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Rubisco decrease is involved in chloroplast protrusion and Rubisco-containing body formation in soybean (Glycine
Yi He1, Chenliang Yu2, Li Zhou2
1State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom.
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry : PPB
|December 3, 2013
Summary
Salt stress reduces photosynthesis by degrading Rubisco, a key enzyme. Chloroplast protrusions (CPs) and Rubisco-containing bodies (RCBs) appear to be involved in this rapid Rubisco degradation.
Area of Science:
- Plant Physiology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Salt stress negatively impacts plant photosynthesis, partly due to the degradation of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco).
- Chloroplast protrusions (CPs) are identified as a potential pathway for Rubisco removal from chloroplasts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between Rubisco content, chloroplast protrusions (CPs), and Rubisco-containing bodies (RCBs) under salt stress.
- To understand the role of CPs and RCBs in Rubisco degradation in response to salt stress in different plant varieties.
Main Methods:
- Assessed net photosynthetic rate (Pn), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F(v)/F(m)), and carboxylation efficiency (CE).
- Quantified Rubisco concentration, number of CPs, and RCBs in two varieties with differing salt tolerance.
- Observed the formation and movement of CPs and RCBs under salt stress conditions.
Main Results:
- Salt stress (150 mM) significantly decreased Pn, CE, and Rubisco content in a salt-sensitive variety.
- Salt stress led to a notable increase in the number of CPs and RCBs in the salt-sensitive variety.
- CP formation under salt stress resulted in increased RCBs, which were observed to move towards and fuse with vacuoles.
Conclusions:
- CPs and associated RCBs represent a significant mechanism for the rapid degradation of Rubisco under salt stress.
- This pathway offers a new perspective on how plants manage Rubisco during abiotic stress, particularly salt stress.
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