各校計畫成果

活動簡介

本計畫運用玉山青年學者計畫經費與學校提供之經費，購置專門的儀器設備，完成光合作用實驗室之建置。實驗室的研究主題為探究在臺灣分離純化所得、具備嗜熱嗜酸特性與特殊光合作用系統構造之紅藻的光合作用調節機制，為未來生技與仿生應用和發展奠定基礎。五年來計畫執行績效包括有： 探索溫泉紅藻在不同光強度長時間照射下的保護機制，發現光照下抗壞血酸的細胞濃度與部分抗氧化酵素的活性會明顯增加，這些過程有助於溫泉紅藻適應高光照的環境。此外，我們在溫泉紅藻鑑別出許多非光化學螢光淬滅的分子機制。在與國內外學者合作的研究計畫中，我們利用比較基因體學、形態與生理特徵比較，將陽明山國家公園採獲之藻株命名為新種，並歸為一個新屬中的新種，其學名為Cyanidiococcus yangmingshanensis。 在另一個國際合作研究計畫中，我們分析電致變色訊號對膜電位變化的反應關係，發現溫泉紅藻電致變色的反應特性迥異於其他前人已有研究的光合作用生物，此電致變色光譜特性的研究結果將作為溫泉紅藻光合作用調節機制相關研究的基礎。

Benefiting from the funding and support of the Yushan Young Fellow Program and of NSYSU, the photosynthesis laboratory has been established with the installation of specialized instruments. The laboratory aims at understanding the regulatory mechanisms in photosynthesis of extremophilic red algae under different light conditions, focusing on cyanidiophytes isolated in Taiwan and containing unique photosynthetic apparatus. The research findings serve as the basis for development of the biotechnological and biomimetic applications. During the five years of the project, the photoprotective mechanism of cyanidiophytes under different light conditions was investigated. Increases in the cellular content of ascorbic acid and in some enzymatic activities involving scavenging of reactive oxygen species played important roles in long-term acclimation to light. Furthermore, multiple molecular mechanisms underlying the nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching have been identified. A comprehensive comparative analysis of genomic, morphological, and physiological traits was successfully conducted to address the controversial phylogenetic position of one strain isolated from Yangmingshan National Park through cooperation among domestic and foreign scientists. A new genus and a new species, Cyanidiococcus yangmingshanensis, has been established. Finally, we conducted an international collaborative research project characterizing the response of the electrochromic shift signal to the membrane potential. We found out that the electrochromic behavior in cyanidiophytes was distinct from those in other previously-studied photosynthetic organisms. Characterization of the electrochromic spectrum will provide the basis for further research on the photosynthetic regulatory mechanisms of the extremophilic red algae.