René Rémy

Sequence diversity of pistil S-proteins associated with gametophytic self-incompatibility in Nicotiana alata.

SummaryIn order to study the extent and nature of differences among various S-allele-associated proteins in N. alata, we carried out comparative studies of seven such proteins. We first isolated and sequenced cDNA clones for the Sz-, SF11-, S1-, and Sa-alleles, and then we compared the deduced amino acid sequences both of these four S-proteins and of three previously published S2-, S3-, and S6-proteins. This comparison revealed (1) an average homology of 53.8% among the seven proteins and (2) two homology classes, with Sz and SF11 in one class and S1, S2, S3, and S6 in the other class. There are 60 conserved residues, including 9 cysteines. Of the 144 variable residues, 50 were identified as hypervariable based on a calculation of their Similarity Indices. Although conserved, variable, and hypervariable residues are dispersed throughout the protein, some are clustered to form five conserved, five hypervariable, and a number of variable regions. Those variable sites which contain residues conserved within one class of S-proteins but different between classes might provide a clue to the evolutionary relationship of these two classes of S-proteins. The hypervariable residues, which account for sequence variability, may contribute to allelic specificity.

ELECTROPHORETIC AND SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC STUDIES OF CHLOROPHYLL-PROTEIN COMPLEXES FROM TOBACCO CHLOROPLASTS. ISOLATION OF A LIGHT HARVESTING PIGMENT PROTEIN COMPLEX WITH A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF 70,000

Abstract— …After a short‐term solubilization with sodium dodecyl sulphate, chloroplast membranes of tobacco were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis into three chlorophyll‐protein complexes. In addition to the two major complexes termed I and IIc corresponding respectively to P700 chlorophyll a‐protein and light‐harvesting chlorophyll a/b‐protein described by Thornber (1975), a relatively stable complex termed IIa has been observed. This new complex has an apparent molecular weight of 70,000 daltons and possesses Chl a and b.

APPEARANCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTIVITIES IN WHEAT ETIOPLASTS GREENED UNDER CONTINUOUS OR INTERMITTENT LIGHT—EVIDENCE FOR WATER-SIDE PHOTOSYSTEM II DEFICIENCY AFTER GREENING UNDER INTERMITTENT LIGHT*

Abstract— Etiolated wheat seedlings are greened under continuous or intermittent light. Under continuous light the onset of photosystem II (PS II) activity appears after 4 h of illumination. Under intermittent light (1 ms flashes alternating with 15 min dark periods), PS II activity cannot be detected after 300–400 flashes, although the pigment composition and structural development of these plastids are similar to those observed after 4 h of continuous light. However, the appearance of PS II activity in isolated plastids can be observed in two different ways: (1) in vivo by exposing the seedlings to a short period of continuous light after the intermittent light; or (2) in vitro by addition to the isolated plastids of an electron donor for PS II, such as diphenylcarbazide. It is concluded that the intermittent light induces development of the electron transport chain from PS II to PS I, but that a deficiency occurs on the water‐side of PS II.

Morphological and molecular characterization of fertile tetraploid somatic hybrids produced by protoplast electrofusion and PEG-induced fusion between Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and Lycopersicon peruvianum Mill.

SummaryMesophyl protoplasts of two genotypes of cultivated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and one of its wild relative species (Lycopersicon peruvianum Mill.) were fused by using electrofusion and polyethyleneglycol-induced fusion. Forty-three fertile tetraploid somatic hybrid plants, each deriving from separate calli, were recovered from both fusion procedures. Electrofusion appeared more efficient than chemical fusion for the production of somatic hybrids. These plants appeared morphologically similar, whatever the fusion procedure and tomato genotype. They had intermediate leaf, inflorescence, and flower morphology. After self-pollination, the hybrids set fruit of intermediate size and color. The hybrid nature of these plants was confirmed by isoelectric focusing of the Rubisco small subunits used as nuclear markers. L. esculentum and L. peruvianum were distinguished by means of two chloroplast markers: CF1-ATPase β subunit as analyzed by isoelectro-focusing and ct DNA restriction patterns. All hybrids displayed both ct markers of only one parent with no biased transmission. Mitochondrial (mt) DNAs were prepared from flower buds by using miniaturized CsCl gradients. Preliminary analysis indicated that mt genomes from the hybrids all differed from those of both parents. mt DNA Sall restriction enzyme analysis revealed that all but two hybrids contained one novel fragment of 13.5 kb. Gene mapping experiments showed that the mt apocytochrome b and ATPase subunit 9 homologies in the somatic hybrid mt DNA resembled L. esculentum and L. peruvianum, respectively; the mt nad5 probe distinguished at least four distinct patterns in the hybrids. These results indicated that mt DNA rearrangements involving intergenomic recombinations occurred through protoplast fusion. A greater mt DNA polymorphism was induced with chemical fusion than with electrofusion.

Analysis of absorption spectra changes induced by temperature lowering on phycobilisomes, thylakoids and chlorophyll-protein complexes.

Using fourth derivative analysis, differences between room and low temperature absorption spectra were studied. The positions of most absorption bands of the water-soluble, accessory pigment complex, the phycobilisome, remained unchanged after cooling. The stability of the wavelength positions of chlorophyll a forms in vivo as a function of temperature (Gulyaev, B.A. and Litvin, F.F. (1967) Biofizika 12, 845--854) was generally confirmed. The wavelength positions of all chlorophyll a forms in the P-700 chlorophyll a protein complex were unchanged when the preparations were cooled to -196 degrees C. Likewise, with other chlorophyll-containing materials: the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex and the thylakoids of higher plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, the wavelengths positions of most chlorophyll a forms were stable upon cooling. An exception was a 680 nm chlorophyll a band which was generally split at low temperature into two bands with the materials investigated. An interpretation of the multiplicity of chlorophyll spectral forms and the spectral changes induced by cooling for these forms is given using exciton theory and the energy-coupling variation of chlorophyll a molecules.

The ATP-Dependent Post Translational Modification of Ferredoxin : NADP+ Oxidoreductase

Incubation of thylakoids with purified FNR and [32P]ATP led to the incorporation of phosphate into the FNR. In the absence of added FNR, 32P-labelled FNR could be detected associated with the thylakoids. An amino-acid analysis showed that in the dark, the FNR could be phosphorylated on a serine residue. In the presence of thylakoids, the FNR contained a threonine phosphate which was associated with a light-dependent reaction. The physiological function of this phosphorylation is not clear. Some modifications in NADP(+)-dependent photosystem I (PSI) activity and FNR-membrane association have been observed on the addition of ATP. Whether these changes are linked to the phosphorylation of the FNR remain to be fully elucidated.

Heterogeneite des variations spectrales photoinduites vers 700 nm observees sur les membranes chlorophylliennes et les complexes chlorophylle-proteines isoles de divers organismes photosynthetiques

Abstract A heterogeneity of photoinduced spectral variations near 700 nm is observed at −196°C, by comparison of difference spectra obtained from several materials (two blue-green algae, Spirulina and Fremyella ; a red alga Porphyridium and a higher plant, Nicotiana tabacum ). The maximum of complexity is seen with Spirulina chlorophyllous membranes where three bands are detected at 718, 705 and 695 nm. These bands are recovered in relatively different amounts in two chlorophyll-protein complexes prepared after sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis of Spirulina membranes. The photoinduced changes near 700 nm with Spirulina membranes are reversible and seem to be synchronous and related to the bleaching of three different pigments. This spectral diversity for photosensizable pigments is comparable with the spectral heterogeneity of the major forms of the bulk chlorophyll. It is assumed that these pigments may play the same functional role. This assumption may be related to a possible heterogeneity of Photosystem I centres recently detected by Breton using linear dichroism method (Breton, J. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 459, 66–70).

Changes in functional properties of mitochondria during growth cycle of Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures

Composition and properties of Percoll-purified mitochondria isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension cultures were studied at various stages of the growth cycle. During the lag phase (2 days) mitochondria exhibited high lipid/ protein ratio, high double bound index and very low oxidative rate. After day 2 and up to day 4 for NADH (exponential phase), or to day 7 (beginning of the senescence) for succinate as substrates, the oxidation rate in state 3 increased while oxidation rate in state 4 remained low. Consequently, mitochondria appeared more and more coupled over the whole time of the growth cycle. Along with the constant oxidation rate in state 4, characteristics of membranes remained similar in terms of polypeptide pattern, proton conductance or fluorescence anisotropy although unsaturation of membranous fatty acids increased significantly during the growth cycle. All these results indicated that oxidation rate in state 3 increased continuously while basic properties of mitochondrial membranes remained similar during the growth.

Two-dimensional electrophoretic comparison of mitochondrial polypeptides from different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tissues

Abstract The protein compositions of mitochondria isolated from etiolated leaves, green leaves (photosynthetic or non-photosynthetic), roots and calli from Triticum aestivum L. were compared by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Qualitative and quantitative protein changes were observed between mitochondria from these tissues. When compared to etiolated leaves developed in the dark, mitochondria from leaves greened under natural light showed particularly important polypeptide changes i.e. the increase of four polypeptides belonging to the glycine decarboxylase complex (which is involved in the photorespiration phenomenon). Using non-photosynthetic green leaves developed under intermittent light (white light flashes separated by 15-min dark periods), it was shown that the quantitative increase of these four polypeptides was not correlated to efficient photosynthesis. Moreover, it was specified using a different condition of intermittent light (set of flashes separated by 24-h dark periods) leading to etiolated and of course non-photosynthetic leaves, that these polypeptide changes were not dependent on net chlorophyll synthesis. On the other hand, the analysis of mitochondrial protein composition from tissue culture has revealed some specific changes characteristic of callus. These changes were found whatever the tissue used to initiate the in vitro culture and were observed for some time in leaf mitochondria isolated from regenerated plants maintained in vitro.