Skip to main content
Log in

Chlorella vulgaris integrates photoperiod and chloroplast redox signals in response to growth at high light

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Planta Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Main conclusion

Photoacclimation to variable light and photoperiod regimes in C. vulgaris represents a complex interplay between “biogenic” phytochrome-mediated sensing and “operational” redox sensing signaling pathways.

Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck UTEX 265 exhibits a yellow–green phenotype when grown under high light (HL) in contrast to a dark green phenotype when grown at low light (LL). The redox state of the photosynthetic electron transport chain (PETC) as estimated by excitation pressure has been proposed to govern this phenotypic response. We hypothesized that if the redox state of the PETC was the sole regulator of the HL phenotype, C. vulgaris should photoacclimate in response to the steady-state excitation pressure during the light period regardless of the length of the photoperiod. As expected, LL-grown cells exhibited a dark green phenotype, low excitation pressure (1 − qP = 0.22 ± 0.02), high chlorophyll (Chl) content (375 ± 77 fg Chl/cell), low Chl a/b ratio (2.97 ± 0.18) as well as high photosynthetic efficiency and photosynthetic capacity regardless of the photoperiod. In contrast, C. vulgaris grown under continuous HL developed a yellow–green phenotype characterized by high excitation pressure (1 − qP = 0.68 ± 0.01), a relatively low Chl content (180 ± 53 fg Chl/cell), high Chl a/b ratio (6.36 ± 0.54) with concomitantly reduced light-harvesting polypeptide abundance, as well as low photosynthetic capacity and efficiency measured on a per cell basis. Although cells grown under HL and an 18 h photoperiod developed a typical yellow–green phenotype, cells grown at HL but a 12 h photoperiod exhibited a dark green phenotype comparable to LL-grown cells despite exhibiting growth under high excitation pressure (1 − qP = 0.80 ± 0.04). The apparent uncoupling of excitation pressure and phenotype in HL-grown cells and a 12 h photoperiod indicates that chloroplast redox status cannot be the sole regulator of photoacclimation in C. vulgaris. We conclude that photoacclimation in C. vulgaris to HL is dependent upon growth history and reflects a complex interaction of endogenous systems that sense changes in photoperiod as well as photosynthetic redox balance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Download references

Acknowledgements

NPAH is grateful for the financial support through NSERC Discovery Grants, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chairs programme.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Norman P. A. Hüner.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 95 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hollis, L., Ivanov, A.G. & Hüner, N.P.A. Chlorella vulgaris integrates photoperiod and chloroplast redox signals in response to growth at high light. Planta 249, 1189–1205 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-03070-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-03070-6

Keywords

Navigation