Cmo las plantas ajustan la fotosntesis en

respuesta a las intensidades luminosas

fluctuantes
9 enero, 2017
La fotosntesis, el proceso biolgico ms importante en la Tierra, es impulsado por la luz
solar. Sin embargo, la radiacin solar es una fuente de energa inconstante, ya que la
intensidad de la luz disponible en la mayora de los entornos est cambiando
constantemente, dependiendo de factores como la cobertura de nubes y la distribucin de la
sombra. Ahora, los bilogos de LMU dirigidos por el profesor Peter Geigenberger, en
colaboracin con investigadores del Instituto Max Planck para la Fisiologa Molecular de
Plantas de Potsdam y la Universidad de Pars, han identificado una serie de protenas que
son esenciales para la capacidad de la fotosntesis para adaptarse a la fluctuacin en los
niveles de luz. Sus hallazgos aparecen en la revista Molecular Plant.
Para un crecimiento ptimo, las plantas necesitan mantener una alta y estable tasa de
fotosntesis, y para ello deben ser capaces de reaccionar rpidamente a cambios repentinos
en la intensidad de la luz: En el caso de un aumento abrupto en el flujo de luz, el exceso de
energa es disipado como calor o la energa es desviada a los procesos metablicos con el
fin de evitar la formacin de especies de oxgeno reactivo, lo que daara los fotosistemas y
otros componentes celulares. Cuando la intensidad de la luz disminuye, las clulas foliares
deben minimizar la prdida de calor lo ms rpidamente posible y ajustar la distribucin de
la transferencia de energa a las operaciones metablicas. Ahora hemos demostrado que
las enzimas llamadas tiorredoxinas estn ntimamente involucradas en estos procesos de
aclimatacin, dice Geigenberger.
Las tiorredoxinas son protenas pequeas, que se encuentran en prcticamente todos los
organismos y participan en muchos procesos metablicos vitales. Utilizando cepas
genticamente modificadas de Arabidopsis thaliana, Geigenberger y sus colegas han
demostrado que las tiorredoxinas desempean un papel crucial para asegurar que las tasas
de fotosntesis se mantengan ptimamente durante perodos cortos de alta intensidad de luz.
Las protenas abren esencialmente una vlvula que permite que el exceso de energa
absorbido por los fotosistemas en los cloroplastos sea exportado al citoplasma, evitando as
la inhibicin de la propia fotosntesis. Este modo de exportacin de energa es a su vez
sostenido por un segundo sistema basado en tiorredoxina llamado NADPH-dependiente de
la tiorredoxina reductasa C (NTRC). Esta ltima enzima tambin es responsable de
minimizar la prdida de energa luminosa absorbida como calor en fases cuando las
intensidades de luz son bajas. En consecuencia, en plantas que carecen de NTRC la
eficiencia fotosinttica se reduce y sus tasas de crecimiento son menores, explica
Geigenberger.

As que su equipo ahora planea estudiar si el aumento de los niveles de actividad de la

tiorredoxina puede mejorar la eficiencia global de la fotosntesis y por lo tanto las tasas de
crecimiento de las plantas expuestas a los ambientes fluctuantes de luz. Bajo condiciones
naturales en el campo, las intensidades de luz cambian muy rpidamente. Si fuera posible
aumentar la eficiencia de la fotosntesis mediante el aumento de las actividades de
thioredoxina en los cultivos de plantas, esto podra ofrecer un medio para aumentar los
rendimientos, dice Peter Geigenberger.
Ms informacin: Ina Thormhlen et al. Las tiorredoxinas juegan un papel crucial en la
aclimatacin dinmica de la fotosntesis en luz fluctuante, Molecular Plant (2016). DOI:
10.1016 / j.molp.2016.11.012
FUENTE ORIGINAL
Explore further: How plants manage excess solar energy
More information: Ina Thormhlen et al. Thioredoxins play a crucial role in dynamic
acclimation of photosynthesis in fluctuating light, Molecular Plant (2016). DOI:
10.1016/j.molp.2016.11.012
Journal reference: Molecular Plant
Provided by: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-12-adjust-photosynthesis-response-fluctuatingintensities.html#jCp

How plants manage excess solar energy

December 5, 2016

Electron microscope image of the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Credit: Sylvain

Loubry, UNIGE
Life on earth largely depends on the conversion of light energy into chemical energy
through photosynthesis by plants. However, absorption of excess sunlight can damage the
complex machinery responsible for this process. Researchers from the University of
Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered how Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a mobile
single-cell alga, activates the protection of its photosynthetic machinery. Their study,
published in the journal PNAS, indicates that the receptors (UVR8) that detect ultraviolet
rays induce the activation of a safety valve that allows dissipation of excess energy as heat.
A second protective role is thus attributed to these receptors, whose ability to induce the
production of an anti-UV 'sunscreen' had already been shown by the Geneva team.
The energy of the sun is converted by plants into chemical energy through photosynthesis
in order to produce sugars to feed themselves. The first step of this process, which takes
place in cell compartments called chloroplasts, is the capture of photons of light by
chlorophyll. Although light is essential for plants, sun in excess can damage their
photosynthetic machinery, thereby affecting their growth and productivity. To protect
themselves, plants activate a protection mechanism when light is too intense, which
involves a series of proteins capable of converting the surplus of energy into heat to be
harmlessly dissipated.
Producing proteins that divert energy
"UV-B ultraviolet light is likely to cause the most damage to the photosynthetic machinery,
and we wanted to know whether it is involved in activating protection mechanisms and, if
so, how", say Michel Goldschmidt-Clermont and Roman Ulm, professors at the
Department of Botany and Plant Biology of the UNIGE Faculty of Science. This work,
conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Universities of Grenoble and of

California, was carried out in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a single-cell mobile alga used as
a model organism.
The team of Roman Ulm had discovered in 2011 the existence of a UV-B receptor, called
UVR8, whose activation allows plants to protect themselves against these UV and to
develop their own molecular 'sunscreen". The researchers demonstrate now that this
receptor activates a second protection mechanism. "When UVR8 perceives UV-B rays, it
triggers a signal that induces, at the level of the cell nucleus, the production of proteins that
will then be imported into the chloroplasts. Once integrated into the photosynthetic
apparatus, they will help to divert excess energy, which will be dissipated as heat through
molecular vibrations", explains Guillaume Allorent, first author of the article.
In terrestrial plants, the perception of UV-B by the UVR8 receptor is also important for the
protection of the photosynthetic machinery, but the underlying mechanism has not yet been
elucidated. "It is crucial for agricultural productivity and the biotechnological exploitation
of photosynthetic processes to better understand the mechanisms leading to photoprotection
under sunlight and its UV-B rays", says Michel Goldschmidt-Clermont. A project the
Genevan team intends to pursue.
Explore further: How do plants protect themselves against sunburn?
More information: UV-B photoreceptor-mediated protection of the photosynthetic
machinery in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, PNAS,
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1607695114
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Provided by: University of Geneva

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-12-excess-solar-energy.html#jCp

How do plants protect themselves against

sunburn?
July 11, 2016

Cells at the surface of an Arabidopsis leaf before sun exposure. Credit: Sylvain Loubry,
UNIGE
To protect themselves against type B ultraviolet rays (UV-B), which are highly harmful,
plants have developed cellular tools to detect them and build biochemical defenses. A team
of biologists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, discovered the
existence of a UV-B receptor a few years ago. Today, these researchers demonstrate how
these receptors, once activated by UV-B, associate with proteins that assist them to be
assembled in the cell nucleus and to develop responses for survival and acclimation. This
study is published in the journal PNAS.
Each color has its own function. This is how plants take advantage of the sun's energy, of
which they capture different wavelengths through specialised molecules. Chlorophyll
absorbs particularly red and blue light to produce sugar, while specific photoreceptors
detect wavelengths that constitute signals for seed germination, flowering time or plant
orientation relative to the sun. "Even the UV-B rays, although potentially very harmful, are
used to influence the growth and development of plants. The latter must therefore absorb
them, while protecting themselves", says Roman Ulm, professor at the Department of
Botany and Plant Biology of UNIGE Faculty of Science.
Tolerate UV when rooted
The researcher and his team identified several years ago a UV-B photoreceptor, called
UVR8. The absorption of these rays by UVR8 induces physiological responses that enable
the plant to acclimatise and survive. Indeed, plants produce enzymes that repair damage
caused to DNA during sun exposure, as well as powerful antioxidants that neutralise free
radicals produced by the action of UV. "Once activated by UV-B rays, UVR8 receptors
accumulate within the cell nucleus and participate in a cascade of biochemical reactions
that we are trying to decipher. UVR8 binds to an enzyme named COP1, a step necessary for
the plant to build its defenses and to modulate its growth. However, we still do not know

the exact roles played by these two proteins", explains Ruohe Yin, a researcher of the group
and first author of the article.

Cells at the surface of an Arabidopsis leaf after (bottom) UV exposure. Credit: Sylvain
Loubry, UNIGE
A shuttle to gather the receptors
The biologists were able to identify a novel role of COP1 thanks to new experimental lines
of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) they have created. "When the UVR8
photoreceptor or COP1 enzyme were artificially retained in the cytosol of cells, no response
was observed in terms of UV tolerance or growth. These two proteins must be present in
the cell nucleus for the genes involved in the response to be activated", says Roman Ulm.
The COP1 enzymes, which seem to work as shuttles between the two compartments, allow
the collecting of receptors in the nucleus, quickly and in large quantities, so that the process
leading to a physiological response can resume.
The researchers intend to use the Arabidopsis lines they have generated to understand how
activated receptors regulate the expression of genes necessary for plants to tolerate UV-B
rays.
Explore further: A plant which acclimatizes with no exterior influence
More information: COP1 is required for UV-Binduced nuclear accumulation of the
UVR8 photoreceptor, PNAS, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1607074113
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Provided by: University of Genev

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-07-sunburn.html#jCp

A plant which acclimatizes with no

exterior influence
November 25, 2013

Plants have a love-hate relationship with sunlight. While some wavelengths are
indispensable to them for performing photosynthesis, others, such as UV-B, are deleterious.
Therefore, plants are equipped to detect these highly toxic rays and mount their defences. A
team led by Roman Ulm, Professor at the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Geneva
(UNIGE), Switzerland, has generated a transgenic plant which acclimatises constitutively,
regardless of the level of UV-B.
This plant possesses a constantly active receptor, which endows it with a higher UV
resistance, associated with increased flavonoid production, substances which function as a
'sunscreen' and as antioxidants. Flavonoid-rich plants also provide a powerful source of
antioxidants for humans. As described in the journal PNAS, this transgenic plant is an
excellent model system within the framework of basic research, as well as studies aiming at
improving crop plants.
Plants have an arsenal of receptors that enable them to benefit from all components of solar
radiation. While the energy of some photons is captured by chlorophyll to produce sugar,
other wavelengths regulate essential processes, such as flowering, seed germination, shade
avoidance and phototropism. 'Even ultraviolet B rays, despite their harmfulness, are used
by plants as an environmental stimulus and influence plant growth and development', points
out Roman Ulm, Professor at the UNIGE Department of Botany and Plant Biology.
A maximal survival response
Ultraviolet B rays (UV-B), which account for 0.5% of light energy, are dangerous for living
organisms as they lead to the formation of free radicals in cells and damage their DNA.
Unable to escape them, plants are forced to find a way to protect themselves. They detect
UV-B rays thanks to a receptor knows as UVR8, thus triggering a biochemical chain
reaction within the cells and allowing them to mount their defences. These are notably
made up of flavonoids, which act as sunscreens and antioxidants, but also of enzymes
which repair the damage caused to the DNA during light exposure.
In collaboration with his colleagues from the Universities of Ghent (Belgium) and Freiburg
(Germany), Roman Ulm's team has generated a transgenic plant equipped with an UVR8
mutated receptor. 'The substitution of just one amino acid by another was enough for the
receptor to remain constantly active, even without UV', describes Marc Heijde,
postdoctoral fellow and one of the article's main authors. The fact that this receptor is

always switched on results in a constant stimulation of the genes necessary for the
development of survival responses'.
A complete UV shield
The transgenic plant acclimatises constitutively and does not suffer from over-exposure to
UVB. This is also due to a high production of flavonoids, including anthocyanins,
molecules with powerful antioxidant properties for both plants and humans. 'This plant is a
variant of Arabidopsis thaliana, a model organism widely used in the laboratory. It allows
us to explore in detail the intracellular processes involved in acclimatisation and makes for
an excellent study model as part of the research aimed at improving crop plants', states
Roman Ulm.
Explore further: Experts reveal why plants don't get sunburn
More information: Constitutively active UVR8 photoreceptor variant in Arabidopsis ,
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1314336110
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Provided by: University of Geneva

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-11-acclimatizes-exterior.html#jCp

Experts reveal why plants don't get

sunburn
April 1, 2011

(PhysOrg.com) -- Experts at the University of Glasgow have discovered how plants know
when to make their own sunscreen to protect themselves from the harmful rays of the sun.
Scientists have speculated for decades that plants must have a 'photoreceptor' for UV-B
wavelengths in sunlight, similar to those they use to detect other wavelengths which control
other processes, such as triggering when they flower.
UV-B is the most powerful part of the daylight spectrum and is potentially damaging both
to humans and plants.
Now, a paper published today in Science, explains how a protein, called UVR8, recognises
UV-B light and then switches on changes in a plants gene expression needed for it to
produce its own sun block.

Plants need sunlight to harvest light energy and so, are constantly exposed to UV-B.
However, plants rarely show signs of damage because they have evolved a way of
protecting themselves from the suns harmful rays by making their own sunscreen and
depositing it in the outer tissues of leaves.
Gareth Jenkins, Professor of Plant Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of
Glasgow and co-author on the paper, described the papers findings as groundbreaking.
The search for this UV-B photoreceptor has been something of a Holy Grail for plant
photobiologists. We have known for decades that plants can sense the presence of UV-B
and that this stimulates the production of sunscreen chemicals that protect plants in
sunlight, but we didn't know how plants were able to recognise the presence of UV-B. Now
we do. We have managed to identify the photoreceptor that does this, says Prof Jenkins.
The research opens up new directions for understanding how plants respond to UV-B.
In 2005, Prof Jenkins and his team in Glasgow showed that UVR8 orchestrates the changes
in gene expression which underpin this production of plant sun block. Since then, they have
been studying, with colleagues from the Universities of Freiburg and Geneva, how UVR8
works.
UVR8 is always present throughout a plant so it can respond immediately to sunlight.
Normally in plants two molecules of UVR8 associate to form what is called a dimer.
This latest paper shows that UV-B light converts the dimer into single molecules of UVR8.
It is this conversion of molecules which has a direct effect on the protein and ultimately the
gene expression which leads to the production of the plants sunscreen.
Prof Jenkins continues: A key process in plants producing sunscreen is the interaction of
UVR8 with another protein called COP1. This interaction results in UVR8 initiating the
necessary gene changes to ensure the plant is protected from sunlight.
When a plant detects UV-B light this light stimulates the synthesis of sunscreen
compounds that are deposited in the outer tissues and absorb UV-B, minimizing any
harmful transmittance to cells below.
This is exactly what our sun creams do. In addition, exposure to UV-B stimulates the
production of enzymes that repair any damage to DNA. And lastly, genes are switched on
that prevent oxidative damage to cells and help to maintain the photosynthetic machinery in
the leaves.
Scientists at Glasgow work with the Arabidopsis plant because it is excellent for molecular
biology and genetics.

Arabidopsis plants which are made to lack UVR8, to test its function in the laboratory, fail
to show protection and hence are very sensitive to UV-B, they die when exposed to levels
of UV-B typical of bright sunlight.
Explore further: Proper UV protection for your eyes is important for summer
Provided by: University of Glasgow

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2011-04-experts-reveal-dont-sunburn.html#jCp

Researchers discover unique microbial

photosynthesis
January 9, 2017

Conceptual model of a new type of anaerobic photosynthesis of G. sulfurreducens and P.

aestuarii via direct, inter-species electron transfer. Credit: Washington State University

Researchers at Washington State University have discovered a new type of cooperative

photosynthesis that could be used in engineering microbial communities for waste
treatment and bioenergy production.
They report today on the unique metabolic process seen for the first time in a pair of
bacteria in Nature Communications.
Photosynthetic bacteria account for nearly half of the world's food production and carbonbased organic material. The research could also improve understanding of lake ecology.
Phototroph + electron generator
Prosthecochloris aestaurii , a green-tinged, plant-like microbe, comes from the extreme
environment of Hot Lake, a high salinity lake in northern Okanogan County near Oroville,
Wash. Discovered and identified a few years ago by researchers at the U.S. Department of
Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Southern Illinois University, the
bacterium is able to photosynthesize, using sunlight along with elemental sulfur or
hydrogen sulfide to grow.
The researchers noticed that P. aestuarii tended to gather around a carbon electrode, an
electricity conductor that they were operating in Hot Lake. The researchers isolated and
grew P. aestuarii and determined that, similar to the way half of a battery works, the
bacterium is able to grab electrons from a solid electrode and use them for photosynthesis.
The pink-colored Geobacter sulfurreducens meanwhile, is known for its ability to convert
waste organic matter to electricity in microbial fuel cells. The bacterium is also used in
environmental cleanup.
G. sulfurreducens, like animals and humans, can't photosynthesize. It consumes organic
compounds, such as acetate, and "breathes" out carbon dioxide.
The bacterium is known for its ability to donate electrons to a solid electrode. As it
consumes acetate, it generates electrons, which can be collected as electricity.
Microbes paired up in WSU lab
Led by Haluk Beyenal, the Paul Hohenschuh Distinguished Professor in the WSU Gene
and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, and postdoctoral
researcher Phuc Ha, the research team surmised that the bacteria might be able to help each
other grow and put them together in the lab.
The researchers found that P. aestuarii could accept electrons generated from G.
sulfurreducens and use them in a new type of anaerobic photosynthesis never before seen.
Similar to how a battery or fuel cell works, the bacteria transfer electrons. They feed off
each other to grow under conditions in which neither could grow independently.
Ecology-friendly implications

From an ecological perspective, this new form of metabolism may play an important role in
carbon cycling in oxygen free zones of poorly mixed freshwater lakes. It may also present
new possibilities for engineering microbial communities for waste treatment and bioenergy
production.
"We think this could be a common bio-electrochemical process in nature," said Beyenal,
whose team is working to better understand the electron transfer mechanism.
Explore further: Bacteria use hydrogen, carbon dioxide to produce electricity
More information: Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS13924

Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2017-01-unique-microbial-photosynthesis.html#jCp