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Photoinhibition of photosystem II in vivo is preceded by down-regulation through light-induced acidification of the lumen: Consequences for the mechanism of photoinhibition in vivo

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Abstract

The mechanism of photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) was studied in intact leaf discs of Spinacia oleracea L. and detached leaves of Vigna unguiculata L. The leaf material was exposed to different photon flux densities (PFDs) for 100 min, while non-photochemical (qN) and photochemical quenching (qp) of chlorophyll fluorescence were monitored. The ‘energy’ and redox state of PSII were manipulated quite independently of the PFD by application of different temperatures (5–20° C), [CO2] and [O2] at different PFDs. A linear or curvilinear relationship between qp and photoinhibition of PSII was observed. When [CO2] and [O2] were both low (30 μl · l−1 and 2%, respectively), PSII was less susceptible at a given qp than at ambient or higher [CO2] and photoinhibition became only substantial when qp decreased below 0.3. When high levels of energy-dependent quenching (qE) (between 0.6 and 0.8) were reached, a further increase of the PFD or a further decrease of the metabolic demand for ATP and NADPH led to a shift from qE to photoinhibitory quenching (qI). This shift indicated that photoinhibition was preceded by down-regulation through light-induced acidification of the lumen. We propose that photoinhibition took place in the centers down-regulated by qE. The shift from qE to qI occurred concomitant with qP decreasing to zero. The results clearly show that photoinhibition does not primarily depend on the photon density in the antenna, but that photoinhibition depends on the energy state of the membrane in combination with the redox balance of PSII. The results are discussed with regard to the mechanism of photoinhibition of PSII, considering, in particular, effects of light-induced acidification on the donor side of PSII. Interestingly, cold-acclimation of spinach leaves did not significantly affect the relationship between qP, qE and photoinhibition of PSII at low temperature.

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Abbreviations

DCMU:

3-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea

FO :

basic fluorescence

FM :

maximal fluorescence

FV :

variable fluorescence

P680 :

primary electron donor of PSII

PFD:

photon flux density

QA, QB :

the primary and secondary quinone acceptors of PSII

qP :

photochemical quenching

qN :

non-photochemical quenching

qE :

energy-dependent quenching

qI :

photoinhibitory quenching

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Author notes

  1. Klaas J. van Wijk

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-10691, Stockholm, Sweden

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA, Haren, The Netherlands

    Klaas J. van Wijk & Philip R. van Hasselt

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  1. Klaas J. van Wijk
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  2. Philip R. van Hasselt
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This study was financially supported by the Foundation of Fundamental Biological Research (BION), which is subsidised by the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (NWO). We gratefully acknowledge Dr. A. Krieger and Professor E. Weis (both from the Institute of Botany, University of Münster, FRG) for valuable discussions, and thank Professor G.H. Krause (Institute for Plant Biochemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, FRG) and Professor P.J.C. Kuiper (Department of Plant Biology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands) for constructive comments on the manuscript.

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van Wijk, K.J., van Hasselt, P.R. Photoinhibition of photosystem II in vivo is preceded by down-regulation through light-induced acidification of the lumen: Consequences for the mechanism of photoinhibition in vivo. Planta 189, 359–368 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00194432

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