Tyrosine 263 in Cyanobacterial Phytochrome Cph1 Optimizes Photochemistry at the prelumi-R→lumi-R Step

We report a low-temperature fluorescence spectroscopy study of the PAS-GAF-PHY sensory module of Cph1 phytochrome, its Y263F mutant (both with known 3D structures) as well as Y263H and Y263S to connect their photochemical parameters with intramolecular interactions. None of the holoproteins showed photochemical activity at low temperature, and the activation barriers for the Pr→lumi-R photoreaction (2.5-3.1 kJ mol(-1)) and fluorescence quantum yields (0.29-0.42) were similar. The effect of the mutations on Pr→Pfr photoconversion efficiency (ΦPr→Pfr) was observed primarily at the prelumi-R S0 bifurcation point corresponding to the conical intersection of the energy surfaces at which the molecule relaxes to form lumi-R or Pr, lowering ΦPr→Pfr from 0.13 in the wild type to 0.05-0.07 in the mutants. We suggest that the Ea activation barrier in the Pr* S1 excited state might correspond to the D-ring (C19) carbonyl - H290 hydrogen bond or possibly to the hindrance caused by the C13(1) /C17(1) methyl groups of the C and D rings. The critical role of the tyrosine hydroxyl group can be at the prelumi-R bifurcation point to optimize the yield of the photoprocess and energy storage in the form of lumi-R for subsequent rearrangement processes culminating in Pfr formation

Caractérisation biochimique de l'oxydase terminale plastidiale et son implication dans la photosynthèse

L'oxydase terminale plastidiale (PTOX) est présente uniquement chez les organismesphotosynthétiques. PTOX oxyde le plastoquinol (PQH2) et réduit l'oxygène en eau.PTOX est impliquée dans la synthèse des caroténoïdes, dans le transportphotosynthétique d'électrons et dans la chlororespiration. De plus, son activité estconsidérée comme pouvant jouer un rôle en tant que soupape de sécurité, permettant de maintenir oxydé le pool de plastoquinones (PQ) et d'éviter la surréduction duchloroplaste et ainsi la photoinhibition. Chez la majorité des plantes testées, les niveaux de PTOX sont plus élevés dans des conditions de stress (une exposition à forte intensité lumineuse, par exemple). D'autre part, la surexpression de PTOX chez Arabidopsis thaliana n'a pas rendu les plantes moins sensibles à la photoinhibition. Par ailleurs, il semble que PTOX surexprimée chez Nicotiana tabacum a induit la génération des espèces réactives de l'oxygène (ERO) et une photoinhibition importante sous forte lumière.Le but de cette thèse était la caractérisation de l'activité enzymatique de PTOX enutilisant la protéine purifiée et de comprendre pourquoi PTOX protège du stressphotooxydant dans certaines conditions et pourquoi elle augmente ce stress quand elle est surexprimée in planta.L'analyse biochimique de PTOX recombinante purifiée a démontré que l'enzymeexiste principalement sous forme tétramérique. Cette forme se dissocie partiellement,principalement en dimères. Le turnover maximal de l'enzyme purifié correspond à 320électrons par seconde et par molécule de PTOX. Nous avons démontré que PTOXgénère des ERO dans une réaction secondaire dépendante de la concentration dusubstrat (PQH2) et du pH de la solution. À pH 8 (représentant le pH du stroma deschloroplastes actifs), PTOX a une activité antioxydante quand la concentration de PQH2 est basse et prooxydante quand cette concentration est élevée.En mesurant la fluorescence de la chlorophylle a, nous avons démontré quePTOX est active lorsqu'elle est ajoutée aux membranes enrichies en PSII.L'attachement aux membranes dépend du pH et de cations de la solution: lorsque le pHdiminue ou lorsque la solution est riche en cations monovalents, la quantité de PTOXattachée à la membrane diminue.L'activité de PTOX in planta et son effet sur le transport des électronsphotosynthétiques ont été analysés en utilisant Arabidopsis thaliana surexprimant laphytoène désaturase bactérienne (CRTI) et Nicotiana tabacum surexprimant PTOX1 deChlamydomonas reinhardtii. Arabidopsis thaliana surexprimant CRTI a un niveau plusimportant de PTOX et de production d'ERO et le transport cyclique des électrons estsupprimé chez les transformants. Cela implique que PTOX est en compétition avec letransfert cyclique pour les électrons du pool PQ et que PTOX joue un rôle importantdans le contrôle de l'état rédox de ce pool. En utilisant Nicotiana tabacum surexprimant PTOX1, nous avons démontré que PTOX fait concurrence au transfert linéaire d'électrons photosynthétique, mais que PTOX est inactivée quand le pH du stroma est neutre. Grâce aux résultats obtenus, nous proposons un modèle où l'association de PTOX avec la membrane est contrôlée par le pH du stroma. Quand le pH est neutre, PTOX est soluble et n'est pas active, ce qui évite l'interférence avec le transfert linéaire d'électrons. Quand le pH du stroma est alcalin et la chaîne des transporteurs photosynthétiques est surréduite (lors des conditions du stress), PTOX s'attache à la membrane, devient active et joue le rôle de soupape de sécurité.The plastid terminal oxidase PTOX is encoded by higher plants, algae and some cyanobacteria. PTOX is a plastid-localized plastoquinol (PQH2) oxygen oxidoreductase. PTOX was shown to be implicated in plant carotenoid biosynthesis, photosynthetic electron transport and chlororespiration and may act as a safety valve protecting plants against photo-oxidative stress. PTOX protein levels increase during abiotic stress indicating a function in stress acclimation. But overexpression of PTOX in Arabidopsis did not attenuate the severity of photoinhibition or, when overexpressed in tobacco, even increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exacerbated photoinhibition.Biochemical analysis of recombinant purified PTOX (PTOX from rice fused to the maltose-binding protein) showed that the enzyme exists mainly as a tetramer, which dissociated to a certain extent during electrophoresis, mainly into a dimeric form. The PTOX activity was 320 electrons s−1 PTOX−1. It was also shown that PTOX generates ROS in a side reaction in a substrate (decylPQH2) and pH-dependent manner when liposomes were used: at the basic stromal pH of photosynthetically active chloroplasts, PTOX was antioxidant at low decylPQH2 gaining prooxidant properties with increasing quinol concentrations. It is concluded that PTOX can act as a safety valve when the steady state [PQH2] is low while a certain amount of ROS is formed at high light intensities.It was shown by chlorophyll a fluorescence that recombinant purified PTOX is active when added to photosystem II (PSII)-enriched membrane fragments. PTOX attached tightly to the PSII-enriched membrane fragments. The amount of PTOX attaching to the membrane depended on pH and salts: an alkaline pH and monovalent compared to divalent cations increased PTOX attachment.PTOX activity in planta and its effect on photosynthetic electron transport were investigated using Arabidopsis expressing bacterial phytoene desaturase and tobacco expressing PTOX1 from Chlamydomonas. Arabidopsis expressing bacterial phytoene desaturase (CRTI lines) showed a higher PTOX content and increased PTOX related ROS generation. Furthermore, cyclic electron flow was suppressed in these lines. This implicates that PTOX competes efficiently with cyclic electron flow for PQH2 in the CRTI-expressing lines and that it plays a crucial role in the control of the reduction state of the plastoquinone pool. Using tobacco expressing PTOX1 from Chlamydomonas, it was shown that PTOX competes efficiently with photosynthetic electron flow, but gets inactive when the stromal pH is neutral. Based on the in vitro and in vivo results, a model is proposed, where the association of PTOX to the membrane is controlled by the stromal pH: When the stromal pH is neutral, PTOX exists as a soluble form and is enzymatically inactive avoiding the interference of PTOX with linear electron flow. When the stromal pH is alkaline and the photosynthetic electron chain is highly reduced under stress conditions as high light, PTOX binds to the membrane, gets enzymatically active and can serve as safety valve

Caractérisation biochimique de l'oxydase terminale plastidiale et son implication dans la photosynthèse

The plastid terminal oxidase PTOX is encoded by higher plants, algae and some cyanobacteria. PTOX is a plastid-localized plastoquinol (PQH2) oxygen oxidoreductase. PTOX was shown to be implicated in plant carotenoid biosynthesis, photosynthetic electron transport and chlororespiration and may act as a safety valve protecting plants against photo-oxidative stress. PTOX protein levels increase during abiotic stress indicating a function in stress acclimation. But overexpression of PTOX in Arabidopsis did not attenuate the severity of photoinhibition or, when overexpressed in tobacco, even increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exacerbated photoinhibition.Biochemical analysis of recombinant purified PTOX (PTOX from rice fused to the maltose-binding protein) showed that the enzyme exists mainly as a tetramer, which dissociated to a certain extent during electrophoresis, mainly into a dimeric form. The PTOX activity was 320 electrons s−1 PTOX−1. It was also shown that PTOX generates ROS in a side reaction in a substrate (decylPQH2) and pH-dependent manner when liposomes were used: at the basic stromal pH of photosynthetically active chloroplasts, PTOX was antioxidant at low decylPQH2 gaining prooxidant properties with increasing quinol concentrations. It is concluded that PTOX can act as a safety valve when the steady state [PQH2] is low while a certain amount of ROS is formed at high light intensities.It was shown by chlorophyll a fluorescence that recombinant purified PTOX is active when added to photosystem II (PSII)-enriched membrane fragments. PTOX attached tightly to the PSII-enriched membrane fragments. The amount of PTOX attaching to the membrane depended on pH and salts: an alkaline pH and monovalent compared to divalent cations increased PTOX attachment.PTOX activity in planta and its effect on photosynthetic electron transport were investigated using Arabidopsis expressing bacterial phytoene desaturase and tobacco expressing PTOX1 from Chlamydomonas. Arabidopsis expressing bacterial phytoene desaturase (CRTI lines) showed a higher PTOX content and increased PTOX related ROS generation. Furthermore, cyclic electron flow was suppressed in these lines. This implicates that PTOX competes efficiently with cyclic electron flow for PQH2 in the CRTI-expressing lines and that it plays a crucial role in the control of the reduction state of the plastoquinone pool. Using tobacco expressing PTOX1 from Chlamydomonas, it was shown that PTOX competes efficiently with photosynthetic electron flow, but gets inactive when the stromal pH is neutral. Based on the in vitro and in vivo results, a model is proposed, where the association of PTOX to the membrane is controlled by the stromal pH: When the stromal pH is neutral, PTOX exists as a soluble form and is enzymatically inactive avoiding the interference of PTOX with linear electron flow. When the stromal pH is alkaline and the photosynthetic electron chain is highly reduced under stress conditions as high light, PTOX binds to the membrane, gets enzymatically active and can serve as safety valve.L'oxydase terminale plastidiale (PTOX) est présente uniquement chez les organismesphotosynthétiques. PTOX oxyde le plastoquinol (PQH2) et réduit l'oxygène en eau.PTOX est impliquée dans la synthèse des caroténoïdes, dans le transportphotosynthétique d'électrons et dans la chlororespiration. De plus, son activité estconsidérée comme pouvant jouer un rôle en tant que soupape de sécurité, permettant de maintenir oxydé le pool de plastoquinones (PQ) et d'éviter la surréduction duchloroplaste et ainsi la photoinhibition. Chez la majorité des plantes testées, les niveaux de PTOX sont plus élevés dans des conditions de stress (une exposition à forte intensité lumineuse, par exemple). D'autre part, la surexpression de PTOX chez Arabidopsis thaliana n'a pas rendu les plantes moins sensibles à la photoinhibition. Par ailleurs, il semble que PTOX surexprimée chez Nicotiana tabacum a induit la génération des espèces réactives de l'oxygène (ERO) et une photoinhibition importante sous forte lumière.Le but de cette thèse était la caractérisation de l'activité enzymatique de PTOX enutilisant la protéine purifiée et de comprendre pourquoi PTOX protège du stressphotooxydant dans certaines conditions et pourquoi elle augmente ce stress quand elle est surexprimée in planta.L'analyse biochimique de PTOX recombinante purifiée a démontré que l'enzymeexiste principalement sous forme tétramérique. Cette forme se dissocie partiellement,principalement en dimères. Le turnover maximal de l'enzyme purifié correspond à 320électrons par seconde et par molécule de PTOX. Nous avons démontré que PTOXgénère des ERO dans une réaction secondaire dépendante de la concentration dusubstrat (PQH2) et du pH de la solution. À pH 8 (représentant le pH du stroma deschloroplastes actifs), PTOX a une activité antioxydante quand la concentration de PQH2 est basse et prooxydante quand cette concentration est élevée.En mesurant la fluorescence de la chlorophylle a, nous avons démontré quePTOX est active lorsqu'elle est ajoutée aux membranes enrichies en PSII.L'attachement aux membranes dépend du pH et de cations de la solution: lorsque le pHdiminue ou lorsque la solution est riche en cations monovalents, la quantité de PTOXattachée à la membrane diminue.L'activité de PTOX in planta et son effet sur le transport des électronsphotosynthétiques ont été analysés en utilisant Arabidopsis thaliana surexprimant laphytoène désaturase bactérienne (CRTI) et Nicotiana tabacum surexprimant PTOX1 deChlamydomonas reinhardtii. Arabidopsis thaliana surexprimant CRTI a un niveau plusimportant de PTOX et de production d'ERO et le transport cyclique des électrons estsupprimé chez les transformants. Cela implique que PTOX est en compétition avec letransfert cyclique pour les électrons du pool PQ et que PTOX joue un rôle importantdans le contrôle de l'état rédox de ce pool. En utilisant Nicotiana tabacum surexprimant PTOX1, nous avons démontré que PTOX fait concurrence au transfert linéaire d'électrons photosynthétique, mais que PTOX est inactivée quand le pH du stroma est neutre. Grâce aux résultats obtenus, nous proposons un modèle où l'association de PTOX avec la membrane est contrôlée par le pH du stroma. Quand le pH est neutre, PTOX est soluble et n'est pas active, ce qui évite l'interférence avec le transfert linéaire d'électrons. Quand le pH du stroma est alcalin et la chaîne des transporteurs photosynthétiques est surréduite (lors des conditions du stress), PTOX s'attache à la membrane, devient active et joue le rôle de soupape de sécurité

The Dual Role of the Plastid Terminal Oxidase PTOX: Between a Protective and a Pro-oxidant Function.

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Overexpression of plastid terminal oxidase in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 alters cellular redox state

Cyanobacteria are the most ancient organisms performing oxygenic photosynthesis, and they are the ancestors of plant plastids. All plastids contain the plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX), while only certain cyanobacteria contain PTOX. Many putative functions have been discussed for PTOX in higher plants including a photoprotective role during abiotic stresses like high light, salinity and extreme temperatures. Since PTOX oxidizes PQH2 and reduces oxygen to water, it is thought to protect against photo-oxidative damage by removing excess electrons from the plastoquinone (PQ) pool. To investigate the role of PTOX we overexpressed rice PTOX fused to the maltose-binding protein (MBP-OsPTOX) in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a model cyanobacterium that does not encode PTOX. The fusion was highly expressed and OsPTOX was active, as shown by chlorophyll fluorescence and P700 absorption measurements. The presence of PTOX led to a highly oxidized state of the NAD(P)H/NAD(P)(+) pool, as detected by NAD(P)H fluorescence. Moreover, in the PTOX overexpressor the electron transport capacity of PSI relative to PSII was higher, indicating an alteration of the photosystem I (PSI) to photosystem II (PSII) stoichiometry. We suggest that PTOX controls the expression of responsive genes of the photosynthetic apparatus in a different way from the PQ/PQH2 ratio.This article is part of the themed issue 'Enhancing photosynthesis in crop plants: targets for improvement'

Effect of constitutive expression of bacterial phytoene desaturase CRTI on photosynthetic electron transport in Arabidopsis thaliana

AbstractThe constitutive expression of the bacterial carotene desaturase (CRTI) in Arabidopsis thaliana leads to increased susceptibility of leaves to light-induced damage. Changes in the photosynthetic electron transport chain rather than alterations of the carotenoid composition in the antenna were responsible for the increased photoinhibition. A much higher level of superoxide/hydrogen peroxide was generated in the light in thylakoid membranes from the CRTI expressing lines than in wild-type while the level of singlet oxygen generation remained unchanged. The increase in reactive oxygen species was related to the activity of plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) since their generation was inhibited by the PTOX-inhibitor octyl gallate, and since the protein level of PTOX was increased in the CRTI-expressing lines. Furthermore, cyclic electron flow was suppressed in these lines. We propose that PTOX competes efficiently with cyclic electron flow for plastoquinol in the CRTI-expressing lines and that it plays a crucial role in the control of the reduction state of the plastoquinone pool

Spectroscopy and a high-resolution crystal structure of Tyr263 mutants of cyanobacterial phytochrome Cph1

Phytochromes are biliprotein photoreceptors that can be photoswitched between red-light-absorbing state (Pr) and far-red-light-absorbing state (Pfr). Although three-dimensional structures of both states have been reported, the photoconversion and intramolecular signaling mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we report UV-Vis absorbance, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy along with various photochemical parameters of the wild type and Y263F, Y263H and Y263S mutants of the Cph1 photosensory module, as well as a 2.0-Å-resolution crystal structure of the Y263F mutant in its Pr ground state. Although Y263 is conserved, we show that the aromatic character but not the hydroxyl group of Y263 is important for Pfr formation. The crystal structure of the Y263F mutant (Protein Data Bank ID: 3ZQ5) reaffirms the ZZZssa chromophore configuration and provides a detailed picture of its binding pocket, particularly conformational heterogeneity around the chromophore. Comparison with other phytochrome structures reveals differences in the relative position of the PHY (phytochrome specific) domain and the interaction of the tongue with the extreme N-terminus. Our data support the notion that native phytochromes in their Pr state are structurally heterogeneous

Light stress in green and red Planktothrix strains: The orange carotenoid protein and its related photoprotective mechanism

International audiencePhotosynthetic organisms need to sense and respond to fluctuating environmental conditions, to perform efficient photosynthesis and avoid the formation of harmful reactive oxygen species. Cyanobacteria have developed a photoprotective mechanism that decreases the energy arriving at the reaction centers by increasing thermal energy dissipation at the level of the phycobilisome, the extramembranal light-harvesting antenna. This mechanism is triggered by the photoactive orange carotenoid protein (OCP). In this study, we characterized OCP and the related photoprotective mechanism in non-stressed and light-stressed cells of three different strains of Planktothrix that can form impressive blooms. In addition to changing lake ecosystemic functions and biodiversity, Planktothrix blooms can have adverse effects on human and animal health as they produce toxins (e.g., microcystins). Three Planktothrix strains were selected: two green strains, PCC 10110 (microcystin producer) and PCC 7805 (non-microcystin producer), and one red strain, PCC 7821. The green strains colonize shallow lakes with higher light intensities while red strains proliferate in deep lakes. Our study allowed us to conclude that there is a correlation between the ecological niche in which these strains proliferate and the rates of induction and recovery of OCP-related photoprotection. However, differences in the resistance to prolonged high-light stress were correlated to a better replacement of damaged D1 protein and not to differences in OCP photoprotection. Finally, microcystins do not seem to be involved in photoprotection as was previously suggested

The success of the bloom-forming cyanobacteria Planktothrix: Genotypes variability supports variable responses to light and temperature stress

International audienceCyanobacterial blooms can modify the dynamic of aquatic ecosystems and have harmful consequences for human activities. Moreover, cyanobacteria can produce a variety of cyanotoxins, including microcystins, but little is known about the role of environmental factors on the prevalence of microcystin producers in the cyanobacterial bloom dynamics. This study aimed to better understand the success of Planktothrix in various environments by unveiling the variety of strategies governing cell responses to sudden changes in light intensity and temperature. The cellular responses (photosynthesis, photoprotection, heat shock response and metabolites synthesis) of four Planktothrix strains to highlight or high-temperature were studied, focusing on how distinct ecotypes (red-or green-pigmented) and microcystin production capability affect cyanobacteria's ability to cope with such abiotic stimuli. Our results showed that highlight and high-temperature impact different cellular processes and that Planktothrix responses are heterogeneous, specific to each strain and thus, to genotype. The ability of cyanobacteria to cope with sudden increase in light intensity and temperature was not related to red-or greenpigmented ecotype or microcystin production capability. According to our results, microcystin producers do not cope better to highlight or high-temperature and microcystin content does not increase in response to such stresses