Transformation of plastids in soil-shaded lowermost hypocotyl segments of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) during a 60-day cultivation period.

The maintenance but substantial transformation of plastids was found in lowermost hypocotyl segments of soil-grown bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Magnum) during a 60-day cultivation period. Although the plants were grown under natural light-dark cycles, this hypocotyl segment was under full coverage of the soil in 5-7 cm depth, thus it was never exposed to light. The 4-day-old plants were fully etiolated: amyloplasts, occasionally prolamellar bodies, protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) and protochlorophyll (Pchl) were found in the hypocotyls of these young seedlings. The 633 and 654 nm bands in the 77 K fluorescence emission spectra indicated the presence of Pchlide and Pchl pigments. During aging, both the Pchlide and Pchl contents increased, however, the Pchl to Pchlide ratio gradually increased. In parallel, the contribution of the 654 nm form decreased and in the spectra of the 60-day-old samples, the main band shifted to 631 nm, and a new form appeared with an emission maximum at 641 nm. The photoactivity had been lost; bleaching took place at continuous illumination. The inner membranes of the plastids disappeared, the amount of starch storing amyloplasts decreased. These data may indicate the general importance of plastids for plant cell metabolism, which can be the reason for their maintenance. Also the general heterogeneity of plastid forms can be concluded: in tissues not exposed to light, Pchl accumulating plastids develop and are maintained even for a long period.

Light piping driven photosynthesis in the soil: Low-light adapted active photosynthetic apparatus in the under-soil hypocotyl segments of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Photosynthetic activity was identified in the under-soil hypocotyl part of 14-day-old soil-grown bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Magnum) cultivated in pots under natural light-dark cycles. Electron microscopic, proteomic and fluorescence kinetic and imaging methods were used to study the photosynthetic apparatus and its activity. Under-soil shoots at 0-2cm soil depth featured chloroplasts with low grana and starch grains and with pigment-protein compositions similar to those of the above-soil green shoot parts. However, the relative amounts of photosystem II (PSII) supercomplexes were higher; in addition a PIP-type aquaporin protein was identified in the under-soil thylakoids. Chlorophyll-a fluorescence induction measurements showed that the above- and under-soil hypocotyl segments had similar photochemical yields at low (10-55µmolphotonsm(-2)s(-1)) light intensities. However, at higher photon flux densities the electron transport rate decreased in the under-soil shoot parts due to inactivation of the PSII reaction centers. These properties show the development of a low-light adapted photosynthetic apparatus driven by light piping of the above-soil shoot. The results of this paper demonstrate that the classic model assigning source and sink functions to above- and under-soil tissues is to be refined, and a low-light adapted photosynthetic apparatus in under-soil bean hypocotyls is capable of contributing to its own carbon supply.

Light piping activates chlorophyll biosynthesis in the under-soil hypocotyl section of bean seedlings.

Protochlorophyllide (Pchlide), protochlorophyll (Pchl) and chlorophyll (Chl) contents, their distribution and native arrangements were studied in under-soil hypocotyl segments of 4-, 7- and 14-day-old bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Magnum) seedlings. The plants were grown in general potting soil under natural illumination conditions in pots. For sample collection, the pots were transferred into dark-room where all manipulations were done under dim green light. The pigments were extracted with acetone; phase separation was used to identify the Pchl contents. Fluorescence microscopic studies were done and 77K fluorescence emission spectra were recorded. Using a special setup of a spectrofluorometer, the vertical light piping properties of the above-soil shoots were measured. The segments in the 5-7 cm deep soil region contained Pchlide and Pchl in 4- and 7-day-old seedlings and the segments towards the soil surface contained Chl in increasing amounts. In parallel with the pith degradation of hypocotyls, the Chl content of elder seedlings increased in the deeper under-soil segments. These results prove that the tissue structure of the shoot ensures light piping thus greening process and chloroplast formation can take place even in under-soil organs not directly exposed to light.