Nitrogen control of chloroplast differentiation
This project was directed toward understanding how the availability of nitrogen affects the accumulation of chloroplast pigments and proteins that function in energy transduction and carbon metabolism. The availability of this nutrient most pervasively limits plant growth and agricultural productivity but the molecular and physiological consequences of nitrogen-deficiency are poorly understood. The model system for our studies of nitrogen-dependent regulation of chloroplast differentiation is the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii which is grown phototrophically in a continuous culture system. When 150 {mu}M nitrogen is provided at a dilution rate of 0.25 volumes of the growth medium per day, the cultures are sustained at a density of less than 10{sup 5} cells/ml and chlorophyll deficiency, the classical symptom of nitrogen-deficiency, becomes quite pronounced. We found that there is a concomitant loss of light-harvesting complexes and reduced levels of Photosystem II reaction center complexes while ATP synthetase and Photosystem I reaction centers are maintained at high levels. Moreover, reduced rates of chloroplast protein synthesis are due to differential effects on mRNA translation. In contrast, the deficiency of light-harvesting genes is due to marked reductions of the nuclear-encoded cab mRNAs. Although there is no significant reduction of the amounts of RuBPCase, we also detected substantial changes in the mRNA abundance of the alga`s two small subunit genes. All of the effects of nitrogen-limitation are readily reversible: greening of cells is completed within 24 hours after provision of 10 mM ammonium. During this time, the plastid translational constraints are disengaged and progressive changes in the abundance of nuclear transcripts occur, including a transient 30-fold elevation of {und cab} mRNAs.
- Research Organization:
- Georgia Univ., Athens, GA (United States). Research Foundation
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG09-84ER13188
- OSTI ID:
- 10193770
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/13188-9; ON: DE95002797; TRN: 94:010301
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1994]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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