Search results for "Photosynthesis"

Response to ozone in two lettuce varieties on chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments and lipid peroxidation.

2004

The effect of different O3 concentrations on two lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) varieties (Valladolid and Morella) was investigated through chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence parameters, photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b and total carotenoid), lipid peroxidation and crop yield. Ozone fumigation caused: a decrease in maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (Fv/Fm) in mature leaves, a reduction in the non-cyclic electron flow (phiPSII) and a lower capacity to reoxidize the QA pool (qP). These reductions were significant in the Valladolid var. but not in the Morella var. A significant decrease in Chl a, b and in the total carotenoids was observed in the Valladolid var. but not…

Carotenoids

2009

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of what is known about carotenoid metabolism in Chlamydomonas with reference to other green algae and vascular plants. The biosynthesis of carotenoids and the subdivisions of carotenogenesis are described. With respect to subcellular distribution, the carotenoids in vegetative cells localize to the chloroplast where they either serve as photosynthetic pigments bound to the protein complexes of the two photosystems, or as components of the eyespot apparatus is outlined with its functional significance. Carotenoids can serve as precursors of a number of other molecules with important physiological functions in Chlamydomonas.

Chapter 16 Folding and Pigment Binding of Light-Harvesting Chlorophyll a/b Protein (LHCIIb)

2010

The major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein (LHCIIb) is one of the most abundant proteins of the chloroplast in green plants. It contains roughly half of the chlorophylls involved in photosynthesis, and exhibits an unusual ability to self-organize in vitro. Simply mixing the apoprotein, native or recombinant, with its pigments, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and xanthophylls, in detergent solution, suffices to trigger protein folding and the assembly of about 18 pigments in their correct binding sites. A study of the mechanism of this self-organization seems worthwhile since (1) our knowledge about membrane protein folding is scarce compared to what we know about the folding of water-…

Assembly of the Major Light-harvesting Chlorophyll-a/b Complex

2006

The major light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b complex in most higher plants contains three carotenoids, lutein, neoxanthin, and violaxanthin. How these pigments are assembled into the complex during its biogenesis is largely unknown. Here we show that neoxanthin but not lutein can dissociate from the fully assembled complex. Its equilibrium binding constant in a detergent system (0.1% n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside) was determined to be > or = 10(6) m(-1). Neoxanthin insertion into light-harvesting chlorophyll-a/b complex prefolded from overexpressed apoprotein (Lhcb1*2 from Pisum sativum) in the presence of chlorophylls a, b, and lutein as the sole carotenoid is kinetically controlled by an activ…

Effects of UVB radiation exposure from the molecular to the organism level in macrophytes from shallow Mediterranean habitats

2015

Abstract The available data on the effects of UVB radiation (UVBR) are scarce for submerged macrophytes, particularly charophytes. We studied the effects of UVBR on Chara baltica, Chara hispida, Chara vulgaris, Nitella hyalina and Myriophyllum spicatum, collected from shallow Mediterranean waterbodies. In a short-term laboratory experiment, we subjected these species to three different UVBR treatments corresponding to daily biologically effective integrated doses of 0, 1 and 6 kJ m−2. The analysed response variables were DNA damage, UV-absorbing compounds (both the methanol-soluble–SUVACs- and, for the first time in charophytes, the methanol-insoluble cell wall-bound fraction–WUVACs-), the …

The Quest for Mononuclear Gold(II) and Its Potential Role in Photocatalysis and Drug Action.

2017

The chemistry of gold strongly focuses on the ubiquitous oxidation states +I and +III. The intermediate oxidation state +II is generally avoided in mononuclear gold species. In recent years, gold(II) has been increasingly suggested as a key intermediate in artificial photosynthesis systems, with gold(III) moieties acting as electron acceptors, as well as in gold-catalyzed photoredox catalysis and radical chemistry. This Minireview provides a concise summary of confirmed and characterized mononuclear open-shell gold(II) complexes. Recent findings on structural motifs and reactivity patterns will be discussed. Exciting developments in the fields of photosynthesis, photocatalysis, and potentia…

Ligand requirement for LHC I reconstitution

1998

Knowledge of the structure of photosynthetic light harvesting complexes is essential for understanding their function. Reconstitution of light harvesting complexes proved to be a very powerful tool for such structure analyses. In this way evidence was obtained for the central role of lutein and chlorophylls for LHCII structure (1) which was later confirmed by electron crystallographic analyses (2). Employing mutated, bacterial overexpressed LHCII apoproteins, amino acids could be identified which are involved in trimerization of LHCII and probably in binding of phosphatidylglycerol (3).

1998

Reaction centers (RC) from the species Erythrobacter (Eb.) litoralis, Erythromonas (Em.) ursincola and Sandaracinobacter (S.) sibiricus have been purified by LDAO treatment of light-harvesting-reaction center complexes and DEAE chromatography. The content and overall organisation of the RCs' chromophores, determined by linear dichroism (LD) and absorption spectroscopy, are similar to those isolated from anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria. The redox properties of the primary electron donor are pH-independent and very similar to those determined for anaerobic photosynthetic bacteria with midpoint potential values equal to 445 (± 10), 475 and 510 mV for Eb. litoralis, S. sibiricus and Em. ursin…

Pigment ligation to proteins of the photosynthetic apparatus in higher plants

1997

Ligation of pigments to proteins of the thylakoid membrane is a central step in the assembly of the photosynthetic apparatus in higher plants. Because of the potentially damaging photooxidative activity of chlorophylls, it is likely that between their biosynthesis and final assembly, chlorophylls will always be bound to protein complexes in which photooxidation is prevented by quenchers such as carotenoids. Such complexes may include chlorophyll carriers and/or membrane receptors involved in protein insertion into the membrane. Many if not all pigment-protein complexes of the thylakoid are stabilised towards protease attack by bound pigments. The major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b prote…

Effect of Glufosinate (Phosphinothricin) and Inhibitors of Photorespiration on Photosynthesis and Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase Activity

1992

Summary Glufosinate (phosphinothricin) irreversibly inhibits glutamine synthetase and leads to a great decrease in the amino acids glutamine, glutamate, aspartate, serine, glycine and alanine. Due to the lack of glutamate and serine, the transamination of glyoxylate into glycine in the course of photorespiration cannot take place. The inhibition of this part of the photorespiratory process plays the essential role with respect to the photosynthesis inhibition caused by PPT under atmospheric conditions. After addition of different photorespiration or Calvin cycle intermediates to phosphinothricin no decrease in photosynthesis inhibition can be measured. This suggests that photosynthesis inhi…