Methylglyoxal functions as Hill oxidant and stimulates the photoreduction of O₂ at photosystem I: a symptom of plant diabetes

Abstract

We elucidated the metabolism of methylglyoxal (MG) in chloroplasts of higher plants. Spinach chloroplasts showed MG-dependent NADPH oxidation because of aldo-keto reductase (AKR) activity. K(m) for MG and V(max) of AKR activity were 6.5 mm and 3.3 µmol NADPH (mg Chl)(-1) h(-1) , respectively. Addition of MG to illuminated chloroplasts induced photochemical quenching (Qp) of Chl fluorescence, indicating that MG stimulated photosynthetic electron transport (PET). Furthermore, MG enhanced the light-dependent uptake of O(2) into chloroplasts. After illumination of chloroplasts, accumulation of H(2) O(2) was observed. K(m) for MG and V(max) of O(2) uptake were about 100 µm and 200 µmol O(2) (mg Chl)(-1) h(-1) , respectively. MG-dependent O(2) uptake was inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB). Under anaerobic conditions, the Qp of Chl fluorescence was suppressed. These results indicate that MG was reduced as a Hill oxidant by the photosystem I (PSI), and that O(2) was reduced to O(2) (-) by the reduced MG. In other words, MG produced in chloroplasts is preferentially reduced by PSI rather than through AKR. This triggers a type of oxidative stress that may be referred to as 'plant diabetes', because it ultimately originates from a common metabolite of the primary pathways of sugar anabolism and catabolism.