The Molecular Analysis of the Light Adaptation Reactions in the Yellow‐green Alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae)

The xanthophycean alga Pleurochloris meiringensis was homocontinuously cultured under high light (16 W/m2) and low light (2 W/m2) conditions. In low light cells, the chlorophyll a content and the dry weight on per cell basis is increased, the maximal photosynthetic capacity per chlorophyll is decreased. The content of chlorophyll c, vaucheriaxanthin-ester and heteroxanthin is similar in both cultures, whereas the content of diadinoxanthin and s-carotene is twice as high in high light cultures. High light cells contain more photosystem I and cytochrome f per chlorophyll than low light cells, whereas the QB content is found to be unchanged. Therefore, the ratio reaction center II/reaction cen…

Changes in yield ofin-vivo fluorescence of chlorophyll a as a tool for selective herbicide monitoring

Triazines and derivatives of phenylurea, which are often found in outdoor water samples, induce specific changes in the yield of thein-vivo chlorophyll α-fluorescence of PSII. These changes are correlated quantitatively with the concentration of the herbicides and can therefore be used to set-up a low-price monitor system. In order to detect selectively the herbicide-sensitive part of the fluorescence emission a pulse amplitude modulated fluorimeter was used. The bioassay system was optimised with respect to test organism, growing and measuring conditions. The relationship between fluorescence yield and herbicide concentrations were experimentally determined for the triazines atrazine and s…

Isolation and characterization of a photosystem I-associated antenna (LHC I) and a photosystem I—core complex from the chlorophyll c-containing alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae)

Abstract A photosystem (PS) I holocomplex was isolated from Pleurochloris meiringensis Vischer (Xanthophyceae) using sucrose density centrifugation. This complex exhibited a fluorescence emission maximum at 715 nm, which is in accordance with the long wavelength emission of whole cells. The complex was further dissociated into a core complex and a light-harvesting protein (LHC I). The core protein contains mainly Chl a and β-carotene, is 8.25 times enriched in P700 and has its main emission maximum at 715 nm. Therefore, the longest wavelength emission of P. meiringensis is due to the PS I core, which is in contrast to higher plants. The LHC I differs from LHC II with regard to its polypepti…

In vivo ANALYSIS OF SLOW CHLOROPHYLL FLUORESCENCE INDUCTION KINETICS IN ALGAE: PROGRESS, PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

Kinetic and functional characterization of a membrane-bound NAD(P)H dehydrogenase located in the chloroplasts of Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae)

Using isolated chloroplasts or purified thylakoids from photoautotrophically grown cells of the chromophytic alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae) we were able to demonstrate a membrane bound NAD(P)H dehydrogenase activity. NAD(P)H oxidation was detectable with menadione, coenzyme Q0, decylplastoquinone and decylubiquinone as acceptors in an in vitro assay. K m-values for both pyridine nucleotides were in the μmolar range (K m[NADH]=9.8 μM, K m[NADPH]=3.2 μM calculated according to Lineweaver-Burk). NADH oxidation was optimal at pH 9 while pH dependence of NADPH oxidation showed a main peak at 9.8 and a smaller optimum at pH 7.5-8. NADH oxidation could be completely inhibited with…

Electrochromic absorbance changes in the chlorophyll-c-containing alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae)

Flash-induced absorbance changes were measured in the Chl-c-containing alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae) between 430 and 570 nm. In addition to the bands originating from redox changes of cytochromes, three major positive and tow negative transient bands were observed both 0.7 and 20 ms after the exciting flash. These transient bands peaking at 520, 480 and 451 nm and 497 and 465 nm, respectively, could be assigned to an almost homogeneous shift of the absorbance bands with maxima at 506, 473 and 444 nm, respectively. The shape of the absorbance transients elicited from PS I or PS II was identical, and the two photosystems contributed nearly equally to the absorbance changes. …

The molecular architecture of the thylakoid membrane from various classes of eukaryotic algae

There is convincing consensus that the photosynthetic apparatus is of prokaryotic origin. The wide variety of algal plastids is mostly assumed to be the result of different endocytological events. Chloroplasts surrounded by two membranes as in rhodophytes and chlorophytes were considered as the association of a prokaryotic symbiont and a eukaryotic host, whereas algae having a chloroplast surrounded with more than two membranes can be delineated from an endocytological event of two eukaryotes (see S. Gibbs in this volume). Since chlorophyll b was neither combined with chlorophyll c nor with phycobiliproteins it was proposed that all present day chloroplasts can be integrated in three lines.…

The Interaction of State Transitions and Chlororespiration in the Xanthophycean Alga Pleurochloris Meiringensis

Wavelength dependent State I-State II-transitions have been shown to exist in chlorophytes and red algae. Little is known about the regulation of energy distribution between the photosystems of chlorophyll c-containing plants. Previously it was shown that in the xanthophycean alga Pleurochloris meiringensis two states of energy distribution could be established [l]: In state “D” light is preferentially transferred to PS II, whereas in state “L” PS I is favoured. These state regulations strictly depend on the intensity and not on the wavelength of prei1lumination. In this paper we give new evidence that chlororespiration is involved in the mechanism of state “L”-state “D”-transitions.

Evidence for the operation of a cyanide-sensitive oxidase in chlororespiration in the thylakoids of the chlorophyll c-containing alga Pleurochloris meiringensis (Xanthophyceae)

For characterisation of chlororespiration in the chlorophyll c-containing alga Pleurochloris meiringensis, we measured the flash-induced electrochromic absorbance changes between 470 and 545 nm and the redox changes of cytochrome f and cytochrome c553. Cytochrome c553 was shown to be present in high amounts (1 mol cytochrome c553 per 300 mol chlorophyll) in this alga and to function as the obligate electron donor for photosystem I instead of plastocyanin. Whereas salicylhydroxamic acid had no effect on the flash-induced absorbance transients, cyanide enhanced the slow-rising (t1/2≈10 ms) kinetic component of the electrochromic absorbance change. Cyanide also accelerated the re-reduction of …

Organization of the pigment molecules in the chlorophyll a/c light-harvesting complex of Pleurochloris meiringensis (xanthophyceae). Characterization with circular dichroism and absorbance spectroscopy

Abstract By the aid of circular dichroism (CD), absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, we studied the molecular organization of the pigment molecules in cells, isolated chloroplasts and the chlorophyll a / c light-harvesting complex (LHC) associated with photosystem II of the chlorphyll c -containing alga, Pleurochloris meiringensis . In cells and chloroplasts, similarly to higher plant chloroplasts, a (+) 693 nm CD band accompanied by a tail outside the absorbance indicated a long-range chiral organization of the chlorophyll molecules. The LHCII of these algae exhibited an intense negative CD band at 679 nm. However, in contrast to the chlorophyll a / b LHCII of higher plants, where the…