Fig. 4. Ectopic expression of LHCBs does not activate the PEP.

a Immunoblots showing the levels of the PEP complex, as well as its core component rpoB, in 4-d-old Col-0 seedlings grown in 10 μmol m⁻²sec⁻¹ R light and 4-d-old Col-0, pifq, LHCB1.1ox, and LHCB2.1ox seedlings grown in the dark. Total protein was isolated under either native or denaturing conditions and resolved via BN-PAGE or SDS-PAGE to assess the fraction of rpoB in the PEP complex or the amount of total rpoB by immunoblots, respectively. The numbers below the immunoblots represent the relative PEP levels, which were calculated using the relative level of rpoB in the PEP complex (BN-PAGE) divided by the relative level of denatured rpoB (SDS-PAGE) in each sample. b qRT-PCR analysis of the steady-state transcript levels of select PhAPGs, psbA, psbB, and rbcL, in 4-d-old Col-0 seedlings grown in 10 μmol  m⁻²sec⁻¹ R light and 4-d-old Col-0, pifq, LHCB1.1ox, and LHCB2.1ox seedlings grown in the dark. The transcript levels were calculated relative to those of PP2A. Error bars represent the s.e. of three biological replicates, and the centers of the error bars represent the mean values. Samples labeled with different letters exhibited statistically significant differences (ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD, P ≤ 0.05, n = 3). The source data underlying the immunoblots in a and the qRT-PCR analysis in b are provided in the Source Data file.