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Seasonal changes in photosystem II organisation and pigment composition in Pinus sylvestris

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Abstract

Conifers of the boreal zone encounter considerable combined stress of low temperature and high light during winter, when photosynthetic consumption of excitation energy is blocked. In the evergreen Pinus sylvestris L. these stresses coincided with major seasonal changes in photosystem II (PSII) organisation and pigment composition. The earliest changes occurred in September, before any freezing stress, with initial losses of chlorophyll, the D1-protein of the PSII reaction centre and of PSII light-harvesting-complex (LHC II) proteins. In October there was a transient increase in F0, resulting from detachment of the light-harvesting antennae as reaction centres lost D1. The D1-protein content eventually decreased to 90%, reaching a minimum by December, but PSII photochemical efficiency [variable fluorescence (Fv)/maximum fluorescence (Fm)] did not reach the winter minimum until mid-February. The carotenoid composition varied seasonally with a twofold increase in lutein and the carotenoids of the xanthophyll cycle during winter, while the epoxidation state of the xanthophylls decreased from 0.9 to 0.1 from October to January. The loss of chlorophyll was complete by October and during winter much of the remaining chlorophyll was reorganised in aggregates of specific polypeptide composition, which apparently efficiently quench excitation energy through non-radiative dissipation. The timing of the autumn and winter changes indicated that xanthophyll de-epoxidation correlates with winter quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence while the drop in photochemical efficiency relates more to loss of D1-protein. In April and May recovery of the photochemistry of PSII, protein synthesis, pigment rearrangements and zeaxanthin epoxidation occurred concomitantly. Indoor recovery of photosynthesis in winter-stressed branches under favourable conditions was completed within 3 d, with rapid increases in F0, the epoxidation state of the xanthophylls and in light-harvesting polypeptides, followed by recovery of D1-protein content and Fv/Fm, all without net increase in chlorophyll. The fall and winter reorganisation allow Pinus sylvestris to maintain a large stock of chlorophyll in a quenched, photoprotected state, allowing rapid recovery of photosynthesis in spring.

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Abbreviations

Elips:

early light-induced proteins

EPS:

epoxidation state

F0 :

instantaneous fluorescence

Fm :

maximum fluorescence

Fv :

variable fluorescence

LHC II:

light-harvesting complex of PSII

LiDS:

lithium dodecyl sulfate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, University of Umeå, S-901 87, Umeå, Sweden

    Christina Ottander, Douglas Campbell & Gunnar Öquist

Authors
  1. Christina Ottander
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  2. Douglas Campbell
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  3. Gunnar Öquist
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christina Ottander.

Additional information

This research was supported by the Swedish Natural Science Research Council. We wish to thank Dr. Adrian Clarke1 (Department of Plant Physiology, University of Umeå, Sweden) for advice on electrophoresis, valuable discussion and providing antibodies. Dr. Stefan Jansson1 and Dr. Torill Hundal (Department for Biochemistry, University of Stockholm, Sweden) provided antibodies. Jan Karlsson1 helped with the HPLC, Dr. Marianna Krol gave advice on green gels and Dr. Vaughan Hurry (Cooperative Research Centre for Plant Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia) provided valuable discussion.

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Ottander, C., Campbell, D. & Öquist, G. Seasonal changes in photosystem II organisation and pigment composition in Pinus sylvestris . Planta 197, 176–183 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239954

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