L14-19 Flashcards
chemical reaction of photosynthesis
6CO2 + 12H@O -> c6h12o6 +6O2 +6H2o
what is photosynthesis?
converting light energy to chemical energy by reducing organic carbon dioxide to organic carbon. generates O2 by oxidation of water
what powers cellular porcesses in the plant?
energy stored in carbohydrates.
where does photosynthesis occur?
chloroplast
two components of photosynthesis
light reactions + carbon fixation reactions
where does energy come from in light reactions?
from absorption of light energy - converted to stable chemical energy.
where does light reaction occur in the plant?
inner thylakoid membrane
chlorophylls.
What occurs in light reaction at chlorophyll?
absorb light energy for oxidation of water + release O2, generating NADPH and ATP
discuss asymmetry of chloroplast membrane
lumen (inside) vs stroma (outside)
grana lamella - stacked vs stroma lamella - flat
what is function of carbox fixation reactions?
NADPH + ATP used to reduce carbon dioxide to carbon skeleton to generate sugar precursors
main components of the light reaction machinery
light energy converts chemical energy at 2 photosystems.
- absorbed light energy transferred through electron carrier proteins to reduce NADP+ to NADPH
electron transport generates PMF = allows synthesis of ATP
properties of sunlight
radiant energy within electromagnetic spectrum.
- wave properties: wavelength and frequency inversely proportional
- particle properties: photon. each photon has amount of energy, some of which absorbed by plants.
what wavelengths of light are strongly absorbed by plant chlorophylls
blue (430 nm)
red (660nm)
green is transmitted/reflected
describe chlorophyll excitation
photon absorbed, electron to shift from inner molecular orbit to outer molecular orbit.
-> to return to ground state, electron must return to its original orbit + the absorbed energy released
higher energy light on chlorophyll?
blue light. shorter wavelength. excites Chl to unstable excited state.
-rapidly gives up energy as heat.
lower energy light excites chlorophyll how?
red light.
stable for a few nanosecs.
- four ways to use potential energy
how excited chlorophyll returns to ground state
- re-emit a photon: fluorescence. lower energy emitted
- thermal deactivation: energy released as heat
- energy transfer: transfer from chl* to neighbouring molecule (pigment, O2 =ROS, photoinhibition)
- photochemistry
2 part molecule - chlorophyll. describe
hydrophilic porphyrin ring.
- Mg2+ cofactor.
- site of photon harvesting
hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail anchors to thylakoid membrane
chl a and chl b - discuss
major types in plants.
differ in substitutions around porphyrin ring.
- slight difference in absorption
carotenoids - discuss
accessory pigment. 400-600nm range. orange/yellow colour. usually closely assoc with Chl. absorbs photons from blue region - help protect photosynthetic machinery from photoinhibition
what happens to energy absorbed in pigments?
stored as chemical energy through formation of chemical bonds.
- > light dependent reactions required.
- > photoynthetic electron transport
central components of photosynthetic electron transport?
multi- molecular chlorophyll-protein complexes
- PS1
- PSII
what’s between the two photosystems?
multiprotein cytochrome complex (Cyt b6f)
what does the system of 3 photosynthetic electron transports do?
raises low energy electrons obtained from oxidation of water to higher energy level needed to synthesize NADPH
what is antenna complex?
many pigment molecules in close association
what is function of antenna complex?
collects energy + transfers to other pigment molecules until received by reaction centrer
- increase e- to outer orbitals.
what is reaction centre?
where oxidation occurs - converts energy to chemical energy. can reduce product once gains e- from antenna complex
-> often reaction centre is chlorophyll.
how is reaction center chlorophyll unique?
Chl a has specific absorbance maxima
PSI: far-red light, >680 nm
PSII: red light, 680
how light drives the reduction of NAD+
1.absorption of red light by PSII = excitation of P680.
2. P680* returns to stable state by transferring electron to acceptor
molecule
3. transfer from P680* produces strong oxidant
4. strong oxidant oxidizes water, returning PSII to initial state.
5. far-red light absorbed by PSI (P700*) = weak oxidant and strong reductant.
6. strong reductantreduces NADP+ to NADPH
. reductant re-reduces weak oxidant produced by PSI
name of light reducing NADP+ pathway?
Z scheme.
what does X scheme generate?
stored chemical energy in NADPH and O2
photosystem separation on thylakoid membrane?
spatially separated
- distributed across the membrane
what is light harvesting complex
- maximizes light absorption
- binds antenna complex pigments.
- contain Chl a and b. some carotenoids. different variations tho
how do LHC’s maximize light absorption?
funnel energy to reaction center.
absorption maxima progressively shift towards longer red wavelengths (lower energy)
- small fraction of energy lost to heat = gets photon to reaction center even if lower energy
-directionality of energy-trapping process is irreversible
what is oxygen-evolving complex
supplies electrons to PSII and produces oxygen.
- obtains 4 electron from Mn2+ to oxidize 2 molecules of water.
process of electron transport in photosynthesis?
- excitationg energy -> chemical energy. as P680 excites, transfers electrons to pheophytin. charge separation stores light energy as redox-potential energy
- physical separation of charge by electron = unidirectional movement, no reversion of charge. pheo- pass e- to Qa (x2)-> PQ (+e- +H+ = coverts to PQH2) PQH2 dissociates from PSII
- charge separationgenerated by photo-oxidation of P680 stabliied by P680+ (strong oxidant - reduced by oxidizing water)
- electron from PQH2 transferred to Cytb6f. PQH2 oxidized releases 2H+ into lumen. one e- from Cytb6f goes to plastocyanin, other e- gets recycled back.
- electron transport through electron carriers of PSI. (excited P700 = photo-oxidized) e- transferred through Fe-S centers to ferredoxin, p700+ -> P700 bc accept e- from plastocyanin. ferredoxin mediates synthesis of NADPH via ferredoxin-NADP+-reductase
chlorophyll is 2 part molecule
hydrophilic prophyrin ring (Mg2+ cofactor, photon harvesting)
hydrophobic hydrocarbon tail - anchor Chl in thylakoid membrane
what does z-scheme describe?
free energy of non-cyclic photosynthetic electron transport
= formation of NADPH conserved 32% of energy required to mediate electron transport.
= remaining energy coupled to transport of protons against their gradient, from stroma to the lumen
herbicides block photosynthetic electron flow
DCMU - block e- flow at plastoquinone acceptor of PSII. compete for binding site
Paraquat accept e- from early PSI. reacts with O2 to form O2- damages chloroplasts
Proton gradient by e- transport
4 cycles of PSII uses 4e- to generate 2 PQH2
4e- replaced by oxidation of H2O (2 rounds)
yielding 4H+ in lumen
movement of 4e- from PQH2 to Cyt b6f = proton movement across thylakoid membrane to lumen. 4H+ via PQH2 from PSII; 2H+ from Cyt b6f Q-cycle
e- recycling in e- transport.
2 continue into cyt b6f to plastocyanin
2 recycled to reduce PQ -> PQH2. but bc 4 e- move through, 4 protons do to. 2 protons recyled. 2 pushed across to luman.
how photosynthetic electron transport establishes electrochemical gradient for H+?
protons only move from lumen to stroma via ATP synthase.
loading into lumen by e- transport allows pmf.
= exergonic process, provides synthesis of ATP
summary of light reactions
- excitation of chlorophyll at PSII and PSI
- convert light energy to chemical by photo-oxidation of P680 + P700 reaction centers
- P680 reduced via electrons obtained from H2O
- P700 reduced via electrons from electron transport chain
- electron transport to ferredoxin used to generate NADPH
- proton gradient used by ATP synthase to generate ATP
function of Carbon fixation reactions
use NADPH and ATP generated in light reactions to drive endergonic reduction of CO2 to carbohydrate.
three phases of Calvin-benson cycle
- carboxylation
- Reduction
- Regeneration
what is purpose of carboxylation step of Calvin Benson Cycle?
covalently links atmospheric CO2 to carbon skeleton.
- RuBP catalyzed by Rubisco to yield two 3C intermediates.
why is Calvin-benson cycle referred to as C3 cycle?
because 1st product is 3C
what is Rubisco
extremely abundant catalyst.
- has high affinity for CO2
does carboxylation step require energy input?
no. change in free energy is -35
what is reduction step of CB cycle?
forms carbohydrate using ATP and NADPH from light reactions
= 3-phosphoglycerates to 3C carbohydrates using ATP and NADPH
What is regeneration step of CB cycle?
restores CO2 acceptor, RuBP using ATP
What are triose phosphates
converted to starch in chloroplast.
- exported to cytosol for formation of sucrose (transported via phloem)
two part reaction of Rubisco
- CO2 combined with 5C RuBP by rubisco.
- 6C intermediate spontaneously hydrolyzes froming two 3-PGA molecules
two conditions must be met for chloroplast to take up CO2
- 3-PGA continually removed
- Adequate supply of acceptor molecule must be maintained
- > require ATP and NADPH
- 3-PGA removed by reduction
convering 3-PGA to G-3-P
- ATP phosphorylates 3-PGA = 1,3, biphosphate glycerate
2. NADPH reduces 1,3-bisphosphate glycerate to G3P (reduced form)
of g3p pool, what are 2 routes
- regeneration. contribute to regen of RuBP
2. utilization: 1/6 of G3p exported for sugar synthesis
how to get from G3P to RuBP?
interconversions to generate Ribulose-5-phosphates.
ATP phosphorylates to RuBP
what is net effect of regeneration reactions?
recycle 5/6 G2P to three RuBP
what is net effect of regeneration reactions?
recycle 5/6 G2P to three RuBP
how many turns of the cycle to get an additional G3P?
three.
6 CO2 = one hexose sugar.
12CO2 = 1 molecule of sucrose
what is photorespration
photosynthesis associated event that generates CO2.
Rubisco react with O2 (oxygenase activity) as well as CO2 (carboxylase
compete.
rubisco + O2: photorespiration
1 3-pga and 1 2c phosphoglycolate.
- drain C from and inhibit enzymes in C3 cycles
phosphoglycolate is metabolized by C2 oxidative photosynthetic carbon cycle, which releases CO2 and forms 3-PGA (glycine created, releases CO2. 2 glycine combine to make serine with NAD+. serine phosphorylated to reform phosphoglycerate.
C2 oxidative photosynthetic carbon cycle
- recover carbon from phosphoglycolate . 3 organelles
1. chloroplasts
2. peroxisomes
3. mitochondria
how do chloroplast help to recover phosphoglycolate
rubisco oxygenase activity = 2-phosphoglycolate. dephosphorylate to glycolate
what does peroxisome do to recover carbon from phosphoglycolate?
- glycolate oxidized to glyoxylate.
glyoxylate transminated to form glycine
how mitochondira helps recover carbon from phosphoglycolate
- 2 glycine = 1 serine. release CO2 and NH4+.
- serine to peroxisome.
- glycerate to chloroplast
- energetic requirements are higher than for C3 (CO2 cycle) = more metabolic action
three factors that affect photorespiration?
- kinetic properties of Rubisco (carb to oxy = 3:1)
- ratio of atmospheric CO2:O2 (lower CO2 increases oxygen)
- temperatture (increase favours oxygen, increase affinity for O2, lower solubility of CO2, increase stomatal closure
benefits of C2 (photorespiration) cycle
scavenges phosphoglycolate, returning to carbon pool (recovers 3/4 carbon, recovers nitrogen)
contribute to aa glycine + serine metabolism.
- may minimize photo-oxidative damage
other carbon-concentrating mechanisms that land plants could use
C4 and CAM
- adaptations to minimize photorespiratory losses under conditions where CO2 is limited +/or temps are high
c4 : separated how
spatially.
what are 5 stages of carbon cycle in C4
- mesophyll: PEPcase catalyzes HCO3- + 2CPEP = 4C
- 4C acid flows across diffusion barrier to bundle sheath cell
- stromal space: decarboxylating enzyme release CO2 from 4c yelding 3C. = build up of CO2, increase affinity where Rubisco is found
- 3c back to mesophyll cell
- pyruvate-phosphate dikinase catalyzes regeneratio of PEP
what is kranz anatomy?
adaptation that separates carboxylation reaction from CB cycle.
two concentric layers of diff cells around veins.
1. vascular bundle surrounded by ring of tightly-packed bundle sheath cells (sites of decarboxylation of 4c and Co2 assimilation
2. outer ring of mesophyll cells peripheral to bundle sheath. carbon fixation vie PEPcase
how are CAM plants separated?
temporally
stomatal cycle of CA
stomata open at night for gas exchange (store carbone)
stomata closed during day to limit evaporative water loss (use carbon stores up)
where do CAM plants grow?
arid environments + display anatomical features that minimize water loss
CAM: uptake of atmospheric O2 when?
at night, when stomata are open.
- mt respiration increases.
PEPCase concentrates CO2
4C oxaloacetate reduced to malate; accumulated in vacuole + stoed
limitations to CAM?
PEP same as in C4. large pool to fix + store.
- only so much starch can be stored. lower rate of carbon fixation, slower growth.
how stored carbon is used during day in CAM
malic acid flows back to cytosol
NAD-malic enzyme transforms malate to CO2.
CO2 refixed into carbon skeletons - increases CO2 near rubisco.
- stomata remain closed
CAM photosynthesis
compared to C3 and C4
conservation of water bc stomata are closed during light period. lower transpiration rate than C3,C4
- CAM reassimilate CO2 more readily than C3,C4. store trios phosphates as starch limits sucrose synthesis
-CAM can be facultative (utilized as pathway for potosynthesis only when needed)
similarities between C4 and CAM
both utilie PEP carboxylase to form 4C acid
- both concentrate CO2 around Rubisco to increase its efficiency