Abstract
Photoinhibition in the green alga Dunaliella salina is accompanied by the formation of inactive Photosystem II reaction centers. In SDS-PAGE analysis, the latter appear as 160 kD complexes. These complexes are structurally stable, enough to withstand re-electrophoresis of excised gel slices from the 160 kD region. Western blot analyses with specific polyclonal antibodies raised against the D1 or D2 reaction center proteins provided evidence for the presence of both of these polypeptides in the re-electrophoresed 160 kD complex. Incubation of excised gel slices from the 160 kD region, under aerobic conditions at 4°C for a prolonged period of time, caused a break-up of the 160 kD complex into a ∽52 kD D1-containing and ∽80 and ∽26 kD D2-containing pieces. Western blot analysis with polyclonal antibodies raised against the apoproteins of CPI (reaction center proteins of PS I) did not show cross-reaction either with the 160 kD complex or with the ∽52, ∽80 and ∽26 kD pieces. The results show the presence of both D1 and D2 in the 160 kD complex and strengthen the notion of a higher molecular weight D1- and D2-containing complex that forms upon disassembly of photodamaged PS II units.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- PS II:
-
Photosystem II
- D1:
-
the 32 kD reaction center protein of PS II, encoded by the chloroplast psbA gene
- D2:
-
the 34 kD reaction center protein of PS II, encoded by the chloroplast psbD gene
- CPI:
-
the 82 and 83 kD reaction center proteins of PS I, encoded by the chloroplast psaA and psaB genes
- HL:
-
high light
- LL:
-
low light
References
Adir N, Shochat S and Ohad I (1990) Light-dependent D1 protein synthesis and translocation is regulated by reaction center II: Reaction center II serves as an acceptor for the D1 precursor. J Biol Chem 265: 12563–12568
Aro E-M, McCaffery S and Anderson JM (1993) Photoinhibition and D1 protein degradation in peas acclimated to different growth irradiances. Plant Physiol 103: 835–843
Aro E-M, Virgin I and Andersson B (1993) Photoinhibition of Photosystem II. Inactivation, protein damage and turnover. Biochim Biophys Acta 1143: 113–134
Barber J (1989) Function and molecular biology of Photosystem two. Oxford Surveys of Plant Molecular & Cell Biology, Vol 6: 115–162
Barber J (1995) Molecular basis of the vulnerability of photosystem II to damage by light. Austr J Plant Physiol 22: 201–208
Cleland RE, AMelis and PJNeale (1986) Mechanism of photoinhibition: Photochemical reaction center inactivation in system II of chloroplasts. Photosynth Res 9: 79–88
Guenther JE and Melis A (1990) The physiological significance of Photosystem II heterogeneity in chloroplasts. Photosynth Res 23: 105–110.
Kim JH, Nemson JA and Melis A (1993) Photosystem II reaction center damage and repair in Dunaliella salina (green alga)—analysis under physiological and irradiance-stress conditions. Plant Physiol 103 181–189
Kok B (1956) On the inhibition of photosynthesis by intense light. Biochim Biophys Acta 21: 234–244
Kyle DJ, Ohad I and Arntzen CJ (1984) Membrane protein damage and repair: Selective loss of a quinone-protein function in chloroplast membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81: 4070–4074
Mattoo A, Hoffman-Falk H, Marder J and Edelman M (1984) Regulation of protein metabolism: coupling of photosynthetic electron-transport to in vivo degradation of the rapidly metabolized 32-kDa protein of the chloroplast membranes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81: 1380–1384
Mattoo AK and Edelman M (1987) Intramembrane translocation and posttranslational palmitoylation of the chloroplast 32-kDa herbicide-binding protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84: 1497–1501
Melis A (1992) Modification of chloroplast development by irradiance. In: Argyroudi-Akoyunoglou JH (ed) Regulation of Chloroplast Biogenesis, pp 491–498. Plenum Press, New York
Mishra NP and Ghanotakis DF (1994) Exposure of a Photosystem II complex to chemically generated singlet oxygen results in D1 fragments similar to the ones observed during aerobic photoinhibition. Biochim Biophys Acta 1187: 296–300
Nanba O and Satoh K (1987) Isolation of a Photosystem II reaction center consisting of D-1 and D-2 polypeptides and cytochrome b-559. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 84: 109–112
Powles SB (1984) Photoinhibition of photosynthesis induced by visible light. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 35: 15–44
Smith BM, Morrissey PJ, Guenther JE, Nemson JA, Harrison MA, Allen JF and Melis A (1990) Response of the photosynthetic apparatus in Dunaliella salina (green algae) to irradiance stress. Plant Physiol 93: 1433–1440
Vasilikiotis C and Melis A (1994) Photosystem-II reaction center damage and repair cycle—chloroplast acclimation strategy to irradiance stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 91: 7222–7226
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This publication is dedicated to the memory of the late Professor Daniel Arnon, whom the first author will fondly remember for his many accounts of past scientific discovery and debate.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Melis, A., Nemson, J.A. Characterization of a 160 kD Photosystem II reaction center complex isolated from photoinhibited Dunaliella salina thylakoids. Photosynth Res 46, 207–211 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020432
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00020432