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Modulations of the thylakoid system in snow xanthophycean alga cultured in the dark for two months: comparison between microspectrofluorimetric responses and morphological aspects

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Summary.

The response of the plastid was studied, with a special emphasis on thylakoid structure and function, in a snow filamentous xanthophycean alga (Xanthonema sp.) incubated in darkness for two months. Microspectrofluorimetric analyses were performed on single living cells to study the variations in the assembly of the chlorophyll-protein complexes of photosystem II, in comparison with cells grown in light. In parallel, changes in micro- and submicroscopic plastid morphology and in photosynthetic pigment content were monitored. Throughout the experiment, the lamellar architecture of thylakoids in the alga was relatively well preserved, whereas photosystem II underwent disassembly and degradation triggered by prolonged darkness. Conversely, the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II proved to be relatively stable for long periods in darkness. Moreover, a role of the peripheral antennae in determining thylakoid arrangement in xanthophycean algae is implied. Although the responses observed in Xanthonema sp. can be considered in terms of acclimation to darkness, the progressive destabilisation of the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II testifies to incipient ageing of the cells after 35 days.

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Abbreviations

A :

absorbance

Chl:

chlorophyll

CP43–47 :

inner antennae of PSII

DMSO:

dimethyl sulphoxide

LHCII:

light harvesting complex of PSII

PSI:

photosystem I

PSII:

photosystem II

RCII:

reaction centre of PSII

TEM:

transmission electron microscopy

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Cytophysiology, Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, University of Ferrara, Ferrara

    C. Baldisserotto, L. Ferroni, M. P. Fasulo & S. Pancaldi

  2. Department of Biology, University Padua, Padua

    I. Moro

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  1. C. Baldisserotto
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  2. L. Ferroni
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  3. I. Moro
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  4. M. P. Fasulo
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  5. S. Pancaldi
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Correspondence to M. P. Fasulo.

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Correspondence and reprints: Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, University of Ferrara, Corso Ercole I d’Este 32, 44100 Ferrara, Italy.

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Baldisserotto, C., Ferroni, L., Moro, I. et al. Modulations of the thylakoid system in snow xanthophycean alga cultured in the dark for two months: comparison between microspectrofluorimetric responses and morphological aspects. Protoplasma 226, 125–135 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-005-0127-1

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