Skip to main content
Log in

Increase in peroxisome number and the gene expression of putative glyoxysomal enzymes in Chlamydomonas cells supplemented with acetate

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Plant Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We cultured Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells in a minimal culture medium supplemented with various concentrations of acetate, fatty acids, ethanol, fatty alcohols, or sucrose. The presence of acetate (0.5 or 1.0 %, w/v) was advantageous for cell growth. To determine whether peroxisomes are involved in fatty acid and fatty alcohol metabolism, we investigated the dynamics of peroxisomes, including changes in their number and size, in the presence of acetate, ethanol, and sucrose. The total volume of peroxisomes increased when cells were grown with acetate, but did not change when cells were grown with ethanol or sucrose. We analyzed cell growth on minimal culture medium supplemented with various fatty acids (carbon chain length ranging from one to ten) to investigate which fatty acids are metabolized by C. reinhardtii. Among them, acetate caused the greatest increase in growth when added to minimal culture media. We analyzed the transcript levels of genes encoding putative glyoxysomal enzymes. The transcript levels of genes encoding malate synthase, malate dehydrogenase, isocitrate lyase, and citrate synthase increased when Chlamydomonas cells were grown on minimal culture medium supplemented with acetate. Our results suggest that Chlamydomonas peroxisomes are involved in acetate metabolism via the glyoxylate cycle.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ACO:

Aconitase

ACT:

Actin

CAT:

Catalase

CS:

Citrate synthase

EM:

Electron microscopy

ICL:

Isocitrate lyase

MDH:

Malate dehydrogenase

MS:

Malate synthase

PTS:

Peroxisomal targeting signal

References

  • Beevers H (1979) Peroxisomes in higher plants. Annu Rev Plant Physiol 30:159–197

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beevers H (1982) Glyoxysomes in higher plants. Ann NY Acad Sci 386:243–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cd De Duve, Baudhuin P (1966) Peroxisomes (microbodies and related particles). Physiol Rev 46:323–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerhardt B (1978) Microbodies/peroxisomes of plants cells. Springer, Wilen New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Graves LB, Becker WM (1974) β-oxidation in glyoxysomes from Euglena. J Protozool 21:771–774

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graves LB Jr, Hanzely L, Trelease RN (1971) The occurrence and fine structural characterization of microbodies in Euglena grucilis. Protoplasma 72:141–152

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graves LB Jr, Trelease RN, Grill A, Becker WM (1972) Localization of glyoxylate cycle enzymes in glyoxysomes in Euglena. J Protozool 19:527–532

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Harris EH (2009) The Chlamydomonas Sourcebook, Introduction to chlamydomonas and its laboratory use, vol 1, 2nd edn. Academic Press (Elsevier), Oxford

  • Hayashi Y, Shinozaki A (2012) Visualization of microbodies in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. J Plant Res 125:579–586

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huang AHC, Trelease RN, Moore TS (1983) Plant Peroxisomes. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kato J, Yamahara T, Tanaka K, Takio S, Satoh T (1997) Characterization of catalase from green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. J Plant Physiol 151:262–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kindl H (1993) Fatty-acid degradation in plant peroxisomes—function and biosynthesis of the enzymes involved. Biochimie 75:225–230

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mano S, Hayashi M, Nishimura M (1999) Light regulates alternative splicing of hydroxypyruvate reductase in pumpkin. Plant J 17:309–320

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nishimura M, Yamaguchi J, Mori H, Akazawa T, Yokota S (1986) Immunocytochemical analysis shows that glyoxysomes are directly transformed to leaf peroxisomes during greening of pumpkin cotyledon. Plant Physiol 80:313–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nogales J, Guijo M, Quesada A, Merchán F (2004) Functional analysis and regulation of malate synthase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Planta 219:325–331

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shinozaki A, Sato N, Hayashi Y (2009) Peroxisomal targeting signals in green algae. Plotoplasma 235:57–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stabenau H (1974a) Verteilung von microbody-enzymen aus Chlamydomonas in dichtegradienten. Planta 118:35–42

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stabenau H (1974b) Localization of enzymes of the glycolate metabolism in the alga Chlorogonium elongatum Dangeard. Plant Physiol 54:866–869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stabenau H (1984) Microbodies in different algae. In: Wiessner W, Robinson D, Starr RC (eds) Compartments in algal cells and their interaction. Springer, Berlin, pp 183–190

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stabenau H, Winkler U, Saftel W (1993) Localization of glycolate dehydrogenase in two species of Dunaliella. Planta 191:362–364

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Subramani S (1993) Protein import into peroxisomes and biogenesis of the organelle. Annu Rev Cell Biol 9:445–478

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tolbert NE (1982) Leaf peroxisomes. Ann NY Acad Sci 386:254–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsugeki R, Hara-Nishimura I, Mori H, Nishimura M (1993) Cloning and sequencing of cDNA for glycolate oxidase from pumpkin cotyledons and Northern blot analysis. Plant Cell Physiol 34:51–57

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant for Promotion of Niigata University Research Projects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yasuko Hayashi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hayashi, Y., Sato, N., Shinozaki, A. et al. Increase in peroxisome number and the gene expression of putative glyoxysomal enzymes in Chlamydomonas cells supplemented with acetate. J Plant Res 128, 177–185 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-014-0681-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-014-0681-8

Keywords

Navigation