Photosynthesis in Chromera velia Represents a Simple System with High Efficiency

0390068 - MBÚ 2013 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Quigg, A. - Kotabová, Eva - Jarešová, Jana - Kaňa, Radek - Šetlík, Jiří - Šedivá, Barbora - Komárek, Ondřej - Prášil, Ondřej
Photosynthesis in Chromera velia Represents a Simple System with High Efficiency.
PLoS ONE. Roč. 7, č. 10 (2012), e47036. ISSN 1932-6203. E-ISSN 1932-6203
R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA601410907; GA ČR GBP501/12/G055; GA ČR GAP501/12/0304
Institutional support: RVO:61388971
Keywords : Photosynthesis * Chromera velia * RuBISCO
Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology
Impact factor: 3.730, year: 2012

Chromera velia (Alveolata) is a close relative to apicomplexan parasites with a functional photosynthetic plastid. Even though C. velia has a primitive complement of pigments (lacks chlorophyll c) and uses an ancient type II form of RuBISCO, we found that its photosynthesis is very efficient with the ability to acclimate to a wide range of irradiances. C. velia maintain similar maximal photosynthetic rates when grown under continual light-limited (low light) or light-saturated (high light) conditions. This flexible acclimation to continuous light is provided by an increase of the chlorophyll content and photosystem II connectivity under light limited conditions and by an increase in the content of protective carotenoids together with stimulation of effective non-photochemical quenching under high light. C. velia is able to significantly increase photosynthetic rates when grown under a light-dark cycle with sinusoidal changes in light intensity. Photosynthetic activities were nonlinearly related to light intensity, with maximum performance measured at midmorning. C. velia efficiently acclimates to changing irradiance by stimulation of photorespiration and non-photochemical quenching, thus avoiding any measurable photoinhibition. We suggest that the very high CO2 assimilation rates under sinusoidal light regime are allowed by activation of the oxygen consuming process (possibly chlororespiration) that maintains high efficiency of RuBISCO (type II). Despite the overall simplicity of the C. velia photosynthetic system, it operates with great efficiency
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0219031