Journal Article

Hydrogen sulphide enhances photosynthesis through promoting chloroplast biogenesis, photosynthetic enzyme expression, and thiol redox modification in Spinacia oleracea seedlings

Wu, Fei-Hua, Lin, Guang-Hui, Dong, Xue-Jun, Zheng, Hai-Lei, Zheng, Chen-Juan, Pie, Zhen-Ming, Wang, Wen-Hua, He, Jun-Xian, Chen, Juan

2011

Overview

Hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) is emerging as a potential messenger molecule involved in modulation of physiological processes in animals and plants. In this report, the role of H 2 S in modulating photosynthesis of Spinacia oleracea seedlings was investigated. The main results are as follows. (i) NaHS, a donor of H 2 S, was found to increase the chlorophyll content in leaves. (ii) Seedlings treated with different concentrations of NaHS for 30 d exhibited a significant increase in seedling growth, soluble protein content, and photosynthesis in a dose-dependent manner, with 100 μM NaHS being the optimal concentration. (iii) The number of grana lamellae stacking into the functional chloroplasts was also markedly increased by treatment with the optimal NaHS concentration. (iv) The light saturation point (Lsp), maximum net photosynthetic rate (Pmax), carboxylation efficiency (CE), and maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F v /F m ) reached their maximal values, whereas the light compensation point (Lcp) and dark respiration (Rd) decreased significantly under the optimal NaHS concentration. (v) The activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBISCO) and the protein expression of the RuBISCO large subunit (RuBISCO LSU) were also significantly enhanced by NaHS. (vi) The total thiol content, glutathione and cysteine levels, internal concentration of H 2 S, and O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase and L-cysteine desulphydrase activities were increased to some extent, suggesting that NaHS also induced the activity of thiol redox modification. (vii) Further studies using quantitative real-time PCR showed that the gene encoding the RuBISCO large subunit (RBCL), small subunit (RBCS), ferredoxin thioredoxin reductase (FTR), ferredoxin (FRX), thioredoxin m (TRX-m), thioredoxin f (TRX-f), NADP-malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH), and O-acetylserine(thiol)lyase (OAS) were up-regulated, but genes encoding serine acetyltransferase (SERAT), glycolate oxidase (GYX), and cytochrome oxidase (CCO) were down-regulated after exposure to the optimal concentration of H2S. These findings suggest that increases in RuBISCO activity and the function of thiol redox modification may underline the amelioration of photosynthesis and that H 2 S plays an important role in plant photosynthesis regulation by modulating the expression of genes involved in photosynthesis and thiol redox modification.

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Subject: (S)-2-hydroxy-acid oxidase / Alcohol Oxidoreductases / Alcohol Oxidoreductases - genetics / Alcohol Oxidoreductases - metabolism / animals / Biological and medical sciences / carboxylation / chlorophyll / Chlorophyll - metabolism / Chlorophylls / Chloroplasts / Chloroplasts - drug effects / Chloroplasts - metabolism / Chloroplasts - ultrastructure / cytochrome-c oxidase / drug effects / Electron Transport Complex IV / Electron Transport Complex IV - genetics / Electron Transport Complex IV - metabolism / enzymology / Fluorescence / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Gene expression / gene expression regulation / Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - drug effects / genes / genetics / Hydrogen / hydrogen sulfide / Hydrogen Sulfide - pharmacology / Iron-Sulfur Proteins / Iron-Sulfur Proteins - metabolism / leaves / malate dehydrogenase (NADP) / metabolism / Oxidases / Oxidation-Reduction / Oxidation-Reduction - drug effects / Oxidoreductases / Oxidoreductases - metabolism / pharmacology / Photosynthesis / Photosynthesis - drug effects / Photosynthesis - genetics / photosystem II / Plant Leaves / Plant Leaves - drug effects / Plant Leaves - metabolism / Plant Leaves - ultrastructure / Plant physiology and development / Plants / polymerase chain reaction / protein content / Protein Subunits / Protein Subunits - genetics / Protein Subunits - metabolism / protein synthesis / RESEARCH PAPER / Research Papers / ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase / Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - genetics / Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - metabolism / seedling growth / Seedlings / Seedlings - drug effects / Seedlings - enzymology / Seedlings - genetics / Seedlings - ultrastructure / serine O-acetyltransferase / Spinacia oleracea / Spinacia oleracea - drug effects / Spinacia oleracea - enzymology / Spinacia oleracea - genetics / Sulfhydryl Compounds / Sulfhydryl Compounds - metabolism / Sulfur / Sulfur - metabolism / Thiols / Thioredoxin / ultrastructure