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Estimation of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria by pulse-amplitude modulation chlorophyll fluorescence: problems and solutions

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Abstract

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes and widely used for photosynthetic research as model organisms. Partly due to their prokaryotic nature, however, estimation of photosynthesis by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements is sometimes problematic in cyanobacteria. For example, plastoquinone pool is reduced in the dark-acclimated samples in many cyanobacterial species so that conventional protocol developed for land plants cannot be directly applied for cyanobacteria. Even for the estimation of the simplest chlorophyll fluorescence parameter, F v/F m, some additional protocol such as addition of DCMU or illumination of weak blue light is necessary. In this review, those problems in the measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence in cyanobacteria are introduced, and solutions to those problems are given.

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Abbreviations

DCMU:

3-(3, 4-Dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea

F m :

Maximum fluorescence determined under oxidized plastoquinone pool conditions

F m′ :

Maximum fluorescence under reduced plastoquinone pool conditions

F 0 :

Minimum fluorescence under oxidized plastoquinone pool conditions

F 0′ :

Minimum fluorescence under reduced plastoquinone pool conditions

F s :

Stable fluorescence level

F v/F m :

Chlorophyll fluorescence parameter indicating the maximum quantum yield of Photosystem II calculated as (F m − F 0)/F m

NDH:

NAD(P)H dehydrogenase

OCP:

Orange carotenoid protein

PFD:

Photon flux density

PQ:

Plastoquinone

PS:

Photosystem

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (No. 16H06552 and No. 16H06553 to K.S.) and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (No. 16H04809 to K.S.), as well as by Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow (No. 26-7221 to T.O.). We thank Dr. Yukako Hihara for the critical reading of the manuscript.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan

      Takako Ogawa, Masahiro Misumi & Kintake Sonoike

    2. Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan

      Takako Ogawa

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    1. Takako Ogawa
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    2. Masahiro Misumi
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    3. Kintake Sonoike
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    Correspondence to Kintake Sonoike.

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    Takako Ogawa and Masahiro Misumi have contributed equally to this work.

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    Ogawa, T., Misumi, M. & Sonoike, K. Estimation of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria by pulse-amplitude modulation chlorophyll fluorescence: problems and solutions. Photosynth Res 133, 63–73 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-017-0367-x

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