Chloroplast envelope K + /H + antiporters are involved in cytosol pH
regulation.
Abstract
KEA1 and KEA2 are K +/H +
antiporters in the chloroplast inner envelope that adjust stromal pH in
light to dark transitions. We previously determined that stromal pH is
higher in the kea1kea2 mutant cells. Given that cytosol and
chloroplast volume are about equal in mesophyll cells, we wanted to test
if this in turn could cause ionic imbalances in the cytosol as well. In
this study we indeed find that the cytosol is more acidic in the
kea1kea2 mutant. As cytosol pH is tightly controlled by the
activity of the plasma membrane proton ATPase, we tested the activity of
this enzyme. Acidic pH is expected to phosphorylate and activate the
proton ATPase to restore pH. We could however not detect differences in
plasma membrane H +-ATPase hydrolytic activity between
Col-0 and the kea1kea2 mutant. No differences in the amount of
plasma membrane H +-ATPase enzyme, regulatory 14-3-3
proteins and phosphorylation of H +-ATPase Thr932
between Col-0 and the kea1kea2 mutant were detected, indicating
that cytosol acidification did not induce transcriptional regulation or
post-translational phosphorylation of plasma membrane H
+-ATPase in the kea1kea2 mutant. Curiously
however, plasma membrane in the double mutant was depolarized,
indicating a reduced electrogenic transport of protons by the ATPase, or
an increased conductance to other ions. We determined that reconstituted
membrane vesicles isolated from kea1kea2 mutants have slightly
lower ATP dependent proton transport activity and appear especially more
permeant to potassium, but also show increased proton conductance.