Photosynthesis in iron-deficient soybean and maize leaves decreased drastically. The quantum yield of photosystem 2 (PS2) electron transport (ΦPS2), the efficiency of excitation energy capture by open PS2 reaction centres (Fv'/Fm'), and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP) under high irradiance were lowered significantly by iron deficiency, but non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) increased markedly. The analysis of the polyphasic rise of fluorescence transient showed that iron depletion induced a pronounced K step both in soybean and maize leaves. The maximal quantum yield of PS2 photochemistry (Φpo) decreased only slightly, however, the efficiency with which a trapped exciton can move an electron into the electron transport chain further than QA (Ψ0) and the quantum yield of electron transport beyond QA (ΨEo) in iron deficient leaves decreased more significantly compared with that in control. Thus not only the donor side but also the acceptor of PS2 was probably damaged in iron deficient soybean and maize leaves. and Chuang-Dao Jiang, Hui-Yuan Gao, Qi Zou.
Pigment contents of chloroplasts and net photosynthetic rate were dramatically reduced in maize leaves suffering from iron deficiency. However, the reduction in photosynthesis was probably not caused by decreased contents of chlorophylls and carotenoids and by photon absorption; the primary limiting factor for photosynthesis may rather be the decrease of electron transport activity in photosystem 1. Iron-deficient leaves suffered serious acceptor-side photoinhibition, and more than 60 % of absorbed photons were dissipated, while less than 40 % was used in photochemical reaction. Thermal energy dissipation depending on xanthophyll cycle and D1 protein turnover was enhanced when acceptor-side photoinhibition occurred in iron-deficient maize leaves. and Chuang-Dao Jiang, Hui-Yuan Gao, Qi Zou.