Control of plant growth and water loss by a lack of light-harvesting complexes in photosystem II in Arabidopsis thaliana ch1-1 mutant

• Main Authors: Md. Sarwar, Jahan, Mohammad Moneruzzaman, Khandaker, Mohd Nozulaidi, Nordin
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QH301 Biology
• Online Access: http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/5093/1/FH02-FBIM-14-02269.jpg; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/5093/2/FH02-FBIM-14-02270.jpg; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/5093/3/FH02-FPBSM-14-00745.jpg; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/5093/
• Institution: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

The chlorinal-1(ch1-1) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana lacks the light-harvesting complexes in photo-system II (LHCII) due to deficiency of ability to synthesize chlorophyll (Chl) b. To investigate if a lack of LHCII affects plant growth and water loss, the Chl content, Chl fluorescence, glutathione (GSH) content, plant growth, water loss and stomatal aperture were measured using wild-type (WT) and ch1-1mutant plants. The leaves ofch1-1mutants accumulated significantly lower Chl content, Chl fluorescence and GSH content than WT plants. Plant growth and the leaf area of ch1-1plants were also lower when compared to WT plants. The ch1-1plant showed delayed flowering and higher a number of rosette leaves compared to the WT plants. The treatment of N-acetyl-cysteine increased Chl content and Chl fluorescence in leaves of both plants. Stomatal aperture was significantly lower in guard cells of the ch1-1mutant than that of WT plants. Dark treatment increased stomatal closure which was corrected followed by the light treatment. Abscisic acid (ABA)-induced stomatal aperture was significantly lower in ch1-1mutant than WT plants. Water loss through stomatal opening in ch1-1plants was significantly lower than WT plants regardless of ABA treatment. This study suggests that a lack of LHCII might control plant growth and water loss in ch1-1 mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana.