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Molecular Biology and Gene Regulation

Regulation of Light-Harvesting Chlorophyll Protein Biosynthesis in Greening Seedlings ¹

A Species Comparison

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7631, Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7631, Department of Botany, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7631

The biosynthesis of the chlorophyll a/b binding protein associated with photosystem II (LHC-II) was characterized during light-induced greening of etiolated barley (Hordeum vulgare [L.] cv Boone), maize (Zea mays [L.] Pioneer 3148), pea (Pisum sativum [L.] cv Progress 9), and soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv Ransom 2). Northern blot analysis revealed that pea LHC-II mRNA was present in dark-grown seedlings and accumulated rapidly within 1 hour following illumination with white light. In contrast, the accumulation of LHC-II mRNA was delayed in barley and soybean until 2 to 4 hours after illumination began. Single radial immunodiffusion analysis revealed that LHC-II polypeptides began to accumulate in all species between 4 and 8 hours although the protein was present in detectable levels at earlier times in certain species. In a pattern similar to the LHC-II protein accumulation, chlorophyll accumulated at increased rates between 4 and 8 hours of greening in all species following an initial delay. The absence of coordination between LHC-II mRNA and LHC-II protein accumulation that was clearly observed in pea suggested that transcription is not the factor that limits LHC-II complex formation during chloroplast development. The accumulation of chlorophyll and LHC-II protein appeared to coincide suggesting that chlorophyll biosynthesis may be a factor that limits LHC-II complex formation.

¹ Cooperative investigations of the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695-7601. Paper No. 10763 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695-7601. Support for J.N.M. was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Research Associate Program.