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Jakubauskas D, Mortensen K, Jensen PE, Kirkensgaard JJK. Small-Angle X-Ray and Neutron Scattering on Photosynthetic Membranes. Front Chem 2021; 9:631370. [PMID: 33954157 PMCID: PMC8090863 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.631370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrastructural membrane arrangements in living cells and their dynamic remodeling in response to environmental changes remain an area of active research but are also subject to large uncertainty. The use of noninvasive methods such as X-ray and neutron scattering provides an attractive complimentary source of information to direct imaging because in vivo systems can be probed in near-natural conditions. However, without solid underlying structural modeling to properly interpret the indirect information extracted, scattering provides at best qualitative information and at worst direct misinterpretations. Here we review the current state of small-angle scattering applied to photosynthetic membrane systems with particular focus on data interpretation and modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dainius Jakubauskas
- X-ray and Neutron Science, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kell Mortensen
- X-ray and Neutron Science, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Poul Erik Jensen
- Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob J. K. Kirkensgaard
- X-ray and Neutron Science, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Ünnep R, Paul S, Zsiros O, Kovács L, Székely NK, Steinbach G, Appavou MS, Porcar L, Holzwarth AR, Garab G, Nagy G. Thylakoid membrane reorganizations revealed by small-angle neutron scattering of Monstera deliciosa leaves associated with non-photochemical quenching. Open Biol 2020; 10:200144. [PMID: 32931722 PMCID: PMC7536078 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) is an important photoprotective mechanism in plants and algae. Although the process is extensively studied, little is known about its relationship with ultrastructural changes of the thylakoid membranes. In order to better understand this relationship, we studied the effects of illumination on the organization of thylakoid membranes in Monstera deliciosa leaves. This evergreen species is known to exhibit very large NPQ and to possess giant grana with dozens of stacked thylakoids. It is thus ideally suited for small-angle neutron scattering measurements (SANS)-a non-invasive technique, which is capable of providing spatially and statistically averaged information on the periodicity of the thylakoid membranes and their rapid reorganizations in vivo. We show that NPQ-inducing illumination causes a strong decrease in the periodic order of granum thylakoid membranes. Development of NPQ and light-induced ultrastructural changes, as well as the relaxation processes, follow similar kinetic patterns. Surprisingly, whereas NPQ is suppressed by diuron, it impedes only the relaxation of the structural changes and not its formation, suggesting that structural changes do not cause but enable NPQ. We also demonstrate that the diminishment of SANS peak does not originate from light-induced redistribution and reorientation of chloroplasts inside the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renáta Ünnep
- Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, Hungary
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Suman Paul
- Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstr. 34-36, 45470 Mülheim a.d. Ruhr, Germany
| | - Ottó Zsiros
- Biological Research Centre, Institute of Plant Biology, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Kovács
- Biological Research Centre, Institute of Plant Biology, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Noémi K. Székely
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at MLZ, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Gábor Steinbach
- Biological Research Centre, Institute of Biophysics, Temesvári körút 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Marie-Sousai Appavou
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at MLZ, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Lionel Porcar
- Institut Laue-Langevin, BP 156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Alfred R. Holzwarth
- Max-Planck-Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstr. 34-36, 45470 Mülheim a.d. Ruhr, Germany
| | - Győző Garab
- Biological Research Centre, Institute of Plant Biology, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ostrava University, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- European Spallation Source ESS ERIC, PO Box 176, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, 1121 Budapest, Hungary
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3
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Zsiros O, Ünnep R, Nagy G, Almásy L, Patai R, Székely NK, Kohlbrecher J, Garab G, Dér A, Kovács L. Role of Protein-Water Interface in the Stacking Interactions of Granum Thylakoid Membranes-As Revealed by the Effects of Hofmeister Salts. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1257. [PMID: 32922427 PMCID: PMC7456932 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The thylakoid membranes of vascular plants are differentiated into stacked granum and unstacked stroma regions. The formation of grana is triggered by the macrodomain formation of photosystem II and light-harvesting complex II (PSII-LHCII) and thus their lateral segregation from the photosystem I-light-harvesting complex I (PSI-LHCI) super-complexes and the ATP-synthase; which is then stabilized by stacking interactions of the adjacent PSII-LHCII enriched regions of the thylakoid membranes. The self-assembly and dynamics of this highly organized membrane system and the nature of forces acting between the PSII-LHCII macrodomains are not well understood. By using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we investigated the effects of Hofmeister salts on the organization of pigment-protein complexes and on the ultrastructure of thylakoid membranes. We found that the kosmotropic agent (NH4)2SO4 and the Hofmeister-neutral NaCl, up to 2 M concentrations, hardly affected the macro-organization of the protein complexes and the membrane ultrastructure. In contrast, chaotropic salts, NaClO4, and NaSCN destroyed the mesoscopic structures, the multilamellar organization of the thylakoid membranes and the chiral macrodomains of the protein complexes but without noticeably affecting the short-range, pigment-pigment excitonic interactions. Comparison of the concentration- and time-dependences of SANS, TEM and CD parameters revealed the main steps of the disassembly of grana in the presence of chaotropes. It begins with a rapid diminishment of the long-range periodic order of the grana membranes, apparently due to an increased stacking disorder of the thylakoid membranes, as reflected by SANS experiments. SANS measurements also allowed discrimination between the cationic and anionic effects-in stacking and disorder, respectively. This step is followed by a somewhat slower disorganization of the TEM ultrastructure, due to the gradual loss of stacked membrane pairs. Occurring last is the stepwise decrease and disappearance of the long-range chiral order of the protein complexes, the rate of which was faster in LHCII-deficient membranes. These data are interpreted in terms of a theory, from our laboratory, according to which Hofmeister salts primarily affect the hydrophylic-hydrophobic interactions of proteins, and the stroma-exposed regions of the intrinsic membrane proteins, in particular-pointing to the role of protein-water interface in the stacking interactions of granum thylakoid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottó Zsiros
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Renáta Ünnep
- Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Budapest, Hungary
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - László Almásy
- Neutron Spectroscopy Department, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Roland Patai
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Noémi K. Székely
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science at MLZ, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Garching, Germany
| | - Joachim Kohlbrecher
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Győző Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czechia
- *Correspondence: Győző Garab, ; András Dér, ; László Kovács,
| | - András Dér
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Győző Garab, ; András Dér, ; László Kovács,
| | - László Kovács
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Győző Garab, ; András Dér, ; László Kovács,
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4
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Zsiros O, Nagy V, Párducz Á, Nagy G, Ünnep R, El-Ramady H, Prokisch J, Lisztes-Szabó Z, Fári M, Csajbók J, Tóth SZ, Garab G, Domokos-Szabolcsy É. Effects of selenate and red Se-nanoparticles on the photosynthetic apparatus of Nicotiana tabacum. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2019; 139:449-460. [PMID: 30374728 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0599-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is a natural trace element, which shifts its action in a relatively narrow concentration range from nutritional role to toxicity. Although it has been well established that in plants chloroplasts are among the primary targets, the mechanism of toxicity on photosynthesis is not well understood. Here, we compared selenate and red-allotrope elemental selenium nanoparticles (red nanoSe) in in vitro tobacco cultures to investigate their effects on the structure and functions of the photosynthetic machinery. Selenate at 10 mg/L concentration retarded plant growth; it also led to a decreased chlorophyll content, accompanied with an increase in the carotenoid-to-chlorophyll ratio. Structural examinations of the photosynthetic machinery, using electron microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering and circular dichroism spectroscopy, revealed significant perturbation in the macro-organization of the pigment-protein complexes and sizeable shrinkage in the repeat distance of granum thylakoid membranes. As shown by chlorophyll a fluorescence transient measurements, these changes in the ultrastructure were associated with a significantly diminished photosystem II activity and a reduced performance of the photosynthetic electron transport, and an enhanced capability of non-photochemical quenching. These changes in the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus explain, at least in part, the retarded growth of plantlets in the presence of 10 mg/L selenate. In contrast, red nanoSe, even at 100 mg/L and selenate at 1 mg/L, exerted no negative effect on the growth of plantlets and affected only marginally the thylakoid membrane ultrastructure and the photosynthetic functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottó Zsiros
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
| | - Valéria Nagy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
| | - Árpád Párducz
- Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, Budapest, 1525, Hungary
| | - Renáta Ünnep
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, Budapest, 1525, Hungary
| | - Hassan El-Ramady
- Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh Uni, 33516, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt
- Department of Agricultural Botany, Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - József Prokisch
- Bio- and Environmental Enegetics Inst., Nano Food Lab, Debrecen University, Boszormenyi 138, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsa Lisztes-Szabó
- Isotope Climatology and Environmental Research Centre, Institute for Nuclear Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary
| | - Miklós Fári
- Department of Agricultural Botany, Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - József Csajbók
- Department of Crop Production and Applied Ecology, University of Debrecen, Boszormenyi 138, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Zita Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
| | - Győző Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, Szeged, 6701, Hungary
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ostrava University, Chittussiho 10, 710 0, Ostrava - Slezská Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Éva Domokos-Szabolcsy
- Department of Agricultural Botany, Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary.
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Jäger S, Büchel C. Cation-dependent changes in the thylakoid membrane appression of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2018; 1860:41-51. [PMID: 30447184 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Diatoms show a special organisation of their plastid membranes, such that their thylakoids span the entire plastid in bands of three. While in higher plants the interaction of the light harvesting complex II and photosystem II with divalent cations (especially Mg2+) was found to take part in the interplay of electrostatic attraction and repulsion in grana membrane appression, for diatoms the key players in maintaining proper membrane distances were not identified so far. In this work, we investigated the changes in the thylakoid architecture of Thalassiosira pseudonana in reaction to different salts by using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with other techniques. We show that divalent cations have an important influence on optimal pigment organisation and thus also on maintaining membrane appression. Thereby, monovalent cations are far less effective. The concentration needed is in a physiological range and fits well with the values obtained for higher plant grana stacking, despite the fact that strict protein segregation as seen in higher plant grana is missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Jäger
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Claudia Büchel
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Straße 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
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6
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Kaňa R, Govindjee. Role of Ions in the Regulation of Light-Harvesting. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1849. [PMID: 28018387 PMCID: PMC5160696 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting in the thylakoids is one of the major key factors affecting the efficiency of photosynthesis. Thylakoid membrane is negatively charged and influences both the structure and the function of the primarily photosynthetic reactions through its electrical double layer (EDL). Further, there is a heterogeneous organization of soluble ions (K+, Mg2+, Cl-) attached to the thylakoid membrane that, together with fixed charges (negatively charged amino acids, lipids), provides an electrical field. The EDL is affected by the valence of the ions and interferes with the regulation of "state transitions," protein interactions, and excitation energy "spillover" from Photosystem II to Photosystem I. These effects are reflected in changes in the intensity of chlorophyll a fluorescence, which is also a measure of photoprotective non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of the excited state of chlorophyll a. A triggering of NPQ proceeds via lumen acidification that is coupled to the export of positive counter-ions (Mg2+, K+) to the stroma or/and negative ions (e.g., Cl-) into the lumen. The effect of protons and anions in the lumen and of the cations (Mg2+, K+) in the stroma are, thus, functionally tightly interconnected. In this review, we discuss the consequences of the model of EDL, proposed by Barber (1980b) Biochim Biophys Acta 594:253-308) in light of light-harvesting regulation. Further, we explain differences between electrostatic screening and neutralization, and we emphasize the opposite effect of monovalent (K+) and divalent (Mg2+) ions on light-harvesting and on "screening" of the negative charges on the thylakoid membrane; this effect needs to be incorporated in all future models of photosynthetic regulation by ion channels and transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Kaňa
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the CzechiaTřeboň, Czechia
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South BohemiaČeské Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Govindjee
- Center of Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana, IL, USA
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7
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Herdean A, Teardo E, Nilsson AK, Pfeil BE, Johansson ON, Ünnep R, Nagy G, Zsiros O, Dana S, Solymosi K, Garab G, Szabó I, Spetea C, Lundin B. A voltage-dependent chloride channel fine-tunes photosynthesis in plants. Nat Commun 2016; 7:11654. [PMID: 27216227 PMCID: PMC4890181 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In natural habitats, plants frequently experience rapid changes in the intensity of sunlight. To cope with these changes and maximize growth, plants adjust photosynthetic light utilization in electron transport and photoprotective mechanisms. This involves a proton motive force (PMF) across the thylakoid membrane, postulated to be affected by unknown anion (Cl(-)) channels. Here we report that a bestrophin-like protein from Arabidopsis thaliana functions as a voltage-dependent Cl(-) channel in electrophysiological experiments. AtVCCN1 localizes to the thylakoid membrane, and fine-tunes PMF by anion influx into the lumen during illumination, adjusting electron transport and the photoprotective mechanisms. The activity of AtVCCN1 accelerates the activation of photoprotective mechanisms on sudden shifts to high light. Our results reveal that AtVCCN1, a member of a conserved anion channel family, acts as an early component in the rapid adjustment of photosynthesis in variable light environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Herdean
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Enrico Teardo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Anders K. Nilsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Bernard E. Pfeil
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Oskar N. Johansson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Renáta Ünnep
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest 1121, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen 5232, Switzerland
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest 1121, Hungary
| | - Ottó Zsiros
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged 6701, Hungary
| | - Somnath Dana
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Katalin Solymosi
- Department of Plant Anatomy, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Győző Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Szeged 6701, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Szabó
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova 35121, Italy
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Padova 35121, Italy
| | - Cornelia Spetea
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
| | - Björn Lundin
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden
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8
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Unnep R, Nagy G, Markó M, Garab G. Monitoring thylakoid ultrastructural changes in vivo using small-angle neutron scattering. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2014; 81:197-207. [PMID: 24629664 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2014.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2014] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
The light reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis take place in the thylakoid membranes, flattened vesicles, which contain the two photosystems and also embed the cytochrome b6f complex and the ATP synthase. In general, the thylakoid membranes are assembled into multilamellar membrane systems, which warrant an optimal light capturing efficiency. In nature, they show astounding variations, primarily due to large variations in their protein composition, which is controlled by multilevel regulatory mechanisms during long-term acclimation and short-term adaptation processes and also influenced by biotic or abiotic stresses - indicating a substantial degree of flexibility in the membrane ultrastructure. The better understanding of the dynamic features of this membrane system requires the use of non-invasive techniques, such as small angle neutron scattering (SANS), which is capable of providing accurate, statistically and spatially averaged information on the repeat distances of periodically organized thylakoid membranes under physiologically relevant conditions with time resolutions of seconds and minutes. In this review, after a short section on the basic properties of neutrons, we outline the fundamental principles of SANS measurements, its strengths and weaknesses in comparison to complementary structure investigation techniques. Then we overview recent results on isolated plant thylakoid membranes, and on living cyanobacterial and algal cells as well as on whole leaves. Special attention is paid to light-induced reversible ultrastructural changes in vivo, which, in cyanobacterial and diatom cells, were uncovered with the aid of SANS measurements; we also discuss the role of membrane reorganizations in light adaptation and photoprotection mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renáta Unnep
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Márton Markó
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Győző Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary.
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9
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Chloroplast remodeling during state transitions in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as revealed by noninvasive techniques in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:5042-7. [PMID: 24639515 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322494111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants respond to changes in light quality by regulating the absorption capacity of their photosystems. These short-term adaptations use redox-controlled, reversible phosphorylation of the light-harvesting complexes (LHCIIs) to regulate the relative absorption cross-section of the two photosystems (PSs), commonly referred to as state transitions. It is acknowledged that state transitions induce substantial reorganizations of the PSs. However, their consequences on the chloroplast structure are more controversial. Here, we investigate how state transitions affect the chloroplast structure and function using complementary approaches for the living cells of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Using small-angle neutron scattering, we found a strong periodicity of the thylakoids in state 1, with characteristic repeat distances of ∼ 200 Å, which was almost completely lost in state 2. As revealed by circular dichroism, changes in the thylakoid periodicity were paralleled by modifications in the long-range order arrangement of the photosynthetic complexes, which was reduced by ∼ 20% in state 2 compared with state 1, but was not abolished. Furthermore, absorption spectroscopy reveals that the enhancement of PSI antenna size during state 1 to state 2 transition (∼ 20%) is not commensurate to the decrease in PSII antenna size (∼ 70%), leading to the possibility that a large part of the phosphorylated LHCIIs do not bind to PSI, but instead form energetically quenched complexes, which were shown to be either associated with PSII supercomplexes or in a free form. Altogether these noninvasive in vivo approaches allow us to present a more likely scenario for state transitions that explains their molecular mechanism and physiological consequences.
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10
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Unnep R, Zsiros O, Solymosi K, Kovács L, Lambrev PH, Tóth T, Schweins R, Posselt D, Székely NK, Rosta L, Nagy G, Garab G. The ultrastructure and flexibility of thylakoid membranes in leaves and isolated chloroplasts as revealed by small-angle neutron scattering. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2014; 1837:1572-80. [PMID: 24508217 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2014.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 01/04/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We studied the periodicity of the multilamellar membrane system of granal chloroplasts in different isolated plant thylakoid membranes, using different suspension media, as well as on different detached leaves and isolated protoplasts-using small-angle neutron scattering. Freshly isolated thylakoid membranes suspended in isotonic or hypertonic media, containing sorbitol supplemented with cations, displayed Bragg peaks typically between 0.019 and 0.023Å(-1), corresponding to spatially and statistically averaged repeat distance values of about 275-330 Å⁻¹. Similar data obtained earlier led us in previous work to propose an origin from the periodicity of stroma thylakoid membranes. However, detached leaves, of eleven different species, infiltrated with or soaked in D2O in dim laboratory light or transpired with D2O prior to measurements, exhibited considerably smaller repeat distances, typically between 210 and 230 Å⁻¹, ruling out a stromal membrane origin. Similar values were obtained on isolated tobacco and spinach protoplasts. When NaCl was used as osmoticum, the Bragg peaks of isolated thylakoid membranes almost coincided with those in the same batch of leaves and the repeat distances were very close to the electron microscopically determined values in the grana. Although neutron scattering and electron microscopy yield somewhat different values, which is not fully understood, we can conclude that small-angle neutron scattering is a suitable technique to study the periodic organization of granal thylakoid membranes in intact leaves under physiological conditions and with a time resolution of minutes or shorter. We also show here, for the first time on leaves, that the periodicity of thylakoid membranes in situ responds dynamically to moderately strong illumination. This article is part of a special issue entitled: photosynthesis research for sustainability: keys to produce clean energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Unnep
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary
| | - O Zsiros
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
| | - K Solymosi
- Department of Plant Anatomy, Eötvös University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - L Kovács
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
| | - P H Lambrev
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
| | - T Tóth
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary
| | - R Schweins
- Institut Laue-Langevin, BP 156, F-38042, Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - D Posselt
- IMFUFA, Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - N K Székely
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 85747 Garching, Germany
| | - L Rosta
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary
| | - G Nagy
- Institute for Solid State Physics and Optics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 49, H-1525 Budapest, Hungary; Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - G Garab
- Institute of Plant Biology, Biological Research Centre, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, POB 521, H-6701 Szeged, Hungary.
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Iwai M, Yokono M, Nakano A. Visualizing structural dynamics of thylakoid membranes. Sci Rep 2014; 4:3768. [PMID: 24442007 PMCID: PMC3895878 DOI: 10.1038/srep03768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
To optimize photosynthesis, light-harvesting antenna proteins regulate light energy dissipation and redistribution in chloroplast thylakoid membranes, which involve dynamic protein reorganization of photosystems I and II. However, direct evidence for such protein reorganization has not been visualized in live cells. Here we demonstrate structural dynamics of thylakoid membranes by live cell imaging in combination with deconvolution. We observed chlorophyll fluorescence in the antibiotics-induced macrochloroplast in the moss Physcomitrella patens. The three-dimensional reconstruction uncovered the fine thylakoid membrane structure in live cells. The time-lapse imaging shows that the entire thylakoid membrane network is structurally stable, but the individual thylakoid membrane structure is flexible in vivo. Our observation indicates that grana serve as a framework to maintain structural integrity of the entire thylakoid membrane network. Both the structural stability and flexibility of thylakoid membranes would be essential for dynamic protein reorganization under fluctuating light environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masakazu Iwai
- 1] Live Cell Molecular Imaging Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan [2] PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 Japan
| | - Makio Yokono
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0819 Japan
| | - Akihiko Nakano
- 1] Live Cell Molecular Imaging Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan [2] Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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12
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Kaňa R. Mobility of photosynthetic proteins. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2013; 116:465-79. [PMID: 23955784 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-013-9898-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The mobility of photosynthetic proteins represents an important factor that affects light-energy conversion in photosynthesis. The specific feature of photosynthetic proteins mobility can be currently measured in vivo using advanced microscopic methods, such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching which allows the direct observation of photosynthetic proteins mobility on a single cell level. The heterogeneous organization of thylakoid membrane proteins results in heterogeneity in protein mobility. The thylakoid membrane contains both, protein-crowded compartments with immobile proteins and fluid areas (less crowded by proteins), allowing restricted diffusion of proteins. This heterogeneity represents an optimal balance as protein crowding is necessary for efficient light-energy conversion, and protein mobility plays an important role in the regulation of photosynthesis. The mobility is required for an optimal light-harvesting process (e.g., during state transitions), and also for transport of proteins during their synthesis or repair. Protein crowding is then a key limiting factor of thylakoid membrane protein mobility; the less thylakoid membranes are crowded by proteins, the higher protein mobility is observed. Mobility of photosynthetic proteins outside the thylakoid membrane (lumen and stroma/cytosol) is less understood. Cyanobacterial phycobilisomes attached to the stromal side of the thylakoid can move relatively fast. Therefore, it seems that stroma with their active enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle, are a more fluid compartment in comparison to the rather rigid thylakoid lumen. In conclusion, photosynthetic protein diffusion is generally slower in comparison to similarly sized proteins from other eukaryotic membranes or organelles. Mobility of photosynthetic proteins resembles restricted protein diffusion in bacteria, and has been rationalized by high protein crowding similar to that of thylakoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radek Kaňa
- Department of photothrophic microorganisms - Algatech, Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Opatovický mlýn, 379 81, Třeboň, Czech Republic,
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Nagy G, Kovács L, Ünnep R, Zsiros O, Almásy L, Rosta L, Timmins P, Peters J, Posselt D, Garab G. Kinetics of structural reorganizations in multilamellar photosynthetic membranes monitored by small-angle neutron scattering. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2013; 36:69. [PMID: 23839900 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2013-13069-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the power of time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering experiments for the investigation of the structure and structural reorganizations of multilamellar photosynthetic membranes. In addition to briefly summarizing our results on thylakoid membranes isolated from higher plants and in unicellular organisms, we discuss the advantages and technical and methodological limitations of time-resolved SANS. We present a detailed and more systematical investigation of the kinetics of light-induced structural reorganizations in isolated spinach thylakoid membranes, which show how changes in the repeat distance and in the long-range order of the multilamellar membranes can be followed with a time resolution of seconds. We also present data from comparative measurements performed on thylakoid membranes isolated from tobacco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Nagy
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory for Neutron Scattering, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland.
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