Changes in chloroplast ultrastructure of tobacco plants in the course of protection from oxidative stress under hypothermia

Changes of ultrastructural organization of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Samsun) chloroplasts associated with plant protection from oxidative stress during hypothermia were studied. It was found that the chilling hardening (6 days at 8°C) was accompanied by the significant reduction in the number of grana in a chloroplast simultaneously with area reduction of a granum that led to 30% decrease in the total area of grana in tobacco chloroplasts. In the course of tobacco plant hardening, approximately twofold decrease in generation rate of superoxide anion radical and 30% decrease in content of hydrogen peroxide occurred, which indicates retardation of oxidative processes in plant cells during the cold exposure. It is suggested that the ultrastructural changes in chloroplast organization that were found may prevent an overreduction of an electron-transport chain under hypothermia, when the ability of the Calvin cycle to utilize ATP and NADP·H is significantly reduced. The balanced work of components of light and dark photosynthetic phases may prevent the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species and render formation of tobacco plant tolerance to hypothermia.