In the natural environment plants are confronted to a multitude of biotic and abiotic stress factors that must be perceived, transduced, integrated and signaled in order to achieve a successful acclimation that will secure survival and reproduction. Plants have to deal with excess excitation energy (EEE) when the amount of absorbed light energy is exceeding that needed for photosynthetic CO2 assimilation. EEE results in ROS formation and can be enhanced in low light intensities by changes in other environmental factors. The lesions simulating disease resistance (lsd1) mutant of Arabidopsis spontaneously initiates spreading lesions paralleled by ROS production in long day photoperiod and after application of salicylic acid (SA) and SA-analogues that trigger systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Moreover, the mutant fails to limit the boundaries of hypersensitive cell death (HR) after avirulent pathogen infection giving rise to the runaway cell death (rcd) phenotype. This ROS-dependent phenotype pointed towards a putative involvement of the ROS produced during photosynthesis in the initiation and spreading of the lesions. We report here that the rcd has a ROS-concentration dependent phenotype and that the light-triggered rcd is depending on the redox-state of the PQ pool in the chloroplast. Moreover, the lower stomatal conductance and catalase activity in the mutant suggested LSD1 was required for optimal gas exchange and ROS scavenging during EEE. Through this regulation, LSD1 can influence the effectiveness of photorespiration in dissipating EEE. Moreover, low and high SA levels are strictly correlated to lower and higher foliar H2O2 content, respectively. This implies an essential role of SA in regulating the redox homeostasis of the cell and suggests that SA could trigger rcd in lsd1 by inducing H2O2 production. LSD1 has been postulated to be a negative regulator of cell death acting as a ROS rheostat. Above a certain threshold, the pro-death pathway would operate leading to PCD. Our data suggest that LSD1 may be subjected to a turnover, enhanced in an oxidizing milieu and slowed down in a reducing environment that could reflect this ROS rheostat property. Finally, the two protein disulphide isomerase boxes (CGHC) present in the protein and the down regulation of the NADPH thioredoxin reductase (NTR) in the mutant connect the rcd to a putative impairment in the reduction of the cytosolic thioredoxin system. We propose that LSD1 suppresses the cell death processes through its control of the oxidation-reduction state of the TRX pool. An integrated model considers the role of LSD1 in both light acclimatory processes and in restricting pathogen-induced cell death.

<p>In the natural environment plants are confronted to a multitude of biotic and abiotic stress factors that must be perceived, transduced, integrated and signaled in order to achieve a successful acclimation that will secure survival and reproduction. Plants have to deal with excess excitation energy (EEE) when the amount of absorbed light energy is exceeding that needed for photosynthetic CO2 assimilation. EEE results in ROS formation and can be enhanced in low light intensities by changes in other environmental factors.</p><p>The lesions simulating disease resistance (lsd1) mutant of Arabidopsis spontaneously initiates spreading lesions paralleled by ROS production in long day photoperiod and after application of salicylic acid (SA) and SA-analogues that trigger systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Moreover, the mutant fails to limit the boundaries of hypersensitive cell death (HR) after avirulent pathogen infection giving rise to the runaway cell death (rcd) phenotype. This ROS-dependent phenotype pointed towards a putative involvement of the ROS produced during photosynthesis in the initiation and spreading of the lesions.</p><p>We report here that the rcd has a ROS-concentration dependent phenotype and that the light-triggered rcd is depending on the redox-state of the PQ pool in the chloroplast. Moreover, the lower stomatal conductance and catalase activity in the mutant suggested LSD1 was required for optimal gas exchange and ROS scavenging during EEE. Through this regulation, LSD1 can influence the effectiveness of photorespiration in dissipating EEE. Moreover, low and high SA levels are strictly correlated to lower and higher foliar H2O2 content, respectively. This implies an essential role of SA in regulating the redox homeostasis of the cell and suggests that SA could trigger rcd in lsd1 by inducing H2O2 production.</p><p>LSD1 has been postulated to be a negative regulator of cell death acting as a ROS rheostat. Above a certain threshold, the pro-death pathway would operate leading to PCD. Our data suggest that LSD1 may be subjected to a turnover, enhanced in an oxidizing milieu and slowed down in a reducing environment that could reflect this ROS rheostat property. Finally, the two protein disulphide isomerase boxes (CGHC) present in the protein and the down regulation of the NADPH thioredoxin reductase (NTR) in the mutant connect the rcd to a putative impairment in the reduction of the cytosolic thioredoxin system. We propose that LSD1 suppresses the cell death processes through its control of the oxidation-reduction state of the TRX pool. An integrated model considers the role of LSD1 in both light acclimatory processes and in restricting pathogen-induced cell death.</p>

The thesis focuses on regulation of the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and its coordination with synthesis of chlorophyll-binding proteins in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. One of the aims was to analyze correlation between syntheses of photosystems and chlorophyll in Synechocystis cells using radioactive labeling of proteins and chlorophyll by 35S and 14C, respectively. I also investigated the role of enzymes catalyzing protochlorophyllide reduction step in the chlorophyll biosynthesis by analyzing the synthesis and accumulation of photosynthetic proteins in Synechocystis mutants lacking one of the enzymes. Further, roles of Ycf54 and Psb27 proteins in stability and assembly of oxidative cyclase and CP43, respectively, are also described.

La régulation de la photosynthèse est cruciale pour les organismes photoautotrophes et est habituellement opérée par la modulation de l'absorption de la lumière ou par la réorientation des électrons vers des puits alternatifs afin de redistribuer l'énergie entre plusieurs voies métaboliques. Parmi les différents mécanismes décrits, le remodelage de l'appareil photosynthétique est crucial dans des conditions de carences nutritives ou de fluctuations de la lumière. Il est bien connu que l'oxyde nitrique (NO) joue un rôle de signalisation dans de nombreuses réponses au stress abiotique, agissant comme second messager et / ou modifiant les protéines cibles par des modifications post-traductionnelles redox. Sa participation a été récemment décrite au cours de la carence en azote chez Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Ce travail se concentre sur le remodelage de l'appareil photosynthétique lors de la carence en soufre et lors des fluctuations de lumineuses chez Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, avec un intérêt particulier pour la voie de signalisation impliquée dans ces réponses. Tout d'abord, nous avons caractérisé la carence en soufre en conditions d’hétérotrophie ou de photo-autotrophie. En faible lumière ou à l’obscurité, l'inactivation photosynthétique est obtenue grâce à la dégradation spécifique de la Rubisco et du cytochrome b6f et ne se produit qu'en présence de carbone réduit dans le milieu. Nous avons également montré une forte production de NO après le début de la carence, avec des sondes fluorescentes sensibles au NO visualisées par microscopie confocale. Nous fournissons des preuves pharmacologiques que la production de NO intracellulaire régit cette voie de dégradation. En outre, ici, nous fournissons des preuves claires de l’existence d’un circuit régulateur qui contrôle la traduction cytosolique du LHCII en réponse à des changements de quantité de lumière. Ce circuit nécessite la protéine de liaison à l'ARN cytosolique NAB1 pour réprimer la traduction de certains ARNm de LHCII. La nitrosylation spécifique de la Cys-226 diminue l'activité de NAB1 et a été démontrée in vitro et in vivo. La forme moins active et nitrosylée de NAB1 se trouve dans les cellules acclimatées à un apport de lumière limité, ce qui permet l'accumulation de protéines des antennes et la capture efficace de la lumière. En revanche, une intensité lumineuse plus élevée provoque la dénitrosylation de NAB1, activant ainsi la répression de la synthèse des protéines LHCII et diminuant ainsi la pression de la lumière au niveau du PSII. La dénitrosylation de NAB1 est efficacement réalisée par le système thiorédoxine cytosolique in vitro. À notre connaissance, NAB1 est le premier exemple de dénitrosylation induite par un stimulus dans le contexte de l'acclimatation photosynthétique. Dans l’ensemble, nos données suggèrent un rôle pivot pour la signalisation NO dans le contrôle des réponses au stress environnemental. / The regulation of photosynthesis is crucial for photoautotrophic organisms and is usually operated by the modulation of light absorption or by redirection of electrons towards alternative sinks, in order to redistribute energy among several metabolic pathways. Between different mechanisms described, the remodeling of the photosynthetic apparatus is crucial under conditions of nutrient starvation or light fluctuations. It is well known that nitric oxide (NO) plays a signaling role in many abiotic stress responses, acting as a second messenger and/or modifying target proteins through redox post translational modifications. Its involvement has been recently described during nitrogen starvation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This work focuses on the remodeling of the photosynthetic apparatus upon sulfur starvation and light fluctuations in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with particular interest for the signaling pathway involved in the responses. First we characterized sulfur starvation under heterotrophy and photo-autotrophy. Photosynthetic inactivation under low light and darkness is achieved through specific degradation of Rubisco and cytochrome b₆f and occurs only in the presence of reduced carbon in the medium. We have also shown a strong NO production after the onset of starvation, with NO-sensitive fluorescence probes visualized by confocal microscopy. We provide pharmacological evidence that intracellular NO production governs this degradation pathway using NO scavengers, NO synthesis inhibitors and NO donors. Furthermore, here, we provide clear evidence for a regulatory circuit that controls cytosolic LHCII translation in response to light quantity changes. This circuit requires the cytosolic RNA-binding protein NAB1 to repress translation of certain LHCII mRNAs. Specific nitrosylation of Cys-226 decreases NAB1 activity and could be demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. The less active, nitrosylated form of NAB1 is found in cells acclimated to limiting light supply, which permits accumulation of light harvesting proteins and efficient light capture. In contrast, elevated light supply causes NAB1 denitrosylation, thereby activating the repression of light-harvesting protein synthesis and decreasing the light pressure at the level of PSII. Denitrosylation of NAB1 is efficiently performed by the cytosolic thioredoxin system in vitro. To our knowledge, NAB1 is the first example of stimulus-induced denitrosylation in the context of photosynthetic acclimation. Taken together, our data suggest a pivotal role for NO-signaling in the control of environmental stress responses.