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Light and dark modulation of chlorophyll biosynthetic genes in response to temperature

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Abstract

Temperature and light significantly influence chloroplast development and chlorophyll biosynthesis. To understand the mechanism of the modulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis, the levels of transcripts and proteins of many enzymatic steps of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis in wheat and cucumber were simultaneously examined. The effect of low (chill-stress) as well as high (heat-stress) temperatures on dark- and light-grown seedlings was monitored. The protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) content was greatly reduced in response to light in control and heat-stressed seedlings. However, the POR level was not reduced in light-exposed chill-stressed seedlings. The genes for glutamate semialdehyde aminotransferase (gsa; cucumber), glutamyl-tRNA reductase (GluTR; cucumber), 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (Ala D; cucumber and wheat) and for a subunit of Mg-chelatase (Chl I; wheat) showed a reduced expression in cold stress compared to controls and heat-stress conditions. Although expression of the ferrochelatase gene (Fch) and geranylgeranyl reductase gene (Chl P) was upregulated in light, they were downregulated by both chill- and heat-stress. Interestingly, gsa and uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase gene (UroD) and gene product abundance was stimulated by light and heat-stress implying the presence of both light and heat-inducible elements in their promoters. This observation corroborates with the previous report of increased enzymatic activity of UroD in heat-stressed cucumber seedlings. The gsa and Uro D may play an important role in tolerance of the greening process of plants to heat-stress.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

5-Aminolevulinicacid

ALAD:

5-Aminolevulinate dehydratase

Chlide:

Chlorophyllide

CPO:

Coproporphyrinogen oxidase

GluTR:

Glutamyl-tRNA reductase

GSAT:

Glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase

PBG:

Porphobilinogen

proto:

Protoporphyrin IX

Pchlide:

Protochlorophyllide

POR:

Protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase

UroD:

Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase

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Acknowledgements

This research work was supported by a grant (BTPR1778/BRB/15/176/1999) from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi to BCT. We thank C.G. Kannangara (Washington State University, USA) and W.T. Griffiths (University of Bristol, UK) for the gift of barley antibodies for glutamyl-tRNA reductase and glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase and wheat antibody for POR, used for Western-blot analysis.

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  1. School of Life Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, 110067, New Delhi, India

    Sasmita Mohanty & Baishnab C. Tripathy

  2. Institut fur Biologie/Pflanzenphysiologie, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Philippstr.13, Haus 12, Berlin, Germany

    Bernhard Grimm

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  1. Sasmita Mohanty
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Correspondence to Baishnab C. Tripathy.

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Mohanty, S., Grimm, B. & Tripathy, B.C. Light and dark modulation of chlorophyll biosynthetic genes in response to temperature. Planta 224, 692–699 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-006-0248-6

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