Palisade cell shape affects the light-induced chloroplast movements and leaf photosynthesis

Gotoh, E., Suetsugu, N., Higa, T., Matsushita, T., Tsukaya, H. and Wada, M. (2018) Palisade cell shape affects the light-induced chloroplast movements and leaf photosynthesis. Scientific Reports, 8, 1472. (doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-19896-9) (PMID:29367686) (PMCID:PMC5784166)

Abstract

Leaf photosynthesis is regulated by multiple factors that help the plant to adapt to fluctuating light conditions. Leaves of sun-light-grown plants are thicker and contain more columnar palisade cells than those of shade-grown plants. Light-induced chloroplast movements are also essential for efficient leaf photosynthesis and facilitate efficient light utilization in leaf cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that leaves of most of the sun-grown plants exhibited no or very weak chloroplast movements and could accomplish efficient photosynthesis under strong light. To examine the relationship between palisade cell shape, chloroplast movement and distribution, and leaf photosynthesis, we used an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant, angustifolia (an), which has thick leaves that contain columnar palisade cells similar to those in the sun-grown plants. In the highly columnar cells of an mutant leaves, chloroplast movements were restricted. Nevertheless, under white light condition (at 120 µmol m-2 s-1), the an mutant plants showed higher chlorophyll content per unit leaf area and, thus, higher light absorption by the leaves than the wild type, which resulted in enhanced photosynthesis per unit leaf area. Our findings indicate that coordinated regulation of leaf cell shape and chloroplast movement according to the light conditions is pivotal for efficient leaf photosynthesis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Tis work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP15K18713 (to E.G.), JP26840097 and JP15KK0254 (to N.S.), JP20227001, JP23120523, JP25120721, and JP25251033 (to M.W.); and Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow Number 17J06717 (to T.H.); and the Research Grant for Young Investigators of Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University (to E.G.); and the Japan Prize Foundation award (to E.G.).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Suetsugu, Dr Noriyuki
• Authors: Gotoh, E., Suetsugu, N., Higa, T., Matsushita, T., Tsukaya, H., and Wada, M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Molecular Biosciences
• Journal Name: Scientific Reports
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• ISSN (Online): 2045-2322
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Scientific Reports 8: 1472
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License