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Arzac MI, Miranda-Apodaca J, de Los Ríos A, Castanyer-Mallol F, García-Plazaola JI, Fernández-Marín B. The outstanding capacity of Prasiola antarctica to thrive in contrasting harsh environments relies on the constitutive protection of thylakoids and on morphological plasticity. Plant J 2024. [PMID: 38608130 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
The determination of physiological tolerance ranges of photosynthetic species and of the biochemical mechanisms underneath are fundamental to identify target processes and metabolites that will inspire enhanced plant management and production for the future. In this context, the terrestrial green algae within the genus Prasiola represent ideal models due to their success in harsh environments (polar tundras) and their extraordinary ecological plasticity. Here we focus on the outstanding Prasiola antarctica and compare two natural populations living in very contrasting microenvironments in Antarctica: the dry sandy substrate of a beach and the rocky bed of an ephemeral freshwater stream. Specifically, we assessed their photosynthetic performance at different temperatures, reporting for the first time gnsd values in algae and changes in thylakoid metabolites in response to extreme desiccation. Stream population showed lower α-tocopherol content and thicker cell walls and thus, lower gnsd and photosynthesis. Both populations had high temperatures for optimal photosynthesis (around +20°C) and strong constitutive tolerance to freezing and desiccation. This tolerance seems to be related to the high constitutive levels of xanthophylls and of the cylindrical lipids di- and tri-galactosyldiacylglycerol in thylakoids, very likely related to the effective protection and stability of membranes. Overall, P. antarctica shows a complex battery of constitutive and plastic protective mechanisms that enable it to thrive under harsh conditions and to acclimate to very contrasting microenvironments, respectively. Some of these anatomical and biochemical adaptations may partially limit photosynthesis, but this has a great potential to rise in a context of increasing temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miren I Arzac
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Jon Miranda-Apodaca
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Asunción de Los Ríos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Serrano 115 dpdo, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesc Castanyer-Mallol
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Department of Biology, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), INAGEA, Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
| | - José I García-Plazaola
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Marín
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of La Laguna (ULL), Canary Islands, 38200, La Laguna, Spain
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Arzac MI, Fernández-Marín B, García-Plazaola JI. More than just lipid balls: quantitative analysis of plastoglobule attributes and their stress-related responses. Planta 2022; 255:62. [PMID: 35141783 PMCID: PMC8828631 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-022-03848-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Plastoglobules are ubiquitous under non-stress conditions and their morphology, closely related to their composition, changes differently depending on the specific stress that the plant undergoes. Plastoglobules are lipoprotein structures attached to thylakoid membranes, which participate in chloroplast metabolism and stress responses. Their structure contains a coating lipid monolayer and a hydrophobic core that differ in composition. Their function in chloroplasts has been studied focussing on their composition. However, we currently lack a comprehensive study that quantitatively evaluates the occurrence and morphology of plastoglobules. Following a literature search strategy, we quantified the main morphological attributes of plastoglobules from photosynthetic chloroplasts of more than 1000 TEM images published over the last 53 years, covering more than 100 taxa and 15 stress types. The analysis shows that plastoglobules under non-stress conditions are spherical, with an average diameter of 100-200 nm and cover less than 3% of the chloroplast cross-section area. This percentage rises under almost every type of stress, particularly in senescence. Interestingly, an apparent trade-off between increasing either the number or the diameter of plastoglobules governs this response. Our results show that plastoglobules are ubiquitous in chloroplasts of higher plants under non-stress conditions. Besides, provided the specific molecular composition of the core and coat of plastoglobules, we conclude that specific stress-related variation in plastoglobules attributes may allow inferring precise responses of the chloroplast metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miren I. Arzac
- Department Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Marín
- Department Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of La Laguna (ULL), 38200 Tenerife, Spain
| | - José I. García-Plazaola
- Department Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
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Nadal M, Brodribb TJ, Fernández-Marín B, García-Plazaola JI, Arzac MI, López-Pozo M, Perera-Castro AV, Gulías J, Flexas J, Farrant JM. Differences in biochemical, gas exchange and hydraulic response to water stress in desiccation tolerant and sensitive fronds of the fern Anemia caffrorum. New Phytol 2021; 231:1415-1430. [PMID: 33959976 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Desiccation tolerant plants can survive extreme water loss in their vegetative tissues. The fern Anemia caffrorum produces desiccation tolerant (DT) fronds in the dry season and desiccation sensitive (DS) fronds in the wet season, providing a unique opportunity to explore the physiological mechanisms associated with desiccation tolerance. Anemia caffrorum plants with either DT or DS fronds were acclimated in growth chambers. Photosynthesis, frond structure and anatomy, water relations and minimum conductance to water vapour were measured under well-watered conditions. Photosynthesis, hydraulics, frond pigments, antioxidants and abscisic acid contents were monitored under water deficit. A comparison between DT and DS fronds under well-watered conditions showed that the former presented higher leaf mass per area, minimum conductance, tissue elasticity and lower CO2 assimilation. Water deficit resulted in a similar induction of abscisic acid in both frond types, but DT fronds maintained higher stomatal conductance and upregulated more prominently lipophilic antioxidants. The seasonal alternation in production of DT and DS fronds in A. caffrorum represents a mechanism by which carbon gain can be maximized during the rainy season, and a greater investment in protective mechanisms occurs during the hot dry season, enabling the exploitation of episodic water availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Nadal
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), INAGEA, Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, 07122, Spain
| | - Tim J Brodribb
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., 7001, Australia
| | - Beatriz Fernández-Marín
- Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, 38200, Spain
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - José I García-Plazaola
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Miren I Arzac
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Marina López-Pozo
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, Leioa, 48940, Spain
| | - Alicia V Perera-Castro
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), INAGEA, Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, 07122, Spain
| | - Javier Gulías
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), INAGEA, Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, 07122, Spain
| | - Jaume Flexas
- Research Group on Plant Biology under Mediterranean Conditions, Departament de Biologia, Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB), INAGEA, Carretera de Valldemossa Km 7.5, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, 07122, Spain
- King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 80200, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jill M Farrant
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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