Functional Characterization of the Photosynthetic Machinery in Galls on the Parasitic Plant by JIP-Test.

Members of the genus are generally considered to be non-photosynthetic, stem-holoparasitic flowering plants. Under certain circumstances, at least some members of the genus are capable of limited photosynthesis. The galls of the weevils formed on are particularly rich in chlorophylls compared to the stem of the parasitic plant. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the photosynthetic activity in the inner and outer gall cortices in comparison to the non-photosynthetic stems and a reference plant (). The recorded prompt chlorophyll fluorescence transients were analyzed using JIP test. Detailed analysis of the chlorophyll fluorescence confirmed the presence of actively functioning photosynthetic machinery, especially in the inner cortex of the galls. This photosynthesis, induced by the insect larvae, did not reach the levels of the photosynthetic activity in plants. Thylakoid protein complexes were identified by separation with two-dimensional Blue Native/SDS PAGE. It appeared that some of the complexes presented in are missing in We hypothesize that the insect-triggered transition from non-photosynthetic to photosynthetic tissue in the gall is driven by the increased requirements for nutrients related to the larval nutrition.