The mitochondrial alternative oxidase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii enables survival in high light.

ABSTRACT: Photosynthetic organisms often experience extreme light conditions that can cause hyper-reduction of the chloroplast electron transport chain, resulting in oxidative damage. Accumulating evidence suggests that mitochondrial respiration and chloroplast photosynthesis are coupled when cells are absorbing high levels of excitation energy. This coupling helps protect the cells from hyper-reduction of photosynthetic electron carriers and diminishes the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To examine this cooperative protection, here we characterized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants lacking the mitochondrial alternative terminal respiratory oxidases, CrAOX1 and CrAOX2. Using fluorescent fusion proteins, we experimentally demonstrated that both enzymes localize to mitochondria. We

SUBMITTER: Kaye Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6349123 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature