Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “PHOTOSYNTHESIS”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

X-ray absorption spectroscopy to watch catalysis by metalloenzymes: status and perspectives discussed for the water-splitting manganese complex of photosynthesis.

Understanding structure-function relations is one of the main interests in the molecular biosciences. X-ray absorption spectroscopy of biological samples (BioXAS) has gained the status of a useful tool for characterization of the structure of protein-bound metal centers with respect to the electronic structure (oxidation states, orbital occupancies) and atomic structure (arrangement of ligand atoms). Owing to progress in the performance characteristics of synchrotron radiation sources and of experimental stations dedicated to the study of (ultra-dilute) biological samples, it is now possible to carry out new types of BioXAS experiments, which have been impracticable in the past. Of particular interest are approaches to follow biological catalysis at metal sites by characterization of functionally relevant structural changes. In this Article, the first steps towards the use of BioXAS to 'watch' biological catalysis are reviewed for the water-splitting reactions occurring at the manganese complex of photosynthesis. The following aspects are considered: the role of BioXAS in life sciences; methodological aspects of BioXAS; catalysis at the Mn complex of photosynthesis; combination of EXAFS and crystallographic information; the freeze-quench technique to capture semi-stable states; time-resolved BioXAS using a freeze-quench approach; room-temperature experiments and 'real-time' BioXAS; tasks and perspectives.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1991

Contemporaneous N(2) Fixation and Oxygenic Photosynthesis in the Nonheterocystous Mat-Forming Cyanobacterium Lyngbya aestuarii.

The nonheterocystous filamentous cyanobacterial genus Lyngbya is a widespread and frequently dominant component of marine microbial mats. It is suspected of contributing to relatively high rates of N(2) fixation associated with mats. The ability to contemporaneously conduct O(2)-sensitive N(2) fixation and oxygenic photosynthesis was investigated in Lyngbya aestuarii isolates from a North Carolina intertidal mat. Short-term (<4-h) additions of the photosystem II (O(2) evolution) inhibitor 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea stimulated light-mediated N(2) fixation (nitrogenase activity), indicating potential inhibition of N(2) fixation by O(2) production. However, some degree of light-mediated N(2) fixation in the absence of 3(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea was observed. Electron microscopic immunocytochemical localization of nitrogenase, coupled to microautoradiographic studies of CO(2) fixation and cellular deposition of the tetrazolium salt 2,4,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride, revealed that (i) nitrogenase was widely distributed throughout individual filaments during illuminated and dark periods, (ii) CO(2) fixation was most active in intercalary regions, and (iii) daylight 2,4,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride reduction (formazan deposition) was most intense in terminal regions. Results suggest lateral partitioning of photosynthesis and N(2) fixation during illumination, with N(2) fixation being confined to terminal regions. During darkness, a larger share of the filament appears capable of N(2) fixation.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Open reading frame 176 in the photosynthesis gene cluster of Rhodobacter capsulatus encodes idi, a gene for isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase.

Isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) isomerase catalyzes an essential activation step in the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. A database search based on probes from the highly conserved regions in three eukaryotic IPP isomerases revealed substantial similarity with ORF176 in the photosynthesis gene cluster in Rhodobacter capsulatus. The open reading frame was cloned into an Escherichia coli expression vector. The encoded 20-kDa protein, which was purified in two steps by ion exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography, catalyzed the interconversion of IPP and dimethylallyl diphosphate. Thus, the photosynthesis gene cluster encodes all of the enzymes required to incorporate IPP into the ultimate carotenoid and bacteriochlorophyll metabolites in R. capsulatus. More recent searches uncovered additional putative open reading frames for IPP isomerase in seed-bearing plants (Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Clarkia breweri), a worm (Caenorhabditis elegans), and another eubacterium (Escherichia coli). The R. capsulatus enzyme is the smallest of the IPP isomerases to be identified thus far and may consist mostly of a fundamental catalytic core for the enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

MOLECULAR ENGINEERING OF C4 PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

The majority of terrestrial plants, including many important crops such as rice, wheat, soybean, and potato, are classified as C3 plants that assimilate atmospheric CO2 directly through the C3 photosynthetic pathway. C4 plants such as maize and sugarcane evolved from C3 plants, acquiring the C4 photosynthetic pathway to achieve high photosynthetic performance and high water- and nitrogen-use efficiencies. The recent application of recombinant DNA technology has made considerable progress in the molecular engineering of C4 photosynthesis over the past several years. It has deepened our understanding of the mechanism of C4 photosynthesis and provided valuable information as to the evolution of the C4 photosynthetic genes. It also has enabled us to express enzymes involved in the C4 pathway at high levels and in desired locations in the leaves of C3 plants for engineering of primary carbon metabolism.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Phylogenetic analysis of tribe Salsoleae (Chenopodiaceae) based on ribosomal ITS sequences: implications for the evolution of photosynthesis types.

Diversity in photosynthetic pathways in the angiosperm family Chenopodiaceae is expressed in both biochemical and anatomical characters. To understand the evolution of photosynthetic diversity, we reconstructed the phylogeny of representative species of tribe Salsoleae of subfamily Salsoloideae, a group that exhibits in microcosm the patterns of photosynthetic variation present in the family as a whole, and examined the distribution of photosynthetic characters on the resulting phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred from parsimony analysis of nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) of the 18S-26S nuclear ribosomal DNA of 34 species of Salsola and related genera (Halothamnus, Climacoptera, Girgensohnia, Halocharis, and Haloxylon) and representative outgroups from tribes Camphorosmeae (Camphorosma lessingii, Kochia prostrata, and K. scoparia) and Atripliceae (Atriplex spongiosa). A highly resolved strict consensus tree largely agrees with photosynthetic type and anatomy of leaves and cotyledons. The sequence data provide strong support for the origin and evolution of two main lineages of plants in tribe Salsoleae, with NAD-ME and NADP-ME C(4) photosynthesis, respectively. These groups have different C(4) photosynthetic types in leaves and different structural and photosynthetic characteristics in cotyledons. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from ITS sequences generally agree with classifications based on morphological data, but deviations from the existing taxonomy were also observed. The NAD-ME C(4) lineage contains species classified in sections Caroxylon, Malpigipila, Cardiandra, Belanthera, and Coccosalsola, and the NADP-ME lineage comprises species from sections Coccosalsola and Salsola. Reconstruction of photosynthetic characters on the ITS phylogeny indicates separate NAD-ME and NADP-ME lineages and suggests two reversions to C(3) photosynthesis. Reconstruction of geographic distributions suggests Salsoleae originated and diversified in central Asia and subsequently dispersed to Africa, Europe, and Mongolia. Inferred patterns and processes of photosynthetic evolution in Salsoleae should further our understanding of biochemical and anatomical evolution in Chenopodiaceae as a whole.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1962

An investigation of electron spin resonance in wild type Chlamydomonas reinhardi and mutant strains having impaired photosynthesis.

The electron spin resonance signals of wild type Chlamydomonas reinhardi and three mutant strains having impaired photosynthesis have been investigated. The wild type strain generates two different electron spin resonance signals. Signal I is obtained without illumination (i.e., dark signal) whereas signal II is generated preferentially only by red light. Signal I is missing from wild type cells that have been cultured in the dark, but it returns after these dark-grown cells have been illuminated. Chloroplast fragments obtained from the three mutant strains cannot photoreduce TPN. Two of the strains lack the dark signal I while the third strain has both signal I and signal II. Other studies have revealed that the two mutant strains which lack signal I give no Hill reaction but that they can photoreduce TPN if supplied with an artificial reductant. The mutant strain which has both electron spin resonance signals can carry out the Hill reaction, yet it too will not photoreduce TPN unless reductant is supplied. The electron spin resonance signals generated by the wild type and mutant strains are discussed in terms of the pathway of TPN photoreduction, and it is suggested that signal I is associated with one of the two light-dependent phases of this pathway.

Chlamydomonas↗
PubMed2024

Illuminating the coevolution of photosynthesis and Bacteria.

Life harnessing light energy transformed the relationship between biology and Earth-bringing a massive flux of organic carbon and oxidants to Earth's surface that gave way to today's organotrophy- and respiration-dominated biosphere. However, our understanding of how life drove this transition has largely relied on the geological record; much remains unresolved due to the complexity and paucity of the genetic record tied to photosynthesis. Here, through holistic phylogenetic comparison of the bacterial domain and all photosynthetic machinery (totally spanning >10,000 genomes), we identify evolutionary congruence between three independent biological systems-bacteria, (bacterio)chlorophyll-mediated light metabolism (chlorophototrophy), and carbon fixation-and uncover their intertwined history. Our analyses uniformly mapped progenitors of extant light-metabolizing machinery (reaction centers, [bacterio]chlorophyll synthases, and magnesium-chelatases) and enzymes facilitating the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle (form I RuBisCO and phosphoribulokinase) to the same ancient Terrabacteria organism near the base of the bacterial domain. These phylogenies consistently showed that extant phototrophs ultimately derived light metabolism from this bacterium, the last phototroph common ancestor (LPCA). LPCA was a non-oxygen-generating (anoxygenic) phototroph that already possessed carbon fixation and two reaction centers, a type I analogous to extant forms and a primitive type II. Analyses also indicate chlorophototrophy originated before LPCA. We further reconstructed evolution of chlorophototrophs/chlorophototrophy post-LPCA, including vertical inheritance in Terrabacteria, the rise of oxygen-generating chlorophototrophy in one descendant branch near the Great Oxidation Event, and subsequent emergence of Cyanobacteria. These collectively unveil a detailed view of the coevolution of light metabolism and Bacteria having clear congruence with the geological record.

Photosynthesis↗
PubMed2001

Introduction of genes encoding C4 photosynthesis enzymes into rice plants: physiological consequences.

Transgenic rice plants expressing the maize phosphoeno/pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) exhibit a higher photosynthetic capacity (up to 35%) than untransformed plants. The increased photosynthetic capacity in these plants is mainly associated with an enhanced stomatal conductance and a higher internal CO2 concentration. Plants simultaneously expressing high levels of both enzymes also have a higher photosynthetic capacity. The results suggest that both PEPC and PPDK play a key role in organic acid metabolism in the guard cells to regulate stomatal opening. Under photoinhibitory and photooxidative conditions, PEPC transgenic rice plants are capable of maintaining a higher photosynthetic rate, a higher photosynthetic quantum yield by PSII and a higher capacity to dissipate excess energy photochemically and non-photochemically than untransformed plants. Preliminary data from field trials show that relative to untransformed plants, the grain yield is about 10-20% higher in selected PEPC and 30-35% higher in PPDK transgenic rice plants, due to increased tiller number. Taken together, these results suggest that introduction of C4 photosynthesis enzymes into rice has a good potential to enhance its tolerance to stress, photosynthetic capacity and yield.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tripartite and bipartite models of the photochemical apparatus of photosynthesis.

Tripartite and bipartite models for the photochemical apparatus of photosynthesis are presented and examined. It is shown that the equations for the yields of fluorescence from the different parts of the photochemical apparatus of the tripartite model transform into the simple equations of the bipartite formulation when the probability for energy transfer from the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex to photosystem II is unity. The nature of the 695 and 735 nm fluorescence bands which appear in the emission spectrum of chloroplasts at low temperature is examined. It is proposed that these bands are due to fluorescence from energy-trapping centres which form in the antenna chlorophyll of photosystem II and photosystem I on cooling to low temperature. Even though these fluorescence emissions can be regarded as low temperature artifacts since they are not present at physiological temperatures, they nevertheless are proportional to the excitation energy in the two photosystems and can be used to monitor energy distribution in the photochemical apparatus. However, the question of their artifactual nature is crucial to the interpretation of fluorescence-lifetime measurements at low temperature.

Chlorophyll↗
PubMed2004

Role of the special pair in the charge-separating event in photosynthesis.

We synthesized special-pair/electron-acceptor systems consisting of a complementary slipped cofacial dimer of imidazolyl-substituted zinc porphyrin, bearing pyromellitdiimide as the electron acceptor. In the case of the dimer, the first and second oxidation potentials were split into a total of four peaks in the differential pulse voltammetry measurement. Furthermore, the shift values of the first oxidation potentials obtained by changing the solvent polarity for the dimer were almost half of those observed for the monomer. These results indicate that the radical cation is delocalized over the whole pi system of the dimer. Time-resolved transient absorption measurements revealed that, relative to the corresponding monomer, the dimer accelerated the charge separation rate, but decelerated the charge recombination rate. The smaller reorganization energy of the slipped cofacial dimer relative to that of the monomeric system demonstrates the significance of the special-pair arrangement for efficient charge separation in photosynthesis.

Electron Transport↗
PubMed2003

An ab initio force field for the cofactors of bacterial photosynthesis.

This article presents a new ab initio force field for the cofactors of bacterial photosynthesis, namely quinones and bacteriochlorophylls. The parameters has been designed to be suitable for molecular dynamics simulations of photosynthetic proteins by being compatible with the AMBER force field. To our knowledge, this is the first force field for photosynthetic cofactors based on a reliable set of ab initio density functional reference data for methyl bacteriochlorophyll a, methyl bacteriopheophytin a, and of a derivative of ubiquinone. Indeed, the new molecular mechanics force field is able to reproduce very well not only the experimental and ab initio structural properties and the vibrational spectra of the molecules, but also the eigenvectors of the molecular normal modes. For this reason it might also be helpful to understand vibrational spectroscopy results obtained on reaction center proteins.

Bacteriochlorophylls↗
PubMed2001

Mass spectrometric studies of the path of carbon in photosynthesis: positional isotopic analysis of (13)C-labelled C(4) to C(7) sugar phosphates.

The (EIMS) electron ionization mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns of the methoxime- and ethoxime-trimethylsilyl (TMS) derivatives of C(4) to C(7) sugars involved as phosphates in the Calvin pathway of photosynthesis in plants were analysed by gas chromatography/EIMS using specifically labelled (13)C analogs. In general, most but not all of the major ions in the mass spectra arise from single carbon-carbon bond cleavages of the straight-chain derivatives. The results confirm that GC/MS of the alkoxime-TMS derivatives is a viable method for measuring (13)C incorporations at individual carbon atoms in each of the sugar phosphates during photosynthetic experiments with (13)CO(2).

Carbon↗
PubMed2006

Phytogrowth- and photosynthesis-inhibiting properties of nostoclide analogues.

Six nostoclide analogues were synthesised from 3-benzyl-2(5H)-furanone in one step, with yields ranging from 10 to 71%, and subjected to several biological assays. The two most active of these, 5d and 5e, were shown to be phytogrowth inhibitors of the radicle of Lolium multiflorum Lam, while enhancing the root growth of Physalis ixocarpa Brot. Both compounds inhibited electron flow (basal, phosphorylating and uncoupled) from water to methylviologen (MV); both acted as Hill reaction inhibitors, since the synthesis of ATP was prevented. The uncoupled electron transport from photosystem II (PSII) (water to 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DPIP)) and photosystem I (PSI) (2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol reduced (DPIPred) to MV) was inhibited with 500 microM of 5d by 22 and 14% respectively. In addition, 400 microM of 5d inhibited PSI (from tetramethyl-p-benzohydroquinone (TMQH(2)) to MV) by 40%. Thus 5d inhibited electron transport at the b(6)f complex. Finally, 500 microM of 5e inhibited electron flow (basal and phosphorylating) by 25%, and 300 microM of 5e enhanced light-activated membrane-bound Mg(2+)-ATPase by 66%. Thus 5e behaved as a weak Hill reaction inhibitor and an uncoupler. In general, the phytotoxicity of the synthetic lactones was only weakly related to inhibition of photosynthesis.

4-Butyrolactone↗
PubMed2004

Reversal of the inhibition of photosynthesis by herbicides affecting hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase by plastoquinone and tocopheryl derivatives in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Isoxaflutole or pyrazolate inhibition of tocopherol and plastoquinone biosynthesis in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dang leads to the inactivation of photosystem II and the degradation of its reaction centre D1 protein when exposed to strong light. Cell-permeable short-chain derivatives of plastoquinone and tocopherol were tested in the reversal. Addition of decyl-plastoquinone reverses herbicide-induced inhibition of photosynthesis and inactivation of photosystem II in short-time (1 h) exposure of the algae to high light. In high light longer than 1 h, decyl-plastoquinone alone loses effectiveness, but a synthetic permeable tocopheryl derivative retards the inhibitory effects on photosystem II and on the degradation of the D1 protein. This indicates that tocopherol deficiency induced by the herbicides makes a major contribution to their secondary mode of action in high light stress.

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase↗
PubMed1994

Photosynthesis inhibition by phenylureas: a QSAR approach.

A series of 21 N'-phenyl-N,N-disubstituted ureas was studied for its effects on thylakoidal electron transfer, photophosphorylation, and photosynthetic O2 evolution in class A chloroplasts and leaf fragments. The concentrations of test compounds that produced 50% inhibition of PS II electron transfer and of photosynthesis in class A chloroplasts were highly correlated. Urea derivatives with a N-lipophilic substituent (three or four carbon chains) were uncouplers (i.e., neburon uncoupled by 50% at 7 microM). The efficiency of inhibition of PS II electron transfer was increased by the presence of a 3,4-disubstitution of the phenyl ring. The presence of N-lipophilic substituents was necessary for there to be an inhibitory effect, but an increase in the length of the chain lowered the activity. The best QSAR equations that described the inhibitory activity of the whole series were obtained when using 1 chi v or MR (probably representing dispersion forces) associated with parameters that described the steric hindrance at the p position of the phenyl ring (Verloop's B2(4), B4(4)) or in its neighborhood (such as the angular parameter A4). The inhibitory efficiency of the phenylurea series on wheat and spinach pieces led to the conclusion that some extrachloroplastic factors seemed to limit the accessibility of the D1-protein target.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

The RegB/RegA two-component regulatory system controls synthesis of photosynthesis and respiratory electron transfer components in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Recently, we demonstrated that the RegB/RegA two-component regulatory system from Rhodobacter capsulatus functions as a global regulator of metabolic processes that either generate or consume reducing equivalents. For example, the RegB/RegA system controls expression of such energy generating processes as photosynthesis and hydrogen utilization. In addition, RegB/RegA also control nitrogen and carbon fixation pathways that utilize reducing equivalents. Here, we use a combination of DNase I protection and plasmid-based reporter expression studies to demonstrate that RegA directly controls synthesis of cytochrome cbb3 and ubiquinol oxidases that function as terminal electron acceptors in a branched respiratory chain. We also demonstrate that RegA controls expression of cytochromes c2, c(y) and the cytochrome bc1 complex that are involved in both photosynthetic and respiratory electron transfer events. These data provide evidence that the RegB/RegA two-component system has a major role in controlling the synthesis of numerous processes that affect reducing equivalents in Rhodobacter capsulatus.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2001

Photosynthesis-irradiance response at physiological level: a mechanistic model.

A mechanistic model is developed to present the photosynthetic response of phytoplankton to irradiance at the physiological level. The model is operated on photosynthetic units (PSU), and each PSU is assumed to have two states: reactive and activated. Light absorption that drives a reactive PSU into the activated state results from the effective absorption of the PSU. Transitions between the two states are asymmetrical in rate. A PSU in the reactive state becomes activated much faster than it recovers from the activated state to the reactive one. The turnover time for an activated PSU to transit into the reactive one is defined by the turnover time of the electron transport chain. The present model yields a photosynthesis-irradiance curve (PE-curve) in a hyperbola, which is described by three physiological parameters: effective cross-section (sigmaPSII), turnover time of electron transport chain (tau) and number of PSUs (N). The PE-curve has an initial slope of sigmaPSII x N, a half-saturated irradiance of 1/(tau sigmaPSII), and a maximal photosynthetic rate of N/tau at the saturated irradiance. The PE-curve from the present model is comparable to the empirical function based on the target theory described by the Poisson distribution.

Electron Transport↗
PubMed1990

Multiple interactions between tissue-specific nuclear proteins and the promoter of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase gene for C4 photosynthesis in Zea mays.

The expression of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene involved in C4 photosynthesis is regulated in a highly organized manner. Nuclear factors interacting with DNA fragments from the 5' flanking region (from positions -1012 to +88 relative to the transcription start site) of the maize gene were identified by gel shift assays. Among the three kinds of such nuclear proteins (MNF1, MNF2a and MNF2b) found in the extract from maize leaves, MNF2a and MNF2b, which were distinguishable by their chromatographic behavior, interacted with the same motif of the repeated sequence (RS2) in the region from -432 to -201. MNF1 interacted with the region from -905 to -818 in which two copies of another kind of repeated sequence (RS1) reside. All of these nuclear factors were found only in the extracts from green and etiolated leaves but not in those from stems and roots. The relative content of MNF1 and MNF2b was almost equal in green and etiolated leaves, while that of MNF2a was significantly higher in etiolated leaves than green leaves. It is suggested that expression of the PEPC gene is controlled by the combined effects of these nuclear factors.

Base Sequence↗