Abstract
Trichodesmium uses an unidentified mechanism to protect nitrogenase from oxygen inactivation. This paper considers the role of various oxygen consuming reactions, including photorespiration, “dark” respiration (cytochrome aa3 activity), and Mehler reaction, in lowering net oxygen evolution during photosynthesis. Considering our basic understanding of these reactions in cyanobacteria, Mehler reaction activity was hypothesized to play a significant role because of its potential for supplying ATP through pseudocyclic photophosphorylation and reducing oxygen during photosynthesis. Light-dependent oxygen uptake and evolution rates were measured on field-collected samples of Trichodesmium thiebautii using membrane inlet mass spectrometry. Oxygen evolution followed a typical saturation response as a function of short-term exposure to different light intensities. Oxygen consumption in the dark and the light was unusually high for a cyanobacterium. The dark respiration rate was approximately 30% of the maximum gross oxygen evolution rate. Oxygen uptake was also light dependent, increasing in proportion to light intensity from 50 to 400 μE m−2 s−1, then remaining constant up to 1700 μE m−2 s−1. The high respiration rate resulted in a light compensation point of 280 μE m−2 s−1. Application of the photosynthetic electron transport inhibitor, DCMU, caused a rapid inhibition of both oxygen evolution and the light-dependent portion of the oxygen consumption flux, indicating that the light-dependent respiration was due to Mehler reaction activity. Oxygen reduction by Mehler reaction, as opposed to NADP+ reduction, accounted for approximately 55% of the electron flow through the light reactions. These high oxygen cycling rates may explain the occasional observations of depleted oxygen zones within Trichodesmium colonies and may contribute to the oxygen protection of nitrogenase.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Kana, T.M. (1992). Oxygen Cycling in Cyanobacteria, with Specific Reference to Oxygen Protection in Trichodesmium spp.. In: Carpenter, E.J., Capone, D.G., Rueter, J.G. (eds) Marine Pelagic Cyanobacteria: Trichodesmium and other Diazotrophs. NATO ASI Series, vol 362. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7977-3_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-7977-3_3
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