Abstract
The vegetation of many terrestrial habitats across Antarctica is dominated by poikilohydric symbiotic lichens. Terrestrial habitats generally are characterised by extended exposure to desiccation and high irradiation. Physiological adaptation mechanisms of the algal partner (photobiont) are key factors in the successful colonisation of lichens of locations under severe environmental conditions. This study focused on isolated photobionts of the genus Trebouxia, from the continental Antarctic lichens Buellia frigida, Pleopsidium chlorophanum, the maritime Antarctic lichen Umbilicaria antarctica, and the Swedish lichen Fulgensia bracteata from a moderate temperate ecosystem at sea level. The photosystems PS II and PS I and the ratio of linear to cyclic electron transport were studied to elucidate adaptation mechanisms in the physiology of the photobionts in response to desiccation and light stress. The photobionts of the Antarctic lichens demonstrated striking tolerance to the stress conditions studied. Although the photobionts of U. antarctica and P. chlorophanum were genetically identical based on non-coding internally transcribed spacer (ITS), their physiological responses were clearly different, possibly indicating ecotypic differentiation. The photobiont of F. bracteata showed clearly different responses to those of the Antarctic photobionts. The response differences of the photobionts studied point to fundamental differences in life history strategies.
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Abbreviations
- ATP:
-
Adenosine triphosphate
- CET:
-
Cyclic electron transport
- D1:
-
Dark recovery phase measuring point 1
- D2:
-
Dark recovery phase measuring point 2
- F o :
-
Minimum chlorophyll fluorescence yield
- F m :
-
Maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, dark adapted
- F m′:
-
Maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, light adapted
- F v/F m :
-
Maximum quantum yield of PS II
- LET:
-
Linear electron transport
- NPQ:
-
Non-photochemical quenching
- PAM:
-
Pulse-amplitude modulation
- P m :
-
Maximal P700 change, dark adapted
- P m′:
-
Maximal P700 change, light adapted
- PS I:
-
Photosystem I
- PS II:
-
Photosystem II
- P700:
-
Current P700 signal
- qL:
-
Coefficient of photochemical quenching
- ROS:
-
Reactive oxygen species
- TOM:
-
Trebouxia organic medium
- Y(I):
-
Photochemical quantum yield of PS I
- Y(II):
-
Effective quantum yield of PS II
- Y(NA):
-
Non-photochemical quantum yield of PS I-acceptor side limitation
- Y(ND):
-
Non-photochemical quantum yield of PS I-donor side limitation
- Y(NO):
-
Quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation in PS II
- Y(NPQ):
-
Quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation in PS II
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Acknowledgements
We thank Eva Posthoff for her invaluable help with the photobiont cultures. The authors are especially grateful to Ulrike Ruprecht for her invaluable help and support on the molecular identification of the photobionts. Particular thanks for her great effort. Thanks are also due to the organising committee of the XIIth SCAR Biology Symposium 2017, Leuven, Belgium. SO is grateful to the German Research Foundation (DFG) for financing the Research Project Ot 96/15–1 as part of the Antarctic Priority Program (SPP 1158). PC is supported by NERC core funding to the British Antarctic Survey’s ‘Biodiversity, Evolution and Adaptation’ Team. Special thanks are due to the Bundesanstalt für Geologie und Rohstoffe (Andreas Läufer, Detlef Damaske) as well as to the British Antarctic Survey for the opportunity to collect the lichen samples used in this study. Thanks are also due to the staff at Rothera Station and Gondwana Station for logistic support. The authors also thank the reviewers for their invaluable comments.
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Determeyer-Wiedmann, N., Sadowsky, A., Convey, P. et al. Physiological life history strategies of photobionts of lichen species from Antarctic and moderate European habitats in response to stressful conditions. Polar Biol 42, 395–405 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2430-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2430-2