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Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient during freezing and recovery in winter wheat

  • Original Papers
  • Published:
Photosynthetica

Abstract

Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence measurements as evaluators of plant freezing tolerance are frequently insufficiently sensitive to detect the early metabolic changes that are initiated following exposure to freezing temperatures. Using cold-acclimated winter wheat, I analysed the polyphasic transience (from 50 µs to 1 s) of Chl a fluorescence. This enabled detailed studies of the progressive energy flows and efficiencies within the photosystem 2 (PS2) complex that ensue following initial exposure to freezing temperatures right through to the plant recovery stage. The initial consequences of mild frosts that may cause primary damage involve a disturbance to the energy transfer subsequent to QA (the primary quinone electron acceptor of PS2). Lower freezing temperatures, on the other hand, may deter energy flow between the PS2 reaction centre (RC), Chl, and QA. All primary damage could only be repaired partially. Further freezing-triggered dysfunction of the electron transfer between the PS2 RCs and QA was connected with secondary damage that could lead to PS2 deactivation. Both primary and secondary freezing damages were reflected in decreased PIABS, the Performance Index based on equal absorption that characterizes all energy bifurcations in PS2. PIABS also differentiated cultivars with contrasting freezing-tolerance either subsequent to the onset of freezing or during the recovery stage. In contrast, the potential quantum yield of PS2 (Fv/Fm), which characterizes efficiency of energy trapping in the PS2 RCs, was only different in cultivars with contrasting freezing-tolerance during the recovery stage.

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Abbreviations

ABS:

absorption flux

Area:

pool size of electron acceptors from PS2 (proportional to the oxidized plastoquinone pool)

Chl:

chlorophyll

CS:

leaf cross-section

DI:

dissipation flux

ET:

electron transport flux

EL:

electrolyte leakage from leaves

F0 :

fluorescence of dark-adapted leaves in time 0

Fm :

maximum fluorescence in dark-adapted leaves

Fv :

fluorescence change between F0 and Fm (Fv = Fm − F0)

Fv/Fm :

quantum efficiency of energy trapping in PS2 reaction centres

PIABS :

performance index based on the equal absorption

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PS2:

photosystem 2

QA :

primary quinone electron acceptor of PS2

QB :

secondary quinone electron acceptor of PS2

RC:

reaction centre

RC/CS0 and RC/CSm :

minimal and maximal densities of active reaction centres per leaf cross-section

TR:

energy flux for trapping

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  1. Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, Department of Plant Physiology, Agricultural University in Krakow, Podłużna 3, 30-239, Kraków, Poland

    M. Rapacz

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Rapacz, M. Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient during freezing and recovery in winter wheat. Photosynthetica 45, 409–418 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-007-0069-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-007-0069-2

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