Overexpression of thioredoxin m in tobacco chloroplasts inhibits the protein kinase STN7 and alters photosynthetic performance

J Exp Bot. 2019 Feb 5;70(3):1005-1016. doi: 10.1093/jxb/ery415.

Abstract

The activity of the protein kinase STN7, involved in phosphorylation of the light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) proteins, has been reported as being co-operatively regulated by the redox state of the plastoquinone pool and the ferredoxin-thioredoxin (Trx) system. The present study aims to investigate the role of plastid Trxs in STN7 regulation and their impact on photosynthesis. For this purpose, tobacco plants overexpressing Trx f or m from the plastid genome were characterized, demonstrating that only Trx m overexpression was associated with a complete loss of LHCII phosphorylation that did not correlate with decreased STN7 levels. The absence of phosphorylation in Trx m-overexpressing plants impeded migration of LHCII from PSII to PSI, with the concomitant loss of PSI-LHCII complex formation. Consequently, the thylakoid ultrastructure was altered, showing reduced grana stacking. Moreover, the electron transport rate was negatively affected, showing an impact on energy-demanding processes such as the Rubisco maximum carboxylation capacity and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration rate values, which caused a strong depletion in net photosynthetic rates. Finally, tobacco plants overexpressing a Trx m mutant lacking the reactive redox site showed equivalent physiological performance to the wild type, indicating that the overexpressed Trx m deactivates STN7 in a redox-dependent way.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chloroplast Thioredoxins / genetics*
  • Chloroplast Thioredoxins / metabolism
  • Chloroplasts / enzymology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
  • Nicotiana / enzymology
  • Nicotiana / genetics*
  • Nicotiana / metabolism
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Photosynthesis / genetics*
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex / metabolism
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics*
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Chloroplast Thioredoxins
  • Photosystem II Protein Complex
  • Plant Proteins
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases