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BIOENERGETICS AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Ethylene Insensitivity Results in Down-Regulation of Rubisco Expression and Photosynthetic Capacity in Tobacco^1,[OA]

Plant Ecophysiology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, 3508–TB Utrecht, The Netherlands

Little is known about the effect of hormones on the photosynthetic process. Therefore, we studied Rubisco content and expression along with gas exchange parameters in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants that are not able to sense ethylene. We also tested for a possible interaction between ethylene insensitivity, abscisic acid (ABA), and sugar feedback on photosynthesis. We measured Rubisco content in seedlings grown in agar with or without added sugar and fluridone, and Rubisco expression in hydroponically grown vegetative plants grown at low and high CO₂. Furthermore, we analyzed gas exchange and the photosynthetic machinery of transformants and wild-type plants grown under standard conditions. In the presence of exogenous glucose (Glc), agar-grown seedlings of the ethylene-insensitive genotype had lower amounts of Rubisco per unit leaf area than the wild type. No differences in Rubisco content were found between ethylene-insensitive and wild-type seedlings treated with fluridone, suggesting that inhibition of ABA production nullified the effect of Glc application. When larger, vegetative plants were grown at different atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, a negative correlation was found between Glc concentration in the leaves and Rubisco gene expression, with stronger repression by high Glc concentrations in ethylene-insensitive plants. Ethylene insensitivity resulted in plants with comparable fractions of nitrogen invested in light harvesting, but lower amounts in electron transport and Rubisco. Consequently, photosynthetic capacity of the insensitive genotype was clearly lower compared with the wild type. We conclude that the inability to perceive ethylene results in increased sensitivity to Glc, which may be mediated by a higher ABA concentration. This increased sensitivity to endogenous Glc has negative consequences for Rubisco content and photosynthetic capacity of these plants.

² Present address: Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7–3–1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

The author responsible for distribution of materials integral to the findings presented in this article in accordance with the policy described in the Instructions for Authors (www.plantphysiol.org) is: Hendrik Poorter (h.poorter{at}uu.nl).

^[OA] Open Access articles can be viewed online without a subscription.

www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/doi/10.1104/pp.107.099762

^* Corresponding author; e-mail h.poorter{at}uu.nl; fax 31–30–251–8366.

Received March 19, 2007; accepted April 29, 2007; published May 25, 2007.

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