Proton Gradient Regulation 5 is required to avoid photosynthetic oscillations during light transitions

The production of ATP and NADPH by the light reactions of photosynthesis and their consumption by the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle and other downstream metabolic reactions requires careful regulation. Environmental shifts perturb this balance, leading to photo-oxidative stress and losses in CO2 assimilation. Imbalances in the production and consumption of ATP and NADPH manifest themselves as transient instability in the chlorophyll fluorescence, P700, electrochromic shift, and CO2 uptake signals recorded on leaves. These oscillations can be induced in wild-type plants by sudden shifts in CO2 concentration or light intensity; however, mutants exhibiting increased oscillatory behaviour have yet to be reported. This has precluded an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms employed by plants to suppress oscillations. Here we show that the Arabidopsis pgr5 mutant, which is deficient in Proton Gradient Regulation 5 (PGR5)-dependent cyclic electron transfer (CET), exhibits increased oscillatory behaviour. In contrast, mutants lacking the NADH-dehydrogenase-like-dependent CET are largely unaffected. The absence of oscillations in the hope2 mutant which, like pgr5, lacks photosynthetic control and exhibits high ATP synthase conductivity, ruled out loss of these photoprotective mechanisms as causes. Instead, we observed slower formation of the proton motive force and, by inference, ATP synthesis in pgr5 following environmental perturbation, leading to the transient reduction of the electron transfer chain and photosynthetic oscillations. PGR5-dependent CET therefore plays a major role in damping the effect of environmental perturbations on photosynthesis to avoid losses in CO2 fixation.

The time course of acclimation to the stress of triose phosphate use limitation

Triose phosphate utilisation (TPU) limits the maximum rate at which plants can photosynthesise. However, TPU is almost never found to be limiting photosynthesis under ambient conditions for plants. This, along with previous results showing adaptability of TPU at low temperature, suggest that TPU capacity is regulated to be just above the photosynthetic rate achievable under the prevailing conditions. A set of experiments were performed to study the adaptability of TPU capacity when plants are acclimated to elevated CO₂ concentrations. Plants held at 1500 ppm CO₂ were initially TPU limited. After 30 h they no longer exhibited TPU limitations but they did not elevate their TPU capacity. Instead, the maximum rates of carboxylation and electron transport declined. A timecourse of regulatory responses was established. A step increase of CO₂ first caused PSI to be oxidised but after 40 s both PSI and PSII had excess electrons as a result of acceptor-side limitations. Electron flow to PSI slowed and the proton motive force increased. Eventually, non-photochemical quenching reduced electron flow sufficiently to balance the TPU limitation. Over several minutes rubisco deactivated contributing to regulation of metabolism to overcome the TPU limitation.

Interactions Between Carbon Metabolism and Photosynthetic Electron Transport in a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Mutant Without CO2 Fixation by RuBisCO

A Chlamydomonas reinhardtii RuBisCO-less mutant, ΔrbcL, was used to study carbohydrate metabolism without fixation of atmospheric carbon. The regulatory mechanism(s) that control linear electron flow, known as "photosynthetic control," are amplified in ΔrbcL at the onset of illumination. With the aim to understand the metabolites that control this regulatory response, we have correlated the kinetics of primary carbon metabolites to chlorophyll fluorescence induction curves. We identify that ΔrbcL in the absence of acetate generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) via photosynthetic electron transfer reactions. Also, metabolites of the Calvin Benson Bassham (CBB) cycle are responsive to the light. Indeed, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), the last intermediate before carboxylation by Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase, accumulates significantly with time, and CBB cycle intermediates for RuBP regeneration, dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), pentose phosphates and ribose-5-phosphate (R5P) are rapidly accumulated in the first seconds of illumination, then consumed, showing that although the CBB is blocked, these enzymes are still transiently active. In opposition, in the presence of acetate, consumption of CBB cycle intermediates is strongly diminished, suggesting that the link between light and primary carbon metabolism is almost lost. Phosphorylated hexoses and starch accumulate significantly. We show that acetate uptake results in heterotrophic metabolism dominating phototrophic metabolism, with glyoxylate and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates being the most highly represented metabolites, specifically succinate and malate. These findings allow us to hypothesize which metabolites and metabolic pathways are relevant to the upregulation of processes like cyclic electron flow that are implicated in photosynthetic control mechanisms.

Different roles of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I under sub-saturating and saturating light intensities in tobacco leaves

In higher plants, the generation of proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane (ΔpH) through cyclic electron flow (CEF) has mainly two functions: (1) to generate ATP and balance the ATP/NADPH energy budget, and (2) to protect photosystems I and II against photoinhibition. The intensity of light under which plants are grown alters both CEF activity and the ATP/NADPH demand for primary metabolic processes. However, it is unclear how the role of CEF is affected by the level of irradiance that is applied during the growth and measurement periods. We studied the role of CEF at different light intensities in leaves from sun- and shade-grown plants. At 849 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), both types of leaves had nearly the same degree of CEF activation. Modeling of the ATP/NADPH demand revealed that, at this light intensity, the contribution of CEF toward supplying ATP was much higher in the sun leaves. Meanwhile, the shade leaves showed higher levels of non-photochemical quenching and the P700 oxidation ratio. Therefore, at 849 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), CEF mainly helped in the synthesis of ATP in the sun leaves, but functioned in photoprotection for the shade leaves. When the light intensity increased to 1976 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), CEF activation was greatly enhanced in the sun leaves, but its contribution to supplying ATP changed slightly. These results indicate that the main role of CEF is altered flexibly in response to light intensity. In particular, CEF mainly contributes to balancing the ATP/NADPH energy budget under sub-saturating light intensities. When exposed to saturating light intensities, CEF mainly protects photosynthetic apparatus against photoinhibition.

Different roles of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I under sub-saturating and saturating light intensities in tobacco leaves

In higher plants, the generation of proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane (ΔpH) through cyclic electron flow (CEF) has mainly two functions: (1) to generate ATP and balance the ATP/NADPH energy budget, and (2) to protect photosystems I and II against photoinhibition. The intensity of light under which plants are grown alters both CEF activity and the ATP/NADPH demand for primary metabolic processes. However, it is unclear how the role of CEF is affected by the level of irradiance that is applied during the growth and measurement periods. We studied the role of CEF at different light intensities in leaves from sun- and shade-grown plants. At 849 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), both types of leaves had nearly the same degree of CEF activation. Modeling of the ATP/NADPH demand revealed that, at this light intensity, the contribution of CEF toward supplying ATP was much higher in the sun leaves. Meanwhile, the shade leaves showed higher levels of non-photochemical quenching and the P700 oxidation ratio. Therefore, at 849 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), CEF mainly helped in the synthesis of ATP in the sun leaves, but functioned in photoprotection for the shade leaves. When the light intensity increased to 1976 μmol photons m(-2) s(-1), CEF activation was greatly enhanced in the sun leaves, but its contribution to supplying ATP changed slightly. These results indicate that the main role of CEF is altered flexibly in response to light intensity. In particular, CEF mainly contributes to balancing the ATP/NADPH energy budget under sub-saturating light intensities. When exposed to saturating light intensities, CEF mainly protects photosynthetic apparatus against photoinhibition.

A security network in PSI photoprotection: regulation of photosynthetic control, NPQ and O2 photoreduction by cyclic electron flow

Cyclic electron flow (CEF) around PSI regulates acceptor-side limitations and has multiple functions in the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Here we draw on recent and historic literature and concentrate on its role in Photosystem I (PSI) photoprotection, outlining causes and consequences of damage to PSI and CEF's role as an avoidance mechanism. We outline two functions of CEF in PSI photoprotection that are both linked to luminal acidification: firstly, its action on Photosystem II with non-photochemical quenching and photosynthetic control and secondly, its action in poising the stroma to overcome acceptor-side limitation by rebalancing NADPH and ATP ratios for carbon fixation.

PGR5 ensures photosynthetic control to safeguard photosystem I under fluctuating light conditions

In a plant's natural environment, the intensity of light can change rapidly due to sunflecks, cloudiness and intermittent shading. Fluctuations between high and low illumination phases expose the photosynthetic machinery to rapidly changing signals that can be overlapping or contradictory, and accordingly plants have developed astute acclimation strategies to maintain optimal photosynthetic performance in these conditions. Continuous exposure to high light induces an array of protective mechanisms at anatomical, chemical and molecular levels, but when high light phases are short, such as under fluctuating light conditions, the protective strategies that afford protection to constant high light are not employed by plants. One mechanism that is engaged under both constant and fluctuating high light is the photosynthetic control of the Cyt b 6f complex, which prevents hyper-reduction of the electron transfer chain in order to protect PSI from photodamage. The PGR5 protein was recently shown to play an indispensable role in this protective mechanism. This review revisits the findings of earlier studies into photosynthetic control and places PGR5 within the broader context of photoprotection and light acclimation strategies.