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Effect of polyamines on stabilization of molecular complexes in thylakoid membranes of osmotically stressed oat leaves

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Abstract

Monocotyledonous leaves subjected to osmotica used for protoplast isolation accumulate a massive amount of putrescine (Put), lose chlorophyll and senesce rapidly. Treatment with spermidine (Spd) or spermine (Spm) prevents the loss of chlorophyll, indicating preservation of the thylakoid membranes at the site of the chlorophyll-protein complexes. Using several recently produced antibody probes, the effects on the stabilization of thylakoid membranes of applying either difluoromethylarginine (DFMA), a specific inhibitor of putrescine synthesis via arginine decarboxylase, or the polyamines Spd, Spm, or diaminopropane (Dap) to osmotically shocked oat leaves (Avena sativa L.) have been investigated. High protein levels were maintained in thylakoid membranes of leaf tissue incubated in the dark in the presence of 0.6 M sorbitol when pretreated with DFMA. After 48 h incubation, the level of the thylakoid protein D1, at the core of photosystem II, was higher in the DFMA-pretreated leaves as was the stromal protein ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco; as indicated by the level of large subunits). Applications of Spd, Spm or Dap were effective in retarding the loss of D1, D2 and cytochrome f from the thylakoid membranes as well as Rubisco large subunits and chlorophyll from the leaf tissue. The effects of polyamine applications may be mediated through Dap since most of the added Spd or Spm was converted to Dap within 6 h. The possible mechanisms of action of polyamine applications and DFMA-pretreatment on stabilizing the composition of the thylakoid membrane are also discussed.

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Abbreviations

Cyt:

cytochrome

Dap:

diaminopropane

DFMA:

DL-α-difluoromethylarginine

LSU:

large subunit (of Rubisco)

Put:

putrescine

Rubisco:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase

Spd:

spermidine

Spm:

spermine

SDS-PAGE:

sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Horticulture Research International, BN17 6LP, Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK

    R. T. Besford & C. M. Richardson

  2. Fisiologia Vegetal, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universität de Barcelona, Spain

    J. L. Campos & A. F. Tiburcio

Authors
  1. R. T. Besford
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  2. C. M. Richardson
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  3. J. L. Campos
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  4. A. F. Tiburcio
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Additional information

This research was supported by the Agricultural and Food Research Council and by the British-Spanish joint research programme Acción Integrade HB-079 (R.T.B. and A.F.T.), British Council SPN/BAR/991 (R.T.B.) and Comision Interministerial de Cienica y Tecnologia 90-130 (A.F.T.). We thank Merrell Dow Research Center (Cincinnati, Ohio) for the gift of DFMA and Teresa Capell and Xavier Figueras (Univ. Barcelona) for help and suggestions.

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Besford, R.T., Richardson, C.M., Campos, J.L. et al. Effect of polyamines on stabilization of molecular complexes in thylakoid membranes of osmotically stressed oat leaves. Planta 189, 201–206 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195077

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