Systems biology of plant chloroplast redox compounds
Contact information
Eevi Rintamäki, Professor
email: eevi.rintamaki [at] utu.fi
Tel. : +358 2 3335568
Members
Eevi Rintamäki, Professor, Project Leader
Jouni Toivola, Ph.D., Post-doc
Anna Lepistö, Ph.D., Post-doc
Lauri Nikkanen, Research assistant
Background
The photosynthetic thylakoid membrane of autotrophic organisms is a fascinating biological system with photochemical reactions capturing light energy and generating reductants and ATP for carbon dioxide fixation. These reactions are the basis of using light energy to support life on Earth. Besides this basic task, the chloroplast redox reactions also participate in signaling processes adjusting the expression of both chloroplast and nuclear genes. Environmental variables modify chloroplast performance by activating or initiating the formation of a specific set of chloroplast redox components. The distinct redox compounds in chloroplast are also involved in the regulation of gene expression by initiating signal transduction between chloroplast and nucleus, thereby initiating developmental, protective and adaptive processes in plants.
Research
Our project investigates novel chloroplast redox networks with specific focus on the plastidial members of thioredoxin superfamily, protein kinases and phosphatases and reactive oxygen species. We address to molecular dissection of the function of these redox components in plant development and stress responses, using molecular tools provided for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The novel members and target processes of these networks are identified by investigating the mutant lines deficient in distinct components of plastidial thiol-redox and antioxidant systems. Genome-wide transcript profiling, proteomic and metabolomic analyses, yeast two-hybrid system and other transgenic approaches are applied to identify the network components. [ more... ]
Significance
An understanding the mechanisms of the photosynthetic processes and the interconnections of photosynthesis to plant other processes are of fundamental importance in basic energy research and its application for bioenergy production. Another line of research and development, harnessing of chloroplasts for production of biopharmaceuticals without hampering plant basic metabolism, presumes comprehensive dissection of redox networks in plants.
Publications
Lepistö, A. & Rintamäki, E. 2012: Coordination of plastid and light signaling pathways upon development of Arabidopsis leaves under various photoperiods. - Mol Plant (in press). Free article
Rintamäki, E., Lepistö, A., and Kangasjärvi S. 2009: Implication of chlorophyll biosynthesis on chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde signaling. Plant Signaling & Behavior 4: 545-547
Lepistö A., Kangasjärvi S., Luomala EM., Brader G., Sipari N., Keränen. M., Keinänen M. & Rintamäki E. 2009: Chloroplast NADPH thioredoxin reductase interacts with photoperiodic development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiology. 149:1261-1276
Lintala, M., Allahverdiyeva, Y., Kangasjärvi, S., Lehtimäki, N., Keränen, M., Rintamäki, E., Aro, EM & Mulo, P. 2009: Comparative analysis of leaf-type ferredoxin-NADP+-oxidoreductase isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant J. 57:1103-1115.
Kangasjärvi S, Lepistö A, Hännikäinen K, Piippo M, Luomala, EM, Aro EM & Rintamäki E (2008): Diverse roles for chloroplast stromal and thylakoid-bound ascorbate peroxidases in plant stress responses. Biochem. J. 412: 275-285.
Rintamäki E., Lepistö A., Kangasjärvi S., Ruokamo R., Sipari N. & Keinänen M. 2008: Chloroplast NADPHthioredoxin reductase A novel modulator of plastidial amino acid and hormone metabolism. In: Photosynthesis. Energy from the Sun. 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis Research, Glasgow 22-27 July 2007. Allen, J.F., Gantt, E., Golbeck, J.H., Osmond, B. (eds.). Springer, Heidelberg, ISBN: 978-1-4020-6707-5, pp. 977-980.
Lepistö A, Kangasjärvi S, Luomala EM, Hännikäinen K, Brader G, & Rintamäki E. 2008: Chloroplastic NADPH thioredoxin reductase mediates photoperiod-dependent development of leaves in Arabidopsis. In: Photosynthesis. Energy from the Sun. 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis Research, Glasgow 22-27 July 2007. Allen, J.F., Gantt, E., Golbeck, J.H., Osmond, B. (eds.). Springer, Heidelberg, ISBN: 978-1-4020-6707-5, pp. 1303-1306.
Lintala M, Allahverdiyeva Y, Kidron H, Piippo M, Battchikova N, Suorsa M, Rintamäki E, Salminen TA, Aro E-M, Mulo P 2007: Structural and functional characterization of ferredoxin-NADP+-oxidoreductase using knock-out mutants of Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal 49:1041-1052.
Breitholtz H.-L., Srivastava, R., Tyystjärvi, E. & Rintamäki, E. 2005: LHCII protein phosphorylation in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants deficient in non-photochemical quenching. - Photosynth. Res., 84: 217-223.
Aro, E.-M, Suorsa, M., Rokka, A., Allahverdiyeva, Y., Paakkarinen, V., Saleem, A., Battchikova, N. & Rintamäki E. 2005: Dynamics of photosystem II: a proteomic approach to thylakoid protein complexes. - J. Exp. Bot. 56:347-356.
Rintamäki, E. 2004: Plant response to stress: Modification of the photosynthetic apparatus. In: Goodman R.M. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Plant and Crop Science. Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York. pp. 990-994.
Pursiheimo, S., Martinsuo P., Rintamäki, E. & Aro, E.-M. 2003: Photosystem II protein phosphorylation follows four distinctly different regulatory patterns induced by environmental cues. - Plant Cell Environm., 26: 1995-2003.
Martinsuo, P., Pursiheimo, S., Aro, E.-M. and Rintamäki, E. 2003: Dithiol oxidant and disulfide reductant dynamically regulate the phosphorylation of light harvesting complex II proteins in thylakoid membranes. - Plant Physiol. 133: 37-46
Hou, C-.X, Rintamäki, E. and Aro, E.-M. 2003: Ascorbate-mediated LHCII protein phosphorylation - LHCII kinase regulation in light and in darkness. Biochemistry 42: 5828-5836.
Hou, C-.X , Pursiheimo, S.,. Rintamäki, E. and Aro, E.-M. 2002: Environmental and metabolic control of LHCII protein phosphorylation: Revealing the mechanisms for dual regulation of the LHCII kinase. - Plant Cell Environm. 25: 1515-1525
Mamedov F, Rintamäki E, Aro EM, Andersson B and Styring S 2002: Influence of protein phosphorylation on the electron-transport properties of Photosystem II. Photosynt. Res. 74: 61-72.
Pursiheimo, S., Mulo, P., Rintamäki, E. & Aro, E.-M. 2001: Coregulation of light-harvesting complex II phosphorylation and lhcb mRNA accumulation in winter rye. - Plant J. 26: 317-327.
Rintamäki, E. & Aro, E.-M. 2001: Phosphorylation of Photosystem II proteins. In: Aro M,Andersson B (eds.) Regulation of Photosynthesis. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration 11, 395-418.
Rintamäki, E., Martinsuo, P., Pursiheimo, S. & Aro, E.-M. 2000: Cooperative regulation of light-harvesting complex II phosphorylation via plastoquinol and ferredoxin-thioredoxin system in chloroplast. - Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 97: 11644-11649.
Carlberg I., Rintamäki E., Aro E.-M. and Andersson, B. 1999: Thylakoid protein phosphorylation and the thiol redox state. - Biochemistry 38:3197-3204.
Salonen, M., Aro, E.-M. & Rintamäki, E. 1998: Reversible phosphorylation and turnover of the D1 protein under various redox states of Photosystem II induced by low temperature photoinhibition. - Photosynthesis Research 58: 143-151
Pursiheimo S., Rintamäki E., Baena-Gonzalez, E. and Aro, E.-M. 1998: Thylakoid protein phosphorylation in evolutionally divergent species with oxygenic photosynthesis. FEBS Lett. 423:178-182.
Kettunen, R., Pursiheimo S., Rintamäki, E., Wijk, K.-J. & Aro, E.-M. 1997:Transcriptional and translational adjustment of psbA gene expression in mature chloroplasts during photoinhibition and subsequent repair of photosystem II. - Eur. J. Biochem. 247:441-448.
Hagman, Å., Shi, L.-X., Rintamäki, E., Andersson, B. & Schröder, W.P. 1997: The nuclear-encoded PsbW protein subunit of photosystem II undergoes light-induced proteolysis. - Biochemistry 36:12666-12671.
Rintamäki, E., Salonen, M., Suoranta, U.-M., Carlberg, I., Andersson, B., & Aro, E.-M. 1997: Phosphorylation of light-harvesting complex II and Photosystem II core proteins shows different irradiance-dependent regulation in vivo. Application of phosphothreonine antibodies to analysis of thylakoid phosphoproteins. - J. Biol. Chem. 272:30476-30482.
Rintamäki, E., Kettunen, R. and Aro, E.-M. 1996. Differential D1 dephosphorylation in functional and photodamaged Photosystem II centres. Dephosphorylation is a prerequisite for degradation of damaged D1*. - J. Biol. Chem., 271:14870-14875.
Rintamäki, E., Salo, R. Lehtonen, E. & Aro, E.-M. 1995: Regulation of D1 protein degradation during photoinhibition in vivo: Phosphorylation of the D1 protein in various plant groups. - Planta 195:379-386.
Rintamäki, E., Kettunen, R., Tyystjärvi, E. and Aro, E.-M. 1995. Light-dependent phosphorylation of D1 reaction centre protein of Photosystem II: hypothesis for the functional role in vivo. - Physiologia Plantarum 93:191-195.