Functions of the water soluble chlorophyll-binding protein in plants
2011
Damaraju, Sridevi | Schlede, Stephanie | Eckhardt, Ulrich | Lokstein, Heiko | Grimm, Bernhard
Functional aspects of water soluble chlorophyll-binding protein (WSCP) in plants were investigated during the courses of leaf senescence, chlorophyll biogenesis, stress response and photoprotection. The cDNA sequence encoding WSCP from cauliflower was cloned into a binary vector to facilitate Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of Nicotiana tabacum. The resultant transgenic tobacco plants overexpressed the CauWSCP gene under the control of a 35S-promoter. Analyses of protein and pigment contents indicate that WSCP overexpression does not enhance chlorophyll catabolism in vivo, thus rendering a role of WSCP in Chl degradation unlikely. Accumulation of higher levels of protochlorophyllide in WSCP overexpressor plants corroborates a proposed temporary storage and carrier function of WSCP for chlorophyll and late precursors. Although WSCP overexpressor plants did not show significant differences in non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, they are characterized by significantly lower zeaxanthin accumulation and peroxidase activity at different light intensities, even at high light intensities of 700–900μmol photons m⁻²s⁻¹. These results suggest a photoprotective function of the functional chlorophyll binding-WSCP tetramer by shielding of chlorophylls from molecular oxygen.
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