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Title: Isotope ratio-based quantification of carbon assimilation highlights the role of plastidial isoprenoid precursor availability in photosynthesis

Abstract

Abstract Background We report a method to estimate carbon assimilation based on isotope ratio-mass spectrometry (IRMS) of 13 CO 2 labeled plant tissue. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation is the principal experimental observable which integrates important aspects of primary plant metabolism. It is traditionally measured through gas exchange. Despite its centrality in plant research, gas exchange performs poorly with rosette growth habits typical of Arabidopsis thaliana , mutant lines with limited biomass, and accounts poorly for leaf shading. Results IRMS-based carbon assimilation values from plants labeled at different light intensities were compared to those obtained by gas exchange, and the two methods yielded similar values. Using this method, we observed a strong correlation between 13 C content and labeling time (R 2  = 0.999) for 158 wild-type plants labeled for 6 to 42 min. Plants cultivated under different light regimes showed a linear response with respect to carbon assimilation, varying from 7.38 nmol 13 C mg −1 leaf tissue min −1 at 80 PAR to 19.27 nmol 13 C mg −1 leaf tissue min −1 at 500 PAR. We applied this method to examine the link between inhibition of the 2 C -methyl- d -erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway and suppression of photosynthesis. A significant decrease in carbonmore » assimilation was observed when metabolic activity in the MEP pathway was compromised by mutation or herbicides targeting the MEP pathway. Mutants affected in MEP pathway genes 1-DEOXY- d -XYLULOSE 5-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (DXS) or 1-HYDROXY-2-METHYL-2-(E)-BUTENYL 4-DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (HDS) showed assimilation rates 36% and 61% lower than wild type. Similarly, wild type plants treated with the MEP pathway inhibitors clomazone or fosmidomycin showed reductions of 52% and 43%, respectively, while inhibition of the analogous mevalonic acid pathway, which supplies the same isoprenoid intermediates in the cytosol, did not, suggesting inhibition of photosynthesis was specific to disruption of the MEP pathway. Conclusions This method provides an alternative to gas exchange that offers several advantages: resilience to differences in leaf overlap, measurements based on tissue mass rather than leaf surface area, and compatibility with mutant Arabidopsis lines which are not amenable to gas exchange measurements due to low biomass and limited leaf surface area. It is suitable for screening large numbers of replicates simultaneously as well as post-hoc analysis of previously labeled plant tissue and is complementary to downstream detection of isotopic label in targeted metabolite pools.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo; ; ORCiD logo; ORCiD logo
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
OSTI Identifier:
2325351
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1832891
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-91ER20021; RGPIN‑2017‑06400
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Plant Methods
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Plant Methods Journal Volume: 17 Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 1746-4811
Publisher:
Springer Science + Business Media
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Photosynthetic carbon assimilation; Arabidopsis thaliana; Stable isotope labeling; Fosmidomycin; Clomazone; Isotope ratio mass spectrometry; 2C‑methyl‑d‑erythritol 4‑phosphate pathway; Isoprenoid metabolism

Citation Formats

Bergman, Matthew E., González-Cabanelas, Diego, Wright, Louwrance P., Walker, Berkley J., and Phillips, Michael A. Isotope ratio-based quantification of carbon assimilation highlights the role of plastidial isoprenoid precursor availability in photosynthesis. United Kingdom: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1186/s13007-021-00731-8.
Bergman, Matthew E., González-Cabanelas, Diego, Wright, Louwrance P., Walker, Berkley J., & Phillips, Michael A. Isotope ratio-based quantification of carbon assimilation highlights the role of plastidial isoprenoid precursor availability in photosynthesis. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-021-00731-8
Bergman, Matthew E., González-Cabanelas, Diego, Wright, Louwrance P., Walker, Berkley J., and Phillips, Michael A. Tue . "Isotope ratio-based quantification of carbon assimilation highlights the role of plastidial isoprenoid precursor availability in photosynthesis". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13007-021-00731-8.
@article{osti_2325351,
title = {Isotope ratio-based quantification of carbon assimilation highlights the role of plastidial isoprenoid precursor availability in photosynthesis},
author = {Bergman, Matthew E. and González-Cabanelas, Diego and Wright, Louwrance P. and Walker, Berkley J. and Phillips, Michael A.},
abstractNote = {Abstract Background We report a method to estimate carbon assimilation based on isotope ratio-mass spectrometry (IRMS) of 13 CO 2 labeled plant tissue. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation is the principal experimental observable which integrates important aspects of primary plant metabolism. It is traditionally measured through gas exchange. Despite its centrality in plant research, gas exchange performs poorly with rosette growth habits typical of Arabidopsis thaliana , mutant lines with limited biomass, and accounts poorly for leaf shading. Results IRMS-based carbon assimilation values from plants labeled at different light intensities were compared to those obtained by gas exchange, and the two methods yielded similar values. Using this method, we observed a strong correlation between 13 C content and labeling time (R 2  = 0.999) for 158 wild-type plants labeled for 6 to 42 min. Plants cultivated under different light regimes showed a linear response with respect to carbon assimilation, varying from 7.38 nmol 13 C mg −1 leaf tissue min −1 at 80 PAR to 19.27 nmol 13 C mg −1 leaf tissue min −1 at 500 PAR. We applied this method to examine the link between inhibition of the 2 C -methyl- d -erythritol-4-phosphate (MEP) pathway and suppression of photosynthesis. A significant decrease in carbon assimilation was observed when metabolic activity in the MEP pathway was compromised by mutation or herbicides targeting the MEP pathway. Mutants affected in MEP pathway genes 1-DEOXY- d -XYLULOSE 5-PHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (DXS) or 1-HYDROXY-2-METHYL-2-(E)-BUTENYL 4-DIPHOSPHATE SYNTHASE (HDS) showed assimilation rates 36% and 61% lower than wild type. Similarly, wild type plants treated with the MEP pathway inhibitors clomazone or fosmidomycin showed reductions of 52% and 43%, respectively, while inhibition of the analogous mevalonic acid pathway, which supplies the same isoprenoid intermediates in the cytosol, did not, suggesting inhibition of photosynthesis was specific to disruption of the MEP pathway. Conclusions This method provides an alternative to gas exchange that offers several advantages: resilience to differences in leaf overlap, measurements based on tissue mass rather than leaf surface area, and compatibility with mutant Arabidopsis lines which are not amenable to gas exchange measurements due to low biomass and limited leaf surface area. It is suitable for screening large numbers of replicates simultaneously as well as post-hoc analysis of previously labeled plant tissue and is complementary to downstream detection of isotopic label in targeted metabolite pools.},
doi = {10.1186/s13007-021-00731-8},
journal = {Plant Methods},
number = 1,
volume = 17,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {Tue Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Tue Mar 30 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}

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