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Mitochondrial uncoupling protein silence is compromised in photosynthesis and redox poise

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Abstract

Mitochondrial uncoupling proteins play important roles in generation of metabolic thermogenesis, response to stress situations, and regulation of energy metabolism. We demonstrated here that the absence of LeUCP in tomato inhibited photosynthesis using virus-induced gene-silencing approach. A significant decrease in the rate of CO2 assimilation in LeUCP-silencing plants was observed over a range of different light intensities. Absence of LeUCP resulted in lower net photosynthetic rate, light-saturated rate of the CO2 assimilation (A sat), maximum carboxylation rates (V cmax) and maximum RuBP regeneration rate (J max). Activities of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase Rubisco and stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and genes expression levels encoded Calvin cycle enzymes of LeUCP gene-silencing plants were inhibited. However, silencing of LeUCP gene had no effect on F v/F m, but decreased photochemical quenching and electron transport rate. Meanwhile, non-photochemical quenching and Je (PSII), the distribution of Je (PCR) and Je (PCO), the content of AsA, NAD, and the ratios of NAD+/NADH, AsA/DHA were significantly reduced with increased reactive oxygen species while GSH and GSSG were unaltered. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that LeUCP gene in tomato leaves is crucial in maintaining the redox poise of the mitochondrial electron transport chain to facilitate photosynthetic metabolism.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31071790, 31101536), Science Development Plan Project of Shandong Province (2012GNC011111), Outstanding Young Teacher Project in Henan Province (2011GGJS-075), National Basic Research Program of China (2009CB119000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (31071790; 31101536) and the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2011BAD12B03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Forestry, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471003, People’s Republic of China

    Shuangchen Chen, Wenjuan Jin, Ai-rong Liu & Xiaomin Lin

  2. Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Zijingang Campus, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Shuangchen Chen, Zimei Liu & Xiaojian Xia

  3. Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plants Growth, Development and Quality Improvement, Agricultural Ministry of China, Yuhangtang Road 866, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Dilin Liu

  4. Rice Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Xiaojian Xia

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  1. Shuangchen Chen
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Correspondence to Shuangchen Chen.

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Communicated by Z. Gombos.

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Chen, S., Jin, W., Liu, Ar. et al. Mitochondrial uncoupling protein silence is compromised in photosynthesis and redox poise. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 2547–2558 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-013-1290-1

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