Chlorophyll changes, photosynthesis, and ultrastructure of chloroplasts in Albugo candida induced "green islands" on detached Brassica juncea cotyledons

Abstract

Brassica juncea cotyledons were detached from the plant 3 days after inoculation with Albugo candida. Changes in chlorophyll content of infected and noninfected tissue were determined over a 4-day period, during which time distinct "green islands" developed. Following incubation with glycine-2-14C in the light, radioactivity was detected in chlorophylls a and b of both infected and noninfected tissue. Both infected and noninfected tissue fixed 14CO2 in the light during the 4 days after detachment. Most of the incorporated activity was in the 70% ethanol-soluble fraction. At 4 days after detachment, "green islands" fixed 5 times more 14CO2 in the light than noninfected tissue while both types of tissue fixed about the same amount in the dark. Photosynthesis per mole of chlorophyll fell at the same rate in "green island" and noninfected tissue. The maintenance of chlorophyll and continued photosynthetic activity in "green islands" paralleled delayed chloroplast breakdown. "Green island" chloroplasts still had intact grana and relatively small osmiophilic globules 96 h after detachment. In noninfected tissue, grana began to break down and osmiophilic globules increased in size 48 h after detachment. At 96 h after detachment, little grana structure remained and chloroplasts contained greatly enlarged osmiophilic globules interspersed with strands of stroma lamellae. Tissue treated with kinetin responded in essentially the same way as "green island" tissue. Chlorophyll content and photosynthetic capacity were maintained and chloroplast breakdown was delayed.