• Title/Summary/Keyword: Chloroplasts

Search Result 192, Processing Time 0.029 seconds

Quality Control of Photosystem II during Photoinhibition

  • Yamamoto, Yasusi
    • Journal of Photoscience
    • /
    • v.9 no.2
    • /
    • pp.55-58
    • /
    • 2002
  • The reaction center Dl protein of photosystem II is the target of photodamage by excess illumination. The Dl protein is damaged by reactive oxygen species generated by photochemical reactions and then degraded by specific proteolytic enzymes. We found that the Dl protein also cross-links with the surrounding polypeptides, such as D2 and CP43 in isolated thylakoids or photosystem II-enriched membranes from spinach under the illumination with strong visible light. The cross-linking was observed in spinach leaf discs as well when they were illuminated at higher temperature (40°C). It was also shown that the cross-linked products are digested efficiently by a protease(s) in the stroma. Thus the cross-linking/digestion processes of the Dl protein seem to comprise a new pathway in the turnover of the photodamaged Dl protein. It should be noted, however, that the cross-linked products of the Dl protein and CP43 induced by endogenous cationic radicals in the donor-side photoinhibition are resistant to proteolytic digestion. Accumulation of these cross-linked products in the thylakoids may lead to the decay of the function of chloroplasts and finally to the death of plant cells. Thus, we suggest that the quality control of photosystem II, especially removal of the cross-linked products of the Dl protein, is crucial for the survival of chloroplasts under the light stress.

  • PDF

Localization of Single Chain Fv Antibodies (scFv) in Transgenic Tobacco Ptants Showing Resistance against Tomato Bushy Stunt Virus

  • Jeun, Y.C.;Boonrod, K.;Nagy, P.;Conrad, U.;Krczal, G.
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
    • /
    • 2003.10a
    • /
    • pp.75.2-75
    • /
    • 2003
  • To develop an effective protection strategy against tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), tobacco plants expressing single-chain Fv antibodies (scFv), were established. A previous had shown that the replication activity of viral replicase was inhibited by the selected scFvs. Moreover, no systemic symptom was found after virus inoculation on leaves of wt N. benthamiana infiltrated with an Agrobacterium suspension resulting i3l expression of the scFvs. However, control plants showed systemic symptoms. In this study the localization of the scFvs within two transgenic plant lines, (CP28H3, CP-P55) was demonstrated using immunogold labelling. The gold particles, indicating the presence of scFv, were mostly found In the cytoplasm of the plant cells including chloroplasts and in the cell walls. However, they were hardly found in the vacuole, nucleoplasm and intercellular spaces. Gold particles often accumulated in either the cytosol or chloroplasts showing a specific labeling, There was no difference in type of gold labeling between both transgenic lines. The localization of the scFv in the cytoplasm further conforms the inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) by the selected scFv because it is known that the RdRp is localized to membraneous cytosolic structures.

  • PDF

Effect of Rifampicin on the Biosynthesis of Nucleic Acid in Chloroplast isolated from Chlorella ellipsoidea (Chlorella 세포에서 분리한 엽록체의 핵산합성에 미치는 rifampicin의 영향)

  • 이종삼;정희숙
    • Korean Journal of Microbiology
    • /
    • v.24 no.3
    • /
    • pp.276-287
    • /
    • 1986
  • Chlorella ellipsoidea were cultured in the media containing rifampicin for 7 days. Aliquot cells were taken out after the inoculation and at intervals during cultivation and growth rate of Chlorella cells was measured. In order to investigate the effect of rifampicin on the nucleic acid synthesis, nucleic acid and RNA polymerase were extracted from chloroplast isolated from these cells, and the contents of nucleic acid and activity of enzyme were measured to compared with those of the control. The inhibitory concentration of rifampicin on growth was 80 ppm. The DNA contents in chloroplasts isolated were decreased 60% to compared with control, whole cells were markedly decreased 70% by rifampicin. The contents of base in the RNA were decreased 46% by rifampicin in shole cell, and 77% of base contents were decreased in chloroplast. Rifampicin also inhibited the activity of RNA polymerase, therefore whole cell was decreased 10% of activity and chloroplasts were decreased 42% of activity.

  • PDF

Cytoskeletal changes during nuclear and cell division in the freshwater alga Zygnema cruciatum (Chlorophyta, Zygnematales)

  • Yoon, Min-Chul;Han, Jong-Won;Hwang, Mi-Sook;Kim, Gwang-Hoon
    • ALGAE
    • /
    • v.25 no.4
    • /
    • pp.197-204
    • /
    • 2010
  • Cytoskeletal changes were observed during cell division of the green alga Zygnema cruciatum using flourescein isothiocynate (FITC)-conjugated phallacidin for F-actin staining and FITC-anti-$\alpha$-tubulin for microtubule staining. Z. cruciatum was uninucleate with two star-shaped chloroplasts. Nuclear division and cell plate formation occurred prior to chloroplast division. Actin filaments appeared on the chromosome and nuclear surface during prophase, and the F-actin ring appeared as the cleavage furrow developed. FITC-phallacidin revealed that actin filaments were attached to the chromosomes during metaphase. The F-actin ring disappeared at late metaphase. At telophase, FITC-phallacidin staining of actin filaments disappeared. FITC-anti-$\alpha$-tubulin staining revealed that microtubules were arranged beneath the protoplasm during interphase and then localized on the nuclear region at prophase, and that the mitotic spindle was formed during metaphase. The microtubules appeared between dividing chloroplasts. The results indicate that a coordination of actin filaments and microtubules might be necessary for nuclear division and chromosome movement in Z. cruciatum.

MERCURY-INDUCED ALTERATIONS OF CHLOROPHYLL a FLUORESCENCE KINETICS IN ISOLATED BARLEY (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. ALBORI) CHLOROPLASTS

  • Chun, Hyun-Sik;Lee, Choon-Hwan;Lee, Chin-Bum
    • Journal of Photoscience
    • /
    • v.1 no.1
    • /
    • pp.47-52
    • /
    • 1994
  • Effects of HgCl$_2$-treatment on electron transport, chlorophyll a fluorescence and its quenching were studied using isolated barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Albori) chloroplasts. Depending on the concentration of HgCI$_2$, photosynthetic oxygen-evolving activities of photosystem II (PS II) were greatly inhibited, whereas those of photosystem I (PS I) were slightly decreased. The inhibitory effects of HgCl$_2$ on the oxygen-evolving activity was partially restored by the addition of hydroxyamine, suggesting the primary inhibition site by HgCl$_2$2-treatment is close to the oxidizing site of PS tl associated with water-splitting complex. Addition of 50 $\mu$M HgCI$_2$ decreased both photochemical and nonphotochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. Especially, energy dependent quenching (qE) was completely disappeared by HgCl$_2$-treatment as observed by NH$_4$CI treatment. In the presence of HgCI$_2$, F'o level during illumination was also increased. These results suggest that pH gradient across thylakoid membrane can not be formed in the presence of 0 $\mu$M HgCl$_2$. In addition, antenna pigment composition might be altered by HgCl$_2$-treatment.

  • PDF

Services of Algae to the Environment

  • Rai, Lal-Chand;Har Darshan Kumar;Frieder Helmut Mohn;Carl Johannas Soeder
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • /
    • v.10 no.2
    • /
    • pp.119-136
    • /
    • 2000
  • Being autotrophic, algae occupy a trategic place in the biosphere. They produce oxygen both directly and indirectly through the chloroplasts of all green plants. The chloroplasts are believed to have originated from archaic prokaryotic algae through endosymbiosis with primitive eukaryotic cells. Phytoplankton and other algae regulate the global environment not only by releasing oxygen but also by fixing carbon dioxide. They affect water quality, help in the treatment of sewage, and produce biomass. They can be used to produce hydrogen which is a clean fuel, and biodiesel, and fix $N_2$ for use as a biofertilizer. Some other services of algae to the environment include restoration of metal damaged ecosystems, reducing the atmospheric $CO_2$ load and citigating global warming, reclamation of saline-alkaline unfertile lands, and production of dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) involved in the regulation of UV radiation. ozone concentration, and global warming. Algae can be valuable in understanding and resolving certain environmental issues.

  • PDF

Responses of Transgenic Tobacco Plants Overexpressing Superoxide Dismutase and Ascorbate Peroxidase in Chloroplasts to Water Stress (Superoxide Dismutase와 Ascorbate Peroxidase를 엽록체에 과발현하는 형질전환 담배의 수분스트레스에 대한 반응)

  • 최선미;권석윤;곽상수;박용목
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
    • /
    • v.10 no.1
    • /
    • pp.79-84
    • /
    • 2001
  • To assess resistance of transgenic tobacco plants which overexpress superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in chloroplasts to water stress, changes in leaf water potential, turgor potential, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were measured. Leaf water potential in all plants remained high up to day 4 after withholding water but thereafter decreased markedly. In spite of a remarkable decrease in leaf water potential, some of transgenic plants maintained higher turgor potential compared with control plant on day 12. In particular, the transgenic plant expressing MnSOD showed an outstanding maintenance in turgor pressure by osmotic adjustment throughout the experiment, resulting in high stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. However, among transgenic plants, osmotic potential was reduced more effectively in multiple transformants such as the double transformant expressing both MnSOD and APX, and the triple transformant expressing CuznSOD, MnSOD and APX than single transformants. Consequently, further research is needed to get general agreement on the tolerance of transgenic plants to water stress at different growth stages for each transgenic plant.

  • PDF

Cell Division in the Absence of Mitosis: The Unusual Case of the Fucoid Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis (Phaeophyceae)

  • Garbary, David J.;Lawson, Greg;Clement, Kelly;Galway, Moira E.
    • ALGAE
    • /
    • v.24 no.4
    • /
    • pp.239-248
    • /
    • 2009
  • Fluorescence and electron microscopy were used to examine epidermal shedding in the fucoid alga, Ascophyllum nodosum. Mature meristoderm cells are ca. 50-100 x 30-40 ${\mu}m$ and highly polarized, with a single nucleus and chloroplasts near the base of the cell. Nuclei in these cells undergo mitosis when they are dividing to form a new cortical cell towards the middle of the frond, or anticlinal divisions as part of frond elongation. However, cytokinesis also occurs regularly in these cells when a new periclinal wall is deposited at about 30% of the cell length from the apical end. The newly formed distal cells are anucleate and without chloroplasts. Following cytokinesis the tangential walls then break at the thinnest point. The whole process is synchronous in adjoining epidermal cells across large areas of the frond surface, and this layer dehisces from the thallus. This is the only known plant or algal system in which cytokinesis regularly occurs in the absence of mitosis. We consider this process a novel form of programmed cell death.

Improvement of Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco Plant (형질전환 담배의 내건성 개선)

  • Park, Yong Mok
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
    • /
    • v.25 no.1
    • /
    • pp.173-179
    • /
    • 2016
  • Leaf water and osmotic potential, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, and electrolyte leakage were measured to evaluate tolerance to water stress in wild-type (WT) and transgenic tobacco plants (TR) expressing copper/zink superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in chloroplasts. Leaf water potential of both WT and TR plants decreased similarly under water stress condition. However, leaf osmotic potential of TR plants more negatively decreased in the process of dehydration, compared with WT plants, suggesting osmotic adjustment. Stomatal conductance (Gs) in WT plants markedly decreased from the Day 4 after withholding water, while that in TR plants retained relatively high values. Relatively low chlorophyll content and photosynthetic rate under water stress were shown in WT plants since $4^{th}$ day after treatment. In particular, damage indicated by electrolyte leakage during water stress was higher in WT plants than in TR plants. On the other hand, SOD and APX activity was remarkably higher in TR plants. These results indicate that transgenic tobacco plants expressing copper/zink superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in chloroplasts improve tolerance to water stress.