Cyclosis-related asymmetry of chloroplast–plasma membrane interactions at the margins of illuminated area in Chara corallina cells

Cytoplasmic streaming in plant cells is an effective means of intracellular transport. The cycling of ions and metabolites between the cytosol and chloroplasts in illuminated cell regions may alter the cytoplasm composition, while directional flow of this modified cytoplasm may affect the plasma membrane and chloroplast activities in cell regions residing downstream of the illumination area. The impact of local illumination is predicted to be asymmetric because the cell regions located downstream and upstream in the cytoplasmic flow with respect to illumination area would be exposed to flowing cytoplasm whose solute composition was influenced by photosynthetic or dark metabolism. This hypothesis was checked by measuring H+-transporting activity of plasmalemma and chlorophyll fluorescence of chloroplasts in shaded regions of Chara corallina internodal cells near opposite borders of illuminated region (white light, beam width 2 mm). Both the apoplastic pH and chlorophyll fluorescence, recorded in shade regions at equal distances from illuminated area, exhibited asymmetric light-on responses depending on orientation of cytoplasmic streaming at the light–shade boundary. In the region where the cytoplasm flowed from illuminated area to the measurement area, the alkaline zone (a zone with high plasma membrane conductance) was formed within 4-min illumination, whereas no alkaline zone was observed in the area where cytoplasm approached the boundary from darkened regions. The results emphasize significance of cyclosis in lateral distribution of a functionally active intermediate capable of affecting the membrane transport across the plasmalemma, the functional activity of chloroplasts, and pattern formation in the plant cell.