THE EFFECTS OF CHILLING IN THE LIGHT ON RIBULOSE-1,5-BISPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE OXYGENASE ACTIVATION IN TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON-ESCULENTUM MILL)

Photosynthesis rate, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activation state, and ribulose bisphosphate concentration were reduced after exposing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants to light at 4 degrees C for 6 h. Analysis of lysed and reconstituted chloroplasts showed that activity of the thylakoid membrane was inhibited and that Rubisco, Rubisco activase, and other soluble factors were not affected. Leaf photosynthesis rates and the ability of chilled thylakoid membranes to promote Rubisco activation recovered after 24 h at 25 degrees C. Thylakoid membranes from control tomato plants were as effective as spinach thylakoids in activating spinach Rubisco in the presence of spinach Rubisco activase. This observation is in sharp contrast to the poor ability of spinach Rubisco activase to activate tomato Rubisco (Z.-Y. Wang, G.W. Snyder, B.D. Esau, A.R. Portis, and W.L. Ogren [1992] Plant Physiol 100: 1858-1862). The ability of thylakoids from chilled tomato plants to activate Rubisco in the assay system was greatly inhibited compared to control plants. These experiments indicate that chilling tomato plants at 4 degrees C interferes with photosynthetic carbon metabolism at two sites, thioredoxin/ferredoxin reduction (G.F. Sassenrath, D.R. Ort, and A.R. Portis, jr. [1990] Arch Biochem Biophys 282: 302-308), which limits bisphosphatase activity, and Rubisco activase, which reduces Rubisco activation state.