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Photosystem II cycle activity and alternative electron transport in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum under dynamic light conditions and nitrogen limitation

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Abstract

Alternative electron sinks are an important regulatory mechanism to dissipate excessively absorbed light energy particularly under fast changing dynamic light conditions. In diatoms, the cyclic electron transport (CET) around Photosystem II (PS II) is an alternative electron transport pathway (AET) that contributes to avoidance of overexcitation under high light illumination. The combination of nitrogen limitation and high-intensity irradiance regularly occurs under natural conditions and is expected to force the imbalance between light absorption and the metabolic use of light energy. The present study demonstrates that under N limitation, the amount of AET and the activity of CETPSII in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum were increased. Thereby, the activity of CETPSII was linearly correlated with the amount of AET rates. It is concluded that CETPSII significantly contributes to AET in P. tricornutum. Surprisingly, CETPSII was found to be activated already at the end of the dark period under N-limited conditions. This coincided with a significantly increased degree of reduction of the plastoquinone (PQ) pool. The analysis of the macromolecular composition of cells of P. tricornutum under N-limited conditions revealed a carbon allocation in favor of carbohydrates during the light period and their degradation during the dark phase. A possible linkage between the activity of CETPSII and degree of reduction of the PQ pool on the one side and the macromolecular changes on the other is discussed.

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Abbreviations

AET:

Alternative electron transport

CETPSII :

Cyclic electron transport around Photosystem II

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching

PQ:

Plastoquinone

SL:

Sinusoidal light

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for financial support (grant numbers Wi 764/10, Wi 764/14 and Wi 764/19). J. Lavaud thanks the University of Konstanz, the DFG (grant LA 2368/2-1), and the CNRS for their financial support.

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Author notes

  1. Johann Lavaud

    Present address: Department of Biology, UMI 3376 TAKUVIK, CNRS/University Laval, Pavillon Alexandre-Vachon, 1045 avenue de la Médecine, Québec, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 21-23, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Heiko Wagner, Torsten Jakob & Christian Wilhelm

  2. Institute for Coastal Research and Environment (ILE), UMRi 7266 ‘LIENSs’, CNRS/University of La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle Cedex, France

    Johann Lavaud

  3. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Christian Wilhelm

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  1. Heiko Wagner
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Correspondence to Torsten Jakob.

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Wagner, H., Jakob, T., Lavaud, J. et al. Photosystem II cycle activity and alternative electron transport in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum under dynamic light conditions and nitrogen limitation. Photosynth Res 128, 151–161 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-015-0209-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-015-0209-7

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