(Functionnal) analysis of hydrogen production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mitochondrial mutants

Mitochondrial Chlamydomonas mutants for respiratory complexes present a decreased dark respiration and apparent yield of photosynthetic linear electron flow. They accumulate reducing power such as NAD(P)H and show lower levels of ATP. Under restrictive conditions, like sulfur depletion and anoxia, Chlamydomonas is able to produce hydrogen towards the activation of a chloroplatic O2-sensitive Fe-hydrogenase which catalyses the reduction of electrons to H2. In this study we used an adapted Melis protocol to analyse hydrogen evolution of mitochondrial mutants. For this aim a simple-flask system was built with gaz collecting tubes. A parallel flask was used for GC analyses.