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PubMed2006

A brief history of the investigations on photosynthesis in Bulgaria.

Investigations on photosynthesis in Bulgaria started in 1941 with the doctoral thesis of Kyrill Popov (University of Münster, Germany). In 1965, at the Institute of Plant Physiology, in Sofia, Kyrill Popov guided the establishment of a special group of researchers on the biochemistry, biophysics and physiology of photosynthesis. In this paper, a brief description of research in photosynthesis in Bulgaria is presented.

Bulgaria↗
PubMed1985

The stoichiometry of photorespiration during C3-photosynthesis is not fixed: evidence from combined physical and stereochemical methods.

The stoichiometry of photorespiration, S, is defined as the fraction of glycolate carbon photorespired. It is postulated that under steady-state conditions there are two determinants of the ratio of photorespiration to net photosynthesis: the partitioning of ribulose bisphosphate between oxidation and carboxylation, and the partitioning of glycolate between reactions leading to complete oxidation to CO2 (S = 100%) and those yielding CO2 plus serine (S = 25%). S may be calculated using two independent probes of the system. The physical probe, using an infrared gas analyzer, measured photorespiration and net photosynthesis, and hence their ratio PR/NPS = pn(phys). The metabolic probe employed tracer (3R)-D-[3-3H1,3-14C]glyceric acid to determine r, the fraction of 3H retained in the triose phosphates leaving the chloroplasts. It is deduced from the postulated model that S = pn(phys) . r/(1 - r). Experiments have been performed with illuminated tobacco leaf discs (inverted) under varying concentrations of O2 and CO2. Increasing O2 at constant CO2 increased pn(phys) and decreased r, whereas increasing CO2 at constant O2 had the opposite effect. S more than doubled at 32 degrees C on going from 16 to 40% O2 (340 microliters CO2/liter) and decreased 40% on going from 200 to 700 microliters CO2/liter (21% O2). For discs in normal air S was somewhat greater than 27%. It is suggested that net photosynthesis, and therefore crop yields, could be increased by selecting for crop plants with reduced photorespiration stoichiometry.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1977

Further evidence for dissipative energy migration via triplet states in photosynthesis. The protective mechanism of carotenoids in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides chromatophores.

The protection action of carotenoids against irreversible photodestruction was discovered in photosynthetic bacteria by Stanieda and coworkers. In green plant material it was found by Wolff and Witt (1969) Z. Naturforsch, 24b, 1031-1037 and (1972) Proc. 2nd. Int. Congr. Photosynthesis Res. Stresa (Forti, G., Avron, M. and Melandri, A., eds.), Vol. 2, pp. 931-936, Dr. W. Junk, N. V. Publ. The Hague) that the formation of special carotenoid triplet states (via very rapid energy transfer from excited chlorophylls) and their fast radiationless decay in tau1/2 approximately 3 microns is at least one mechanism for the protective action of carotenoids to irreversible photooxidation of the chlorophylls. Hence, it is anticipated that the same mechanism might be realized also in bacteria. The present study gives evidence for such a "triplet valve" to be established also in bacteria. This conclusion was derived from the following observations: 1. The light-induced difference spectrum shows a bleaching of a carotenoid at three characteristic wavelength between 400 and 500 nm. A positive peak around 533 nm indicates the formation of a carotenoid triplet state. 2. The absorption changes can be induced by red light which excites only bacteriochlorophyll. This indicates an energy transfer from bacteriochlorophyll to carotenoids. 3. The light-induced carotenoid triplets decay radiationless in 3 microns in air-saturated aqueous suspensions of the chromatophores. 4. The carotenoid triplet formation occurs only at actinic flash intensities where the photosynthesis becomes saturated. 5. Addition of dithionite, which blocks photosynthesis, markedly increases the extent of carotenoid triplet formation. The different types of exciton migration within the photosynthetic unit are discussed, especially the routes leading to the dissipation of excess excitation energy.

Bacterial Chromatophores↗
PubMed1981

Vanadium in photosynthesis of Chlorella fusca and higher plants.

The influence of vanadium compounds (vanadate, vanadyl citrate) on photosynthesis in Chlorella fusca and in algal and spinach chloroplasts has been investigated. It was found that: 1. At moderately high concentrations (at least 0.1 mM) both vanadate and vanadyl citrate enhance photosynthetic O2 production in intact C. fusca cells. At lower V concentration (about 2 microM) only vanadate stimulates photosynthesis. The increase is dependent on culture conditions and on light intensity. 2. Up to 1 mM V, neither vanadium compound influences PS II activity, either in intact cells or in algal or spinach chloroplasts. 3. The PS I reaction in algal and spinach chloroplasts is maximally enhanced (3-fold) in presence of vanadium (20 microM). The increase is independent of light intensity. 4. Cr(VI), Mo(VI), and W(VI) (1 mM) stimulate photosynthesis in intact C. fusca cells, but do not influence the photosystems of isolated chloroplasts. Vanadium is suggested to act as a redox catalyst in the electron transport from PS II to PS I.

Chlorella↗
PubMed2006

A micellar model system for the role of zeaxanthin in the non-photochemical quenching process of photosynthesis--chlorophyll fluorescence quenching by the xanthophylls.

To get an insight to the mechanism of the zeaxanthin-dependent non-photochemical quenching in photosystem II of photosynthesis, we probed the interaction of some xanthophylls with excited chlorophyll-a by trapping both pigments in micelles of triton X-100. Optimal distribution of pigments among micelles was obtained by proper control of the micelle concentration, using formamide in the reaction mixture, which varies the micellar aggregation number over three orders of magnitude. The optimal reaction mixture was obtained around 40% (v/v) formamide in 0.2-0.4% (v/v) triton X-100 in water. Zeaxanthin in the micellar solution exhibited initially absorption and circular dichroism spectral features corresponding to a J-type aggregate. The spectrum was transformed over time (half-time values vary-an average characteristic figure is roughly 20 min) to give features representing an H-type aggregate. The isosbestic point in the series of spectral curves favors the supposition of a rather simple reaction between two pure J and H-types dimeric species. Violaxanthin exhibited immediately stable spectral features corresponding to a mixture of J-type and more predominately H-type dimers. Lutein, neoxanthin and beta-carotene did not show any aggregated spectral forms in micelles. The spectral features in micelles were compared to spectra in aqueous acetone, where the assignment to various aggregated types was established previously. The specific tendency of zeaxanthin to form the J-type dimer (or aggregate) could be important for its function in photosynthesis. The abilities of five carotenoids (zeaxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, neoxanthin and beta-carotene) to quench chlorophyll-a fluorescence were compared. Zeaxanthin, in its two micellar dimeric forms, and beta-carotene were comparable good quenchers of chlorophyll-a fluorescence. Violaxanthin was a much weaker quencher, if at all. Lutein and neoxanthin rather enhanced the fluorescence. The implications to non-photochemical quenching process in photosynthesis are discussed.

Carotenoids↗
PubMed2005

Increase of photosynthesis and starch in potato under elevated CO2 is dependent on leaf age.

Potato plants (Solanum tuberosum cv. Bintje) were grown in open top chambers under ambient (400 microL L(-1)) and elevated CO2 (720 microL L(-1)). After 50 days one half of each group was transferred to the other CO2 concentration and the effects were studied in relation to leaf age (old, middle-aged and young leaves) in each of the four groups. Under long-term exposure to elevated CO2, photosynthesis increased between 10% and 40% compared to ambient CO2. A subsequent shift of the same plants to ambient CO2 caused a 20-40% decline in photosynthetic rate, which was most pronounced in young leaves. After shifting from long-term ambient to elevated CO2, photosynthesis also increased most strongly in young leaves (90%); these experiments show that photosynthesis was downregulated in the upper young fully expanded leaves of potato growing long-term under elevated CO2. Soluble sugar content in all leaf classes under long-term exposure was stable irrespective of the CO2 treatment, however under elevated CO2 young leaves showed a strongly increased starch accumulation (up to 400%). In all leaf classes starch levels dropped in response to the shift from 720 to 400 microL L(-1) approaching ambient CO2 levels. After the shift to 720 microL L(-1), sucrose and starch levels increased, principally in young Leaves. There is clear evidence that leaves of different age vary in their responses to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2005

Microscopy and single molecule detection in photosynthesis.

Progress in various fields of microscopy techniques brought up enormous possibilities to study the photosynthesis down to the level of individual pigment-protein complexes. The aim of this review is to present recent developments in the photosynthesis research obtained using such highly advanced techniques. Three areas of microscopy techniques covering optical microscopy, electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy are reviewed. Whereas the electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy are used in photosynthesis mainly for structural studies of photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes, the optical microscopy is used also for functional studies.

Crystallography↗
PubMed2005

Adaptation of photosynthesis in marama bean Tylosema esculentum (Burchell A. Schreiber) to a high temperature, high radiation, drought-prone environment.

Marama bean, Tylosema esculentum, is a tuberous legume native to the Kalahari region of Southern Africa where it grows under high temperatures (typical daily max 37 degrees C during growing season) and radiation (frequently in excess of 2000 micromol m(-2) s(-1)) in sandy soils with low rainfall. These conditions might be expected to select for increased water-use efficiency of photosynthesis. However, marama was found to give similar leaf photosynthetic rates to other C3 plants for a given internal leaf CO2 concentration and Rubisco content. Under conditions of increasing drought, no increase in water-use efficiency of photosynthesis was observed, but stomata closed early and preceded any change in leaf water potential. The possibility of subtle adaptations of photosynthetic characteristics to its natural environment were investigated at the level of Rubisco kinetics. The specificity factor of marama Rubisco was slightly lower than that of wheat, but the apparent Km for CO2 in air (Km') was about 20% lower than that of wheat. This is consistent with better adaptation for efficient photosynthesis at high temperatures in marama compared to wheat, although the net benefit is predicted to be very small (<0.5% at 35 degrees C). The sequence of marama rbcL gene shows 27 deduced amino acid residue differences from that for wheat, and the possibility that one or more of these cause the difference in Rubisco Km' is discussed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1978

Picosecond fluorometry in primary events of photosynthesis.

Many laboratories in different countries are involved in the study of the mechanism of conversion of light energy into chemical energy, namely photosynthesis. As is evident from the literature, the initial phases of photosynthesis, which determine the character of this process, proceed at time intervals of 10(-8) and 10(-13) s. They are associated with absorption of light quanta and energy transfer from the molecules of light-harvesting antenna (LHA) chlorophyll and accesory pigments to the reaction centers (RC), where the key reaction of photosynthesis occurs: photo-induced charge separation. Evidently it is of importance to study experimentally the process that occurs within the 10(-8) -10(-13)s time domain.

Fluorometry↗
PubMed2001

Photosynthesis and biomass allocation of radish cv. "Cherry Belle" in response to root temperature and ozone.

To determine if ozone (O3) and root zone temperature (RZT) affect plant biomass allocation and photosynthesis, radish (Raphanus sativus) plants were grown in controlled environment laboratory chambers in one of four treatments: episodic O3 (average delivery 0.063 mumol mol-1) with RZT at 13 degrees C, episodic O3 (same delivery) with RZT at 18 degrees C, charcoal-filtered air with RZT at 13 degrees C and charcoal-filtered air with RZT at 18 degrees C. O3 reduced total biomass and shoot biomass of radish at 13 degrees C RZT but had no effect at 18 degrees C RZT. Low (13 degrees C) RZT decreased total biomass in both O3 and charcoal-filtered air. RZT had no overall effect on biomass allocation, but O3 lowered root-to-shoot ratios for plants grown at 18 degrees C RZT. Photosynthesis was reduced for plants grown at 18 degrees C RZT and O3, but stomatal conductance was not affected by O3 nor RZT. These results indicate that O3 and low RZT decrease biomass, but that plant photosynthesis is decreased by O3 and warm RZT.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2000

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in Macrocystis pyrifera (Phaeophyceae), Chondrus crispus (Rhodophyceae) and Ulva lactuca (Chlorophyceae) in outdoor culture systems.

The effect of solar radiation on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence associated to photosystem II (PS II) was determined in the Phaeophyta Macrocystis pyrifera, the Rhodophyta Chondrus crispus and the Chlorophyta Ulva lactuca by oxygen evolution and pulse-amplitude-modulated (PAM) fluorescence. The algae were maintained in 1.2 m3 outdoor tanks with constant aeration and at 8, 26 and 100% incident irradiance (E(o)). All three species showed a decrease in deltaF/F'm values during solar noon compared to values in the morning and afternoon, suggesting a photoinhibition of photosynthesis. In general, photoinhibition was negatively correlated to increasing daily irradiance in all three species. Photoinhibition in C. crispus occurred in tissue incubated at 8, 26 and 100% E(o), while in M. pyrifera and U. lactuca a decrease in deltaF/F'm values was only observed in tissue incubated at 100% E(o). This suggests that species that naturally grow at greater depths might be more susceptible to excessive light when cultured in shallow waters compared to species that naturally inhabit shallower depths. In M. pyrifera, deltaF/F'm values were lower in the afternoon than those in the morning, suggesting slower repair mechanisms of the photosystem II compared to the other species. The results suggest that photoinhibition could be reduced by reducing incident irradiance to culture systems or increasing of biomass to promote self-shading. Gross oxygenic photosynthesis increased linearly at low electron transport rates after which it saturated in all three species. This suggests that chlorophyll fluorescence could be used as an indicator of the physiological status of macroalgae maintained in dense aquaculture systems.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed1999

Effects of UV-B radiation on growth, photosynthesis, UV-B-absorbing compounds and NADP-malic enzyme in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown under different nitrogen conditions.

The effects of UV-B radiation on growth, photosynthesis, UV-B-absorbing compounds and NADP-malic enzyme have been examined in different cultivars of Phaseolous vulgaris L. grown under 1 and 12 mM nitrogen. Low nitrogen nutrition reduces chlorophyll and soluble protein contents in the leaves and thus the photosynthesis rate and dry-matter accumulation. Chlorophyll, soluble protein and Rubisco contents and photosynthesis rate are not significantly altered by ambient levels of UV-B radiation (17 microW m-2, 290-320 nm, 4 h/day for one week). Comparative studies show that under high nitrogen, UV-B radiation slightly enhances leaf expansion and dry-matter accumulation in cultivar Pinto, but inhibits these parameters in Vilmorin. These results suggest that the UV-B effect on growth is mediated through leaf expansion, which is particularly sensitive to UV-B, and that Pinto is more tolerant than Vilmorin. The effect of UV-B radiation on UV-B-absorbing compounds and on NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) activity is also examined. Both UV-B radiation and low-nitrogen nutrition enhance the content of UV-B-absorbing compounds, and among the three cultivars used, Pinto exhibits the highest increases and Arroz the lowest. The same trend is observed for the specific activity and content of NADP-ME. On a leaf-area basis, the amount of UV-B-absorbing compounds is highly correlated with the enzyme activity (r2 = 0.83), suggesting that NADP-ME plays a key role in biosynthesis of these compounds. Furthermore, the higher sensitivity of Vilmorin than Pinto to UV-B radiation appears to be related to the activity of NADP-ME and the capacity of the plants to accumulate UV-B-absorbing compounds.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2003

A symbiosome membrane is not required for the actions of two host signalling compounds regulating photosynthesis in symbiotic algae isolated from cnidarians.

In many cnidarians, symbiotic algae live within host-derived symbiosomes. We determined whether a symbiosome membrane alters the response of isolated symbiotic algae to two signalling compounds that regulate algal carbon metabolism. Host release factor (HRF), which stimulates photosynthate release, and photosynthesis inhibiting factor (PIF), which inhibits photosynthetic carbon fixation, are found in homogenised tissue of the scleractinian coral Plesiastrea versipora. Compared with seawater controls, photosynthate release from isolated algae incubated in P. versipora homogenate for 2 h in the light was: 6 to 19-fold higher from its own algae (free of symbiosomes); 19 to 32-fold higher from Zoanthid robustus algae (within symbiosomes) and 3 to 24-fold higher from Z. robustus algae (free of symbiosomes); and from cultured algae (free of symbiosomes) was seven-fold higher from Montipora verrucosa and four-fold higher from Cassiopeia xamachana. Incubation of algae in P. versipora homogenate inhibited photosynthesis by: 33-49% in P. versipora algae; 29-47% in Z. robustus algae (regardless of whether or not the symbiosome was present); and 25% in M. verrucosa algae. In C. xamachana algae, photosynthesis increased. We conclude that the symbiosome is not essential for, yet does not block, the effects of HRF and PIF.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

C(4) photosynthesis in terrestrial plants does not require Kranz anatomy.

C(4) photosynthesis in terrestrial plants was thought to require Kranz anatomy because the cell wall between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells restricts leakage of CO(2). Recent work with the central Asian chenopods Borszczowia aralocaspica and Bienertia cycloptera show that C(4) photosynthesis functions efficiently in individual cells containing both the C(4) and C(3) cycles. These discoveries provide new inspiration for efforts to convert C(3) crops into C(4) plants because the anatomical changes required for C(4) photosynthesis might be less stringent than previously thought.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1989

Evidence for anoxygenic photosynthesis from the distribution of bacteriochlorophylls in the Black Sea.

The contribution of anoxygenic photosynthesis to carbon cycling in the Black Sea, the world's largest body of anoxic marine water, has been vigorously investigated and debated for over four decades. Penetration of light into the sulphide-containing deep water may result in a zone of anaerobic primary production by photosynthetic bacteria. We report here the results of analyses of photosynthetic pigments in samples of suspended particulate matter collected from two stations in the western basin of the Black Sea. Our data demonstrate high concentrations of a bacterio-chlorophyll at the chemocline, and thus the potential for anoxygenic photosynthesis as a component of primary production in the carbon cycle of the Black Sea. More than 95% of the pigments in the bacteriochlorophyll-maximum are accounted for by a series of aromatic carotenoids and bacteriochlorophylls-e, including a previously unreported geranyl ester of 4-i-butyl bacteriochlorophyll-e. The distribution of pigments is characteristic of the obligate phototrophs Chlorobium phaeobacteroides and C. phaeovibriodes. Total depth-integrated bacteriochlorophyll at one station exceeded total chlorophyll-a in the overlying oxygenated portion of the euphotic zone. We suggest that anoxygenic photosynthesis is a relatively recent phenomenon in the Black Sea initiated by shallowing of the chemocline over the past decade and development of an anoxic layer devoid of O2 and H2S.

Anaerobiosis↗
PubMed2000

Unicellular C4 photosynthesis in a marine diatom.

Nearly 50 years ago, inorganic carbon was shown to be fixed in microalgae as the C3 compound phosphoglyceric acid. The enzyme responsible for C3 carbon fixation, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), however, requires inorganic carbon in the form of CO2 (ref. 2), and Rubisco enzymes from diatoms have half-saturation constants for CO2 of 30-60 microM (ref. 3). As a result, diatoms growing in seawater that contains about 10 microM CO2 may be CO2 limited. Kinetic and growth studies have shown that diatoms can avoid CO2 limitation, but the biochemistry of the underlying mechanisms remains unknown. Here we present evidence that C4 photosynthesis supports carbon assimilation in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, thus providing a biochemical explanation for CO2-insensitive photosynthesis in marine diatoms. If C4 photosynthesis is common among marine diatoms, it may account for a significant portion of carbon fixation and export in the ocean, and would explain the greater enrichment of 13C in diatoms compared with other classes of phytoplankton. Unicellular C4 carbon assimilation may have predated the appearance of multicellular C4 plants.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed2004

Cyclic electron flow around photosystem I is essential for photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis provides at least two routes through which light energy can be used to generate a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane of chloroplasts, which is subsequently used to synthesize ATP. In the first route, electrons released from water in photosystem II (PSII) are eventually transferred to NADP+ by way of photosystem I (PSI). This linear electron flow is driven by two photochemical reactions that function in series. The cytochrome b6f complex mediates electron transport between the two photosystems and generates the proton gradient (DeltapH). In the second route, driven solely by PSI, electrons can be recycled from either reduced ferredoxin or NADPH to plastoquinone, and subsequently to the cytochrome b6f complex. Such cyclic flow generates DeltapH and thus ATP without the accumulation of reduced species. Whereas linear flow from water to NADP+ is commonly used to explain the function of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, the role of cyclic flow is less clear. In higher plants cyclic flow consists of two partially redundant pathways. Here we have constructed mutants in Arabidopsis thaliana in which both PSI cyclic pathways are impaired, and present evidence that cyclic flow is essential for efficient photosynthesis.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2002

Photosynthesis nuclear genes generally lack TATA-boxes: a tobacco photosystem I gene responds to light through an initiator.

The promoter architecture of the nuclear-encoded photosystem I genes was studied using a tobacco gene, psaDb, as a model case. Linker scanning mutations revealed that the psaDb promoter does not have a TATA box. Instead, pyrimidine-rich Initiator (Inr) elements that overlap the transcription start sites are essential for light-responsive transcription of this gene. When the psaDb promoter was mutated to have a TATA-box but no Inr, light-responsive transcription was impaired, indicating that the regulatory system of this gene prefers Inr to a TATA box. As very little is known about plant TATA-less promoters, we subsequently examined whether this promoter architecture is unique to psaDb. Computer analysis of 232 plant promoters revealed surprising features; the majority of photosynthesis nuclear genes lacked TATA boxes, although the frequency of the TATA-less promoters in non-photosynthesis genes was less than 10%. These results strongly suggest that TATA-independent transcription mechanisms play important roles in the regulated expression of photosynthesis nuclear genes.

5' Flanking Region↗