Friederike Koenig

The Plasma Membrane of the Cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus Contains Segregated Bioenergetic Domains

Gloeobacter violaceus, the most primordial of known organisms performing oxygenic photosynthesis, evolved before the evolutionary appearance of thylakoid membranes. This study demonstrates the presence of bioenergetic domains in its cytoplasmic membrane. The formation of these membrane domains might constitute evolutionary precursors of the thylakoid membrane. The light reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis almost invariably take place in the thylakoid membranes, a highly specialized internal membrane system located in the stroma of chloroplasts and the cytoplasm of cyanobacteria. The only known exception is the primordial cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus, which evolved before the appearance of thylakoids and harbors the photosynthetic complexes in the plasma membrane. Thus, studies on G. violaceus not only shed light on the evolutionary origin and the functional advantages of thylakoid membranes but also might include insights regarding thylakoid formation during chloroplast differentiation. Based on biochemical isolation and direct in vivo characterization, we report here structural and functional domains in the cytoplasmic membrane of a cyanobacterium. Although G. violaceus has no internal membranes, it does have localized domains with apparently specialized functions in its plasma membrane, in which both the photosynthetic and the respiratory complexes are concentrated. These bioenergetic domains can be visualized by confocal microscopy, and they can be isolated by a simple procedure. Proteomic analysis of these domains indicates their physiological function and suggests a protein sorting mechanism via interaction with membrane-intrinsic terpenoids. Based on these results, we propose specialized domains in the plasma membrane as evolutionary precursors of thylakoids.

Photosystem I from the unusual cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus

Photosystem I (PS I) from the primitive cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus has been purified and characterised. Despite the fact that the isolated complexes have the same subunit composition as complexes from other cyanobacteria, the amplitude of flash-induced absorption difference spectra indicates a much bigger antenna size with about 150 chlorophylls per P700 as opposed to the usual 90. Image analysis of the PS I preparation from Gloeobacter reveals that the PS I particles exist both in a trimeric and in a monomeric form and that their size and shape closely resembles other cyanobacterial PS I particles. However, the complexes exhibit a higher molecular weight as could be shown by gel filtration. The preparation contains novel polypeptides not related to known Photosystem I subunits. The N-terminal sequence of one of those polypeptides has been determined and reveals no homology to known or hypothetical proteins. Immunoblotting shows a cross-reaction of three of the polypeptide bands with an antibody raised against the major LHC from the diatom Cyclotella cryptica. Electron microscopy reveals a novel T-shaped complex which has never been observed in any other cyanobacterial PS I preparation. 77 K spectra of purified PS I show an extreme blue-shift of the fluorescence emission, indicating an unusual organisation of the PS I antenna system in Gloeobacter.

Unique Properties vs. Common Themes: The Atypical Cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 is Capable of State Transitions and Blue-Light-Induced Fluorescence Quenching

The atypical unicellular cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421, which diverged very early during the evolution of cyanobacteria, can be regarded as a key organism for understanding many structural, functional, regulatory and evolutionary aspects of oxygenic photosynthesis. In the present work, the performance of two basic photosynthetic adaptation/protection mechanisms, common to all other oxygenic photoautrophs, had been challenged in this ancient cyanobacterium which lacks thylakoid membranes: state transitions and non-photochemical fluorescence quenching. Both low temperature fluorescence spectra and room temperature fluorescence transients show that G. violaceus is capable of performing state transitions similar to evolutionarily more recent cyanobacteria, being in state 2 in darkness and in state 1 upon illumination by weak blue or far-red light. Compared with state 2, variable fluorescence yield in state 1 is strongly enhanced (almost 80%), while the functional absorption cross-section of PSII is only increased by 8%. In contrast to weak blue light, which enhances fluorescence yield via state 1 formation, strong blue light reversibly quenches Chl fluorescence in G. violaceus. This strongly suggests regulated heat dissipation which is triggered by the orange carotenoid protein whose presence was directly proven by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry in this primordial cyanobacterium. The results are discussed in the framework of cyanobacterial evolution.

Which Polypeptides Are Characteristic for Photosystem II? Analysis of Active Photosystem II Particles from the Blue-Green Alga Anacystis nidulans

A thylakoid membrane preparation isolated from the blue-green alga Anacystis nidulans was freed from carboxysomes, soluble enzymes and the pigment P750 by floating in a discontinuous sucrose density gradient. In a buffer containing sucrose and the zwitterionic detergent Miranol S2M-SF the thylakoids were loaded on a linear 10-18% sucrose density gradient which also contained Miranol. The sedimentation yielded three bands, the lower two of which were green and the upper one was orange. The light green band in the middle of the gradient was the only one to show any photosystem II activity. This was measured as light-induced electron transport from diphenylcarbazide (DPC) to dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP). The activity was sensitive to dichlorophenyl-dimethylurea (DCMU). The red absorption maximum of the particles in this middle band - henceforth called photosystem II particles - was found at 672 nm and the maximum of their low temperature fluorescence emission spectrum at 685 nm upon excitation with blue light. Cytochrome b559 was the only cytochrome found in these particles; it was present at an average ratio of one molecule cytochrome per 40 -50 molecules chlorophyll a. C550 photoreduction with accompanying photooxidation of cytochrome b559 was also observed in the photosystem II particles. Good photosystem II preparations did not contain any detectable amounts of P 700. By means of sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis the polypeptide composition of the photosystem II particles was studied. Dissolution of the chlorophyll protein complexes was done under strongly denaturing conditions; consequently, no green bands were observed on the gels. The polypeptide pattern of the photosystem II particles showed two strong predominant bands of protein components with apparent molecular weights (app. mol. wts.) of about 50 000 and 48 000. These two bands are unique for photosystem II. Two other weaker bands were also found characteristic for photosystem II, the band of a polypeptide with an app. mol. wt. of 38 000 and that of a polypeptide with an app. mol. wt. of 31 000. Sometimes in addition the weak band of a polypeptide with the app. mol. wt. 27 000 was observed on the gel. The polypeptide 38 000 aggregated upon boiling of the sample in the presence of the denaturing agents prior to the electrophoresis, yielding an aggregate with an app. mol. wt. of 50 000. Additional polypeptides which were often found in the photosystem II particle preparation could be identified as subunits of the coupling factor of photophosphorylation CF1. None of the polypeptides described as characteristic for photosystem II are due to proteolytic activity. As the observed photosystem II activity was found to be DCMU-sensitive it appears that the DCMU-binding protein is among the here described photosystem II polypeptides. Moreover, the authors have reason to believe that one of the major protein components found characteristic for photosystem II is cytochrome b559

Polypeptides of the Thylakoid Membrane and Their Functional Characterization

Abstract From stroma-freed chloroplasts of Antirrhinum majus polypeptides with the apparent molecular weights 44 000, 26 000 and 20 000 were isolated. The antiserum to a polypeptide with the moleculair weight 44 000 inhibits the photoreduction of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate with dichlorophenol indophenol/ascorbate when the concentration of the electron donor dichlorophenol indophenol is low. The antiserum enhances the rate of phenazine methosulfate-mediated cyclic photophosphorylation. The variable fluorescence yield is increased by the antiserum . It is assumed that this polypeptide plays a role in electron transport between the two photosystems. From two polypeptides with the apparent molecular weight 26 000 one seems to belong to the reaction center of photosystem II as it inhibits the photooxidation of tetramethyl benzidine and diphenyl carbazide with suitable electron acceptors and inhibits electron transport between water and silicomolybdate. Variable fluorescence is not or not too strong decreased by the antiserum . The other polypeptide of the apparent molecular weight 26 000 inhibits the photoreduction of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate with high concentrations of dichlorophenol indophenol as the electron donor. Phenazine methosulfate-mediated cyclic photophosphorylation is also inhibited by the antiserum . Therefore, we should like to associate it with the reaction center of photosystem I. The antiserum to the polypeptide with the apparent molecular weight 20 000 inhibits the photoreduction of anthraquinone-2-sulfonate with low and high concentrations of the electron donor dichlorophenol indophenol. It enhances phenazine methosulfate-mediated cyclic photophosphorylation. The polypeptide, therefore, should be functionally involved on the acceptor side of photosystem I. The results obtained up-to-now on the function and localization of the polypeptides in the thylakoid membrane are summarized.

Photochemically Active Chlorophyll-Containing Proteins from Chloroplasts and their Localization in the Thylakoid Membrane

After solubilization of stroma-freed chloroplasts with deoxycholate, the lipids and the detergent used are separated from the proteins by gel filtration. In this way not denatured pigment-con-taining protein preparations were obtained. The particles in fraction 1 exhibited a molecular weight of 600 000 and contained an average of 25 chlorophyll molecules. The circular dichroism spectrum showed exciton splitting of the red band. The particles in fraction 2 contained 1 chlorophyll molecule and exhibited a molecular weight of 110 000. The particles in fraction 3 also contained only 1 chlorophyll molecule and had a molecular weight of between 80 000 and 100 000. Pure preparations of fraction 1 only carried out the methylviologen Mehler reaction with the dichlorophenol indophenol/ascorbate couple as electron donor. Fraction 3 only reduced ferricyanide with diphenylcarbazide as an electron donor in the light. Fraction 2 exhibited both the photosystem I reaction and the photosystem II reaction. An antiserum to extracted fraction 1 does not inhibit electron transport in the intact lamellar system. The photoreduction of methylviologen is only inhibited after disruption of the thylakoids. The antiserum to fraction 2 inhibits the photoreduction of methylviologen in the intact lamellar system. Consequently, one inhibition site for this photosystem I reaction must be located on the inner and another on the outer surface of the thylakoid membrane. In addition, antibodies to fraction 1 are specifically adsorbed onto the lamellar system without any effect on electron transport and without a concomitant agglutination. Antibodies to fraction 3 partially inhibit the photoreduction of ferricyanide with diphenylcarbazide as an electron donor in the intact lamellar system. Hence, the inhibition site of this system II reaction is located on the outer surface of the thylakoids. We have reason to believe that the inhibition sites not reacting are located in the partitions, which are not accessible to antibodies.

Anacystis mutants with different tolerances to DCMU-type herbicides show differences in architecture and dynamics of the photosynthetic apparatus, depending on site and mode of the amino acid exchanges in the D 1 protein.

Mutants of Anacystis R2 with different amino acid exchanges in positions 255 and/or 264 in copy I of the psbA gene, leading to different tolerances to DCMU-type herbicides, are com- pared with the respective wild type concerning pigmentation and incorporation of 35S into the D1 protein upon growth in the presence of [35S]methionine. All mutants have shade-type appearance compared to the wild type, although to different extents depending on site and mode of the amino acid exchange in the D1 protein. Except for 3 mutants, there is no correlation between shade-type appearance on one hand and resistance towards a certain inhibitor on the other hand. Not only the molar ratio of phycocyanin (PC) to chlorophyll (Chi) is higher in all mutants compared to the respective wild type, but also the rate of synthesis of the D1 protein. On the background of different levels of total 35S incorporation within 18 min, D1 synthesis can be related to shade adaptation. Degradation of the D1 protein remains to be thoroughly studied in this context. No reproducible differences in whole chain electron transport were observed between mutants and wild type.

Effect of an Antiserum to a Thylakoid Membrane Polypeptide on the Primary Photoreaction of Photosystem II

Abstract As was described previously, an antiserum to polypeptide 11000 inhibited photosynthetic electron transport on the oxygen evolving side of photosystem II. The effect of the antiserum on chloroplasts from two tobacco mutants also clearly showed that the inhibition site is on the photosystem II-side of the electron transport chain. One of the two tobacco mutants lades the oxygen evolving capacity but exhibits some electron transport with tetramethyl benzidine, an artificial donor to PS II. In this mutant electron transport was barely inhibited. The effect of the antiserum on the primary photoevents showed that the initial amplitude of the absorption change of chlorophyll an at 690 nm and that of the primary electron acceptor X320 at 334 nm both diminished in the presence of the antiserum. Both signals were restored upon addition of diphenylcarbazide another artificial donor to photosystem II. Comparison of the degree of inhibition on the amplitudes of the fast and slow components of the 690 nm absorption change with the manometrically measured inhibition of electron transport shows that besides a full inactivation of a part of the reaction centers of photosystem II another part apparently mediates a fast cyclic electron flow around photosystem II as reported by Renger and Wolff earlier for tris-treated chloroplasts. Moreover, the antiserum affects the low temperature fluorescence in a way which is opposite to Murata’s effect of the Mg2+ -ion induced inhibition of energy spill-over from photosystem II to photosystem I. The antiserum under the condition in which the Hill reaction is inhibited lowered the 686 nm emission and enhanced the 732 nm emission which indicates an enhanced energy spill-over to photosystem I.

Inhibition of Electron Transport on the Oxygen-Evolving Side of Photosystem II by an Antiserum to a Polypeptide Isolated from the Thylakoid Membrane

Abstract A polypeptide fraction with the apparent molecular weight 11000 was isolated from stroma-freed chloroplasts from Anthirrhinum majus. An antiserum to this polypeptide fraction inhibits photosynthetic electron transport in chloroplasts from Nicotiana tabacum. The relative degree of inhibition is pH dependent and has its maximum at pH 7.4. The maximal inhibition observed was 93%. The dependence of the inhibition on the amount of antiserum yields a sigmoidal curve which hints at a cooperative effect. A calculation of the Hill interaction coefficient gave the value of 10. The inhibition occurs on the water splitting side of photosystem II between the sites of electron donation of tetramethyl benzidine and diphenylcarbazide. Tetramethyl benzidine donates its electrons before the site where diphenylcarbazide feeds in its electrons. Analysis of the steady state level of the variable fluorescence also indicates that the inhibition site is on the water splitting side of photosystem II. Tris-washed chloroplasts are equally inhibited by the antiserum and the inhibition is also observed in the presence of an inhibitor of photophosphorylation like dicyclo-hexyl carbodiimide and in the presence of the uncoupler carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenyl hydra-zone (CCCP) which means that the inhibitory action is directed towards the electron transport chain. Valinomycin which is supposed to affect the cation permeability of the thylakoid membrane has no influence on the inhibitory action of the antiserum. The same is valid for gramicidin. Methylamine on the other hand can induce a state in the thylakoids in which the antiserum is not effective. If the antibodies are already adsorbed prior to the methylamine addition then the high inhibitory effect by the antiserum remains unchanged upon addition of methylamine. From the experiments it follows that a component from the vicinity of photosystem II is accessible to antibodies that is, the component is located in the outer surface of the thylakoid mem brane. It appears that the inhibitory effect is produced in the course of the light reaction.

Antisera to the Coupling Factor of Photophosphorylation and Its Subunits

Abstract Stroma-freed chloroplasts were extracted with sucrose palmitate-stearate containing buffer. After the addition of dodecyl sulfate and mercaptoethanol to the extract a series of polypeptides was isolated from the mixture by gel filtration. These polypeptides were later used for immunization. Antisera to four polypeptides reacted in the Ouchterlony double diffusion test with authentic coupling factor yielding a precipitation band. According to the observed apparent molecular weights the polypeptides are the α, β , δ and ε subunits of the coupling factor. An antiserum to the γ subunit has been obtained already previously. All antisera inhibit photophosphorylation reactions and electron transport considerably. Addition of gramicidin inhibits photophosphorylation completely whereas gramicidin restores electron transport in the assays with the antisera to the α, β , γ and δ subunit. In the case of the antiserum to the ε subunit gramicidin does not regenerate electron transport. As in the presence of the serum to the ε subunit pH changes in the suspension medium are not observed, this serum seems to open a proton channel. Also, upon addition of dicyclohexyl carbodiimide (DCCD) pH changes in the suspension medium in the assay with antiserum do not reoccur. According to these unexpected results the identity of the antigen with the ε subunit of the coupling factor is not certain. ATP-ase reactions are only inhibited by the antisera to the α and γ subunit and what is thought to be the ε subunit. The antiserum to the α subunit uncouples electron transport as the only one when used in sufficient concentrations. The dosis-effect curves of the inhibition of the electron transport exhibits a maximum. The dosis-effect curves for the other components rise after a lag phase in an approximately hyperbolic manner. The inhibitory action on electron transport is exerted by all antisera in the region of the reaction center I or in its immediate vicinity. This is thought to be due to the fact that a protein of the reation center I is inhibited in its function by the increasing proton concentration inside the thylakoid. The inhibition of electron transport by the antiserum to the ε subunit is considered to be a direct serum effect. Besides the increase in fluorescence yield, due to the inhibition of electron transport in the region of photosystem I, decreases of the fluorescence yield are observed in the presence of DCMU, which do not depend on the redox state of Q but rather on the condition of the thylakoid membrane. Moreover, the antisera affect in a differing manner the energy spill-over of excitation from photosystem II to photosystem I.