    Google Scholar 

  • Waaland, J.R., Waaland, S.D., Bates, G. (1974) Chloroplast structure and pigment composition in the red alga Griffithsia pacifica: regulation by light intensity. J. Phycol. 10, 193–199

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jahn, W., Steinbiss, J. & Zetsche, K. Light intensity adaptation of the phycobiliprotein content of the red alga Porphyridium . Planta 161, 536–539 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407086

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407086

Key words

Navigation