Photoinhibition Causes Loss of Photochemical Activity Without Degradation of D1 Protein

1990 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 641 ◽  
Author(s):  
RE Cleland ◽  
RT Ramage ◽  
C Critchley

Illumination of isolated thylakoids or intact leaves with excess light resulted in a decline in photosynthetic activity measured as primary charge separation in photosystem II (ΔA320), photosystem II- dependent electron transport, or leaf oxygen evolution. It is concluded that the primary damage causing photoinhibition involves inactivation of the reaction centre function, and that degradation of Dl may be a consequence of that event.

Isolated chlorophyll a , in contrast to when it is dissolved in organic solvents, shows a lower and variable yield of fluorescence when bound to protein and embedded in the thylakoid membrane of photosynthetic organisms. There are two current theories that attempt to explain the origin of this variable yield of fluorescence, (i) It may be emitted directly from the photosystem II (PSII) antenna system and therefore in competition with photochemical trapping (prompt fluorescence), (ii) It may be derived from a recombination reaction between oxidized P 680 and reduced pheophytin within the PS II reaction centre (delayed fluorescence). We have isolated a PS II reaction centre complex that binds only four chlorophyll a molecules and can carry out primary charge separation. The complex contains no plastoquinone and therefore is devoid of the secondary electron acceptor Q A . It does, however, contain two pheophytin a molecules, and one of these acts as a primary electron acceptor. The electron donor is P 680 , which is either a monomeric or dimeric form of chlorophyll a . The isolated PS II reaction centre fluoresces at room temperature with a maximum at 683 nm, and the intensity of this emission is almost totally quenched when reduced pheophytin (bright light plus sodium dithionite) or oxidized P 680 (bright light plus silicomolybdate) is photoaccumulated. The photo-induced quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence when sodium dithionite is present is also observed in intact PS II preparations containing plastoquinone Q A . In the latter case Q A is chemically reduced in the dark by dithionite. Bearing in mind the above two postulates for the origin of variable chlorophyll fluorescence it has been possible to investigate the relative quantum yields for the photoproduction of the P 680 Pheo - state either in the absence (with isolated PS II reaction centres) or presence (with PSII-enriched membranes) of reduced Q A . It has been shown that in the absence of Q - A the quantum efficiency for production of the P 680 Pheo - is several orders of magnitude greater than when Q - A is present. This difference probably partly reflects the coulombic restraints on primary charge separation when Q A is reduced and would suggest that under these conditions the PS II reaction centre is a less efficient trap. Such a conclusion is therefore consistent with postulate (i) that the increase inyield of chlorophyll fluorescence as Q A becomes reduced is not due to a back reaction between P + 680 and Pheo - but rather to a decrease in competition between emission and trapping. The results do emphasize however, that the P 680 Pheo - and P + 680 Pheo states are quenchers of chlorophyll fluorescence. In addition to the above, it has been noted that at 77 K fluorescence from the isolated PS II reaction centre reaches a maximum at 685 nm and does not have a peak at 695 nm. This observation appears to invalidate the postulate that the 695 nm emission is from the pheophytin of the PS II reaction centre.


2005 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Dudekula ◽  
G Sridharan ◽  
M Fragata

The effect of α- and β-cyclodextrin (CD) concentration (0–16 mM) on oxygen evolution in photosystem II (PSII) and whole chain electron transport (H2O to photosystem I (PSI)) was studied in isolated thylakoid membranes and PSII particles from barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The CDs are cyclic oligosaccharides containing, for example, six (α-CD) or seven (β-CD) α-D-glucose residues linked by α-1,4 glycosidic bonds. These compounds alter the lipid composition of the thylakoids and most likely also the structure of their membrane proteins. We show for the first time that in the thylakoid membranes, but not in the isolated PSII particles, the relationship between oxygen evolution in PSII and the CD concentration is represented by a S-shaped (sigmoidal) curve displaying a sharp inflexion point or transition. We found, in addition, that the CDs inhibit the whole chain electron transport from H2O to methyl viologen, that is, PSI, measured as oxygen uptake, according to a nonlinear dependence that is also sigmoidal. Moreover, another interesting observation is that in the thylakoid membranes the electron transport from H2O to PSI is quite well inhibited at low CD concentrations (<4–6 mM), whereas the oxygen evolution in PSII is only substantially enhanced at CD concentrations greater than 8–10 mM. To explain this, we suggest that the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of electron transfer from H2O to PSI become operative before those giving origin to the enhancement of oxygen evolution in PSII.Key words: cyclodextrins, electron transfer, nonlinearity, oxygen evolution, photosystem, thylakoid membrane.


1995 ◽  
Vol 50 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. I. Gruszecki ◽  
K. Strzałka ◽  
A. Radunz ◽  
J. Kruk ◽  
G. H. Schmid

Abstract Light-driven electron transport in liposome-bound photosystem II (PS-II) particles be­tween water and ferricyanide was monitored by bare platinum electrode oxymetry. The modi­fication of the experimental system with the exogenous quinones α-tocopherol quinone ( α-TQ) or plastoquinone (PQ) resulted in a pronounced effect on photosynthetic oxygen evolution. The presence of α-tocopherolquinone ( α-TQ) in PS-II samples decreased the rate of red light-induced oxygen evolution but increased the rate of green light-induced oxygen evolution. Blue light applied to the assay system in which oxygen evolution was saturated by red light resulted in a further increase of the oxygen signal. These findings are interpreted in terms of a cyclic electron transport around PS-II, regulated by an excitation state of β-carotene in the reaction centre of PS-II. A mechanism is postulated according to which energetic coupling of β-carotene in the reaction centre of PS-II and that of other antenna carotenoid pigments is regulated by the portion of the xanthophyll violaxanthin, which is under control of the xanthophyll cycle.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Bernal-Morales ◽  
Alfonso Romo De Vivar ◽  
Bertha Sanchez ◽  
Martha Aguilar ◽  
Blas Lotina-Hennsen

The inhibition of ATP synthesis, proton uptake, and electron transport (basal, phosphorylating, and uncoupled) from water to methylviologen by ivalin (a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone in Zaluzania triloba and Iva microcephala) indicates that it acts as electron transport inhibitor. Since photosystem I and electron transport from DPC to QA were not affected, while the electron flow of uncoupled photosystem II from H2O to DAD and from water to silicomolybdate was inhibited, we concluded that the site of inhibition of ivalin is located at the oxygen evolution level. Key words: oxygen evolution, ivalin, photosynthesis, sesquiterpene lactone.


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