Abstract
Green photosynthetic stems are often responsible for photosynthesis due to the reduction of leaves in arid and hot climates. We studied the response of PSII activity to high irradiance in the photosynthetic stems of Hexinia polydichotoma in the Taklimakan Desert by analysis of the fast fluorescence transients (OJIP). Leaf clips of a chlorophyll fluorometer were used in conjunction with a sponge with a 4-mm-width groove to prevent light leakage for precise in vivo measurements. High irradiance reduced performance indices, illustrating the photoinhibition of PSII to some extent. However, the decrease in active reaction centers (RC) per PSII absorption area and maximum quantum yield indicated a partial inactivation of RCs and an increase in excitation energy dissipation, resulting in downregulation of photosynthetic excitation pressure. In addition, the increased efficiency of electron transport to PSI acceptors alleviated overexcitation energy pressure on PSII. These mechanisms protected the PSII apparatus as well as PSI against damages from excessive excitation energy. We suggested that H. polydichotoma exhibited rather photoadaptation than photodamage when exposed to high irradiance during the summer in the Taklimakan Desert. The experiment also demonstrated that the modified leaf clip can be used for studying dark adaptation in a photosynthetic stem.
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Abbreviations
- ABS/RC:
-
average absorbed photon flux per PSII reaction center
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- DIo/RC:
-
dissipated energy flux per PSII
- ETo/RC:
-
electron transport flux from QA to QB
- HI:
-
high irradiance
- LI:
-
low irradiance
- PIabs :
-
performance index for energy conservation from photons absorbed by PSII antenna to the reduction of QB
- PItotal :
-
performance index for energy conservation from photons absorbed by PSII antenna to the reduction of PSI acceptors
- RC:
-
reaction center
- REo/RC:
-
electron transport flux until PSI acceptors per PSII
- TRo/RC:
-
maximum trapped excitation flux per PSII
- φDo :
-
dissipated energy flux
- φEo :
-
quantum yield of the electron transport flux from QA to QB
- φPo :
-
maximum quantum yield of primary PSII photochemistry
- φRo :
-
quantum yield of the electron transport flux until the PSI electron acceptors
- δRo :
-
efficiency with which an electron from QB is transferred until PSI acceptors
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Acknowledgements: The work was financially supported by National Key Science and Technology Support Program of China (No. 2009BAC54B04) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31070468; 41271494). We thank to two anonymous reviewers and the editor for their valuable suggestions.
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Li, L., Zhou, Z., Liang, J. et al. In vivo evaluation of the high-irradiance effects on PSII activity in photosynthetic stems of Hexinia polydichotoma . Photosynthetica 53, 621–624 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0136-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0136-z