Physcomitrella patens and Ceratodon purpureus, mosses as model organisms in photosynthesis studies

With the discovery of targeted gene replacement, moss biology has been rapidly advancing over the last 10 years. This study demonstrates the usefulness of moss as a model organism for plant photosynthesis research. The two mosses examined in this study, Physcomitrella patens and Ceratodon purpureus,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Photosynthesis research 2005, Vol.83 (1), p.87-96
Main Authors: Thornton, L.E, Keren, N, Ohad, I, Pakrasi, H.B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bryopsida
Bryopsida - genetics
Bryopsida - growth & development
Bryopsida - metabolism
Bryopsida - ultrastructure
Ceratodon
Ceratodon purpureus
Flowers & plants
Funariaceae
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
Models, Biological
Mosses
mosses and liverworts
Mutation - genetics
Oxygen - chemistry
Oxygen - metabolism
Phenotype
Photosynthesis
photosystem II
Physcomitrella
Physcomitrella patens
Spectrometry, Fluorescence
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Summary:With the discovery of targeted gene replacement, moss biology has been rapidly advancing over the last 10 years. This study demonstrates the usefulness of moss as a model organism for plant photosynthesis research. The two mosses examined in this study, Physcomitrella patens and Ceratodon purpureus, are easily cultured through vegetative propagation. Growth tests were conducted to determine carbon sources suitable for maintaining heterotrophic growth while photosynthesis was blocked. Photosynthetic parameters examined in these plants indicated that the photosynthetic activity of Ceratodon and Physcomitrella is more similar to vascular plants than cyanobacteria or green algae. Ceratodon plants grown heterotrophically appeared etiolated in that the plants were taller and plastids did not differentiate thylakoid membranes. After returning to the light, the plants developed green, photosynthetically active chloroplasts. Furthermore, UV-induced mutagenesis was used to show that photosynthesis-deficient mutant Ceratodon plants could be obtained. After screening approximately 1000 plants, we obtained a number of mutants, which could be arranged into the following categories: high fluorescence, low fluorescence, fast and slow fluorescence quenching, and fast and slow greening. Our results indicate that in vivo biophysical analysis of photosynthetic activity in the mosses can be carried out which makes both mosses useful for photosynthesis studies, and Ceratodon best sustains perturbations in photosynthetic activity.
ISSN:0166-8595
1573-5079
DOI:10.1007/s11120-004-5577-3