Imperial College London
Alternate

Professor Bill Rutherford FRS

Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Life Sciences

Chair in Biochemistry of Solar Energy
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 5329a.rutherford Website

 
 
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Location

 

702Sir Ernst Chain BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Davis:2017:10.1098/rstb.2016.0381,
author = {Davis, GA and Rutherford, AW and Kramer, DM},
doi = {10.1098/rstb.2016.0381},
journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences},
title = {Hacking the thylakoid proton motive force for improved photosynthesis: modulating ion flux rates that control proton motive force partitioning into Delta psi and Delta pH},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0381},
volume = {372},
year = {2017}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - There is considerable interest in improving plant productivity by altering the dynamic responses of photosynthesis in tune with natural conditions. This is exemplified by the ‘energy-dependent' form of non-photochemical quenching (qE), the formation and decay of which can be considerably slower than natural light fluctuations, limiting photochemical yield. In addition, we recently reported that rapidly fluctuating light can produce field recombination-induced photodamage (FRIP), where large spikes in electric field across the thylakoid membrane (Δψ) induce photosystem II recombination reactions that produce damaging singlet oxygen (1O2). Both qE and FRIP are directly linked to the thylakoid proton motive force (pmf), and in particular, the slow kinetics of partitioning pmf into its ΔpH and Δψ components. Using a series of computational simulations, we explored the possibility of ‘hacking' pmf partitioning as a target for improving photosynthesis. Under a range of illumination conditions, increasing the rate of counter-ion fluxes across the thylakoid membrane should lead to more rapid dissipation of Δψ and formation of ΔpH. This would result in increased rates for the formation and decay of qE while resulting in a more rapid decline in the amplitudes of Δψ-spikes and decreasing 1O2 production. These results suggest that ion fluxes may be a viable target for plant breeding or engineering. However, these changes also induce transient, but substantial mismatches in the ATP : NADPH output ratio as well as in the osmotic balance between the lumen and stroma, either of which may explain why evolution has not already accelerated thylakoid ion fluxes. Overall, though the model is simplified, it recapitulates many of the responses seen in vivo, while spotlighting critical aspects of the complex interactions between pmf components and photosynthetic processes. By making the programme available, we hope to enable t
AU  - Davis,GA
AU  - Rutherford,AW
AU  - Kramer,DM
DO  - 10.1098/rstb.2016.0381
PY  - 2017///
SN  - 0962-8436
TI  - Hacking the thylakoid proton motive force for improved photosynthesis: modulating ion flux rates that control proton motive force partitioning into Delta psi and Delta pH
T2  - Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0381
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/52119
VL  - 372
ER  -
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