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Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2006; 8(6): 758-764
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-924459
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

A New Model for the Evolution of Carnivory in the Bladderwort Plant (Utricularia): Adaptive Changes in Cytochrome c Oxidase (COX) Provide Respiratory Power

L. Laakkonen1 , R. W. Jobson2 , V. A. Albert3
  • 1Helsinki Bioenergetics Group, Programme for Structural Biology and Biophysics, Institute of Biotechnology, Biocenter 3 (Viikinkaari 1), PB 65, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
  • 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2052 Kraus Natural Science Bldg., 830 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
  • 3Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, 0318 Oslo, Norway
Further Information

Publication History

Received: December 28, 2005

Accepted: June 30, 2006

Publication Date:
03 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The evolution of carnivorous plants has been modeled as a selective tradeoff between photosynthetic costs and benefits in nutrient-poor habitats. Although possibly applicable for pitfall and flypaper trappers, more variables may be required for active trapping systems. Bladderwort (Utricularia) suction traps react to prey stimuli with an extremely rapid release of elastic instability. Trap setting requires considerable energy to engage an active ion transport process whereby water is pumped out through the thin bladder walls to create negative internal pressure. Accordingly, empirical estimates have shown that respiratory rates in bladders are far greater than in leafy structures. Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) is a multi-subunit enzyme that catalyzes the respiratory reduction of oxygen to water and couples this reaction to translocation of protons, generating a transmembrane electrochemical gradient that is used for the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We have previously demonstrated that two contiguous cysteine residues in helix 3 of COX subunit I (COX I) have evolved under positive Darwinian selection. This motif, absent in ≈ 99.9 % of databased COX I proteins from eukaryotes, Archaea, and Bacteria, lies directly at the docking point of COX I helix 3 and cytochrome c. Modeling of bovine COX I suggests the possibility that a vicinal disulfide bridge at this position could cause premature helix termination. The helix 3-4 loop makes crucial contacts with the active site of COX, and we postulate that the C‐C motif might cause a conformational change that decouples (or partly decouples) electron transport from proton pumping. Such decoupling would permit bladderworts to optimize power output (which equals energy times rate) during times of need, albeit with a 20 % reduction in overall energy efficiency of the respiratory chain. A new model for the evolution of bladderwort carnivory is proposed that includes respiration as an additional tradeoff parameter.

Key words

Bladderworts - carnivorous plants - cytochrome c oxidase - conformational change - COX - electron transport - energetics - protein structure - proton pumping - respiration - Utricularia.

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V. A. Albert

Natural History Museum
University of Oslo

P.O. Box 1172 Blindern

0318 Oslo

Norway

Email: victor.albert@nhm.uio.no

Guest Editor: S. Porembski

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