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Anomalous electron transport activity in a Photosystem I-deficient maize mutant

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Abstract

Photosynthesis mutations were induced in maize lines bearing the transposable DNA element system, Mutator. Two Photosystem I mutants (hcf101 and hcf104) which were isolated are described here. Maize plants homozygous for the hcf104 mutation are seedling lethal and exhibit a high in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence yield. They lack ∼60% of CP1, P700 and PSI-specific electron transport activity relative to normal sibling plants. The comparable depletion of these three measures of PS I content conforms to the pattern reported for many other PS I-deficient mutants. Maize plants homozygous for hcf101 are seedling lethal and also exhibit high in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence yield. They lack 80–90% of CP1 and P700 but sustain steady state levels of PS I-specific electron transport activity at 70% of normal. Previous reports of similar apparent PS I hyperactivity are discussed and an explanation for the elevated steady state level of PS I electron transport activity in hcf101 is proposed.

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Abbreviations

CP1:

chlorophyll-protein complex 1

hcf :

high chlorophyll fluorescent

LHCI:

Light harvesting chlorophyll-protein complex I

PAGE:

polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

P700:

reaction center pigment of PS I

PQ:

plastoquinone

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 65211, Columbia, MO, USA

    William B. Cook & Donald Miles

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  1. William B. Cook
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  2. Donald Miles
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Cook, W.B., Miles, D. Anomalous electron transport activity in a Photosystem I-deficient maize mutant. Photosynth Res 24, 81–88 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032647

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00032647

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