REPRESSION OF Lhcb GENES FOR CHLOROPHYLL a/b-BINDING PROTEINS UNDER HIGH-LIGHT CONDITIONS IN Chlamydomonas

Lhcb genes encoding light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b binding (LHC) proteins of photosystem (PS) II were comprehensively characterized using the expressed sequence tag (EST) databases in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The gene family was composed of eight Lhcb genes including four new genes, which were isolated and sequenced. The effects of light intensity on the levels of mRNAs accumulation of multiple Lhcb genes were studied under various conditions. The results indicate that Lhcb genes are coordinately regulated in response to light conditions, and repressed when the input light energy exceeded the requirement for $CO_2$ assimilation. The effects of high light on the expression of the Lhcb genes observed in the presence of an electron transport inhibitor, DCMU, and in mutants deficient in photosynthetic reaction centers suggest the presence of two alternative mechanisms for regulating the genes expression under high-light conditions.