Nitrogen (N) starvation resulted in degreening, inhibition of photosynthetic oxygen evolution and dark respiration, reduced survival, and increased age-specific mortality in both Chlorella fusca and Chlorella vulgaris. Analysis of in vivo chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence induction kinetics revealed the presence of N-starvation-induced changes at the level of degreened thylakoids in both species. These changes included decreased yield of the photochemistry of photosystem 2 (PS2), and a declined photosynthetic efficiency. Synthesis of secondary carotenoids represented a biochemical change in carotenogenesis that had a photoprotective effect in degreened C. fusca. This inferred photoprotection was reflected in the delayed inhibition of oxygen evolution and improved survival of C. fusca under N-starvation. The effect was further elucidated by comparison with C. vulgaris which was not able to synthesize secondary carotenoids under the same conditions.
Changes in the content of pigments and rate of photosynthesis in Azolla microphylla Kaulf. fronds were measured during growth under solar and ultraviolet-C (UV-C) supplemented solar radiation. Maximum content of total chlorophyll (Chl) was observed on the 13th day (termination of the experiment) of treatment in both control and treated plants. The treated plants had significantly lower total Chl and carotenoid contents than the control plants during the 1st day of growth. After the 4th day of exposure to UV-C supplemented solar radiation, the Chl and carotenoids accumulation increased in treated plants, so that the pigment concentration in the treated fronds was nearer to the control values after the 13th day of treatment. Significant increase in UV absorbing pigments, anthocyanins, and flavonoids was observed at the 13th day of treatment. In spite of the roughly similar photosynthetic pigment concentration, the photosynthetic activity measured as the rate of electron transport at photosystem 2 was only 65 % of the control values after 13 d of UV-C exposure. and M. Jayakumar ... [et al.].
Elevated temperature inhibited the accumulation of chlorophyll and photosynthetic proteins, and the development of photochemical activity, however, carotenoids continued to accumulate. Signal transduction pathway involved in protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase was unaffected by elevated temperature of 38°C. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of stroma proteins showed similar patterns in the dark-grown seedlings and seedlings irradiated at elevated temperature, although some low molecular mass proteins accumulated at 38°C. In contrast, seedlings irradiated at 25°C showed complex pattern of proteins. Hence the development of chloroplast and its associated functions during irradiation of etiolated seedlings are inhibited by elevated temperature. and A. K. Singh, G. S. Singhal.
The acclimation depression of capacity of photon utilisation in photochemical reactions of photosystem 2 (PS2) can develop already after three months of cultivation of the Norway spruces (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) under elevated concentrations of CO2 (i.e., ambient, AC, + 350 µmol(CO2) mol-1 = EC) in glass domes with adjustable windows. To examine the role that duration of EC plays in acclimation response, we determined pigment contents, rate of photosynthesis, and parameters of chlorophyll a fluorescence for sun and shade needles after three seasons of EC exposure. We found responses of shaded and exposed needles to EC. Whereas the shaded needles still profited from the EC and revealed stimulated electron transport, for the exposed needles the stimulation of both electron transport activity and irradiance saturated rate of CO2 assimilation (PNmax) under EC already disappeared. No signs of the PS2 impairment were observed as judged from high values of potential quantum yield of PS2 photochemistry (FV/FM) and uniform kinetics of QA reoxidation for all variants. Therefore, the long-term acclimation of the sun-exposed needles to EC is not necessarily accompanied with the damage to the PS2 reaction centres. The eco-physiological significance of the reported differentiation between the responses of shaded and sun exposed needles to prolonged EC may be in changed contribution of the upper and lower crown layers to the production activity of the tree. Whereas for the AC spruces, PNmax of shaded needles was only less than 25 % compared to exposed ones, for the EC spruces the PNmax of shaded needles reached nearly 40 % of that estimated for the exposed ones. Thus, the lower shaded part of the crown may become an effective consumer of CO2. and J. Kalina ... [et al.].
We investigated the strategies of four co-occurring evergreen woody species Quercus ilex, Quercus coccifera, Pinus halepensis, and Juniperus phoenicea to cope with Mediterranean field conditions. For that purpose, stem water potential, gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, and Chl and carotenoid (Car) contents were examined. We recognized two stress periods along the year, winter with low precipitation and low temperatures that led to chronic photoinhibition, and summer, when drought coincided with high radiation, leading to an increase of dynamic photoinhibition and a decrease of pigment content. Summer photoprotection was related to non-photochemical energy dissipation, electron flow to alternative sinks other than photosynthesis, decrease of Chl content, and proportional increase of Car content. Water potential of trees with deep vertical roots (Q. coccifera, Q. ilex, and P. halepensis) mainly depended on precipitation, whereas water potential of trees with shallow roots (J. phoenicea) depended not only on precipitation but also on ambient temperature. and F. J. Baquedano, F. J. Castillo.
The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on growth and photosynthetic activities were investigated in fronds of the aquatic fern Azolla microphylla Kaulf. The fronds were exposed to UV-B radiation intermittently once in 3 d during 12 d. Biomass and relative growth rate of UV-B treated Azolla plants and the heterocyst frequency of the UV-B treated symbiont decreased resulting in an increase in doubling time over the control. The doubling time was 3.08 d for control and 3.35 d for UV-B irradiated plants. Chl and carotenoid contents per unit fresh mass and photosystem 2 (PS2) activity also decreased under UV-B treatment. Measurements of photosynthetic activity in terms of fluorescence kinetics and PS2 mediated O2 evolution showed that the aquatic fern Azolla is sensitive to UV-B damage. and M. Jayakumar ... [et al.].
The protein secondary structure and pigments' microenvironment in photosystem 1 (PS1) complexes were studied in the temperature range of 25-80 °C using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, respectively. Quantitative analysis of the component bands of the amide I band (1 700-1 600 cm-1) showed no significant change below 50 °C. However, apparent conformational changes occurred at 60 °C and further continued at 70 and 80 °C accompanied with transitions of secondary structure mainly from α-helix to the β-sheet structures. CD analysis demonstrated that the regular arrangement, viz. protein microenvironment of pigments of PS1 complexes, was destroyed by heat treatment which might come from the changes of protein secondary structure of PS1. The CD signals at 645 nm contributed by chlorophyll (Chl) b of light-harvesting complex 1 (LHC1) were easily destroyed at the beginning of heat treatment (25-60 °C). When temperature reached 70 and 80 °C, the CD signals at 478 nm contributed mainly by Chl b of LHC1 and 498 nm contributed by carotenoids decreased most rapidly, indicating that LHC1 was more sensitive to high temperature than core complexes. In addition, the oxygen uptake rate decreased by 90.81 % at 70 °C and was lost completely at 80 °C showing that heat treatment damaged the regular function of PS1 complexes. This may be attributed to heat-induced changes of pigment microenvironment and protein secondary structure, especially transmembrane α-helix located in PsaA/B of PS1. and Z.-H. Hu ... [et al.].
In soybean seedlings, Cd2+ affected growth and inhibited photosynthesis. Both the length and fresh mass decreased more in roots than in shoots. Cd2+ stress caused an increase in ratio of chlorophyll (Chl) (a+b)/b by 1.3 fold and ratio of total xanthophylls/β-carotene by 3 fold compared to the control. A reduced activity of photosystem 2 by about 85 % measured in Cd2+-treated chloroplasts was associated with a dramatic quenching of fluorescence emission intensity, with a band shift of 4 nm. A major suppression of absorption was accompanied with shift in peaks in the visible region of the spectrum. In Cd2+-treated chloroplasts a selective decline in linolenic acid (18:3), the most unsaturated fatty acid of chloroplasts, paralleled with the ten fold enhancement in ethylene production. A three fold increase in peroxidase activity was found in chloroplasts treated with Cd2+ compared to the control . Addition of 1 mM glutathione (GSH) counteracted all the retardation effects in soybean seedling growth induced by Cd2+. Thus GSH may control the Cd2+ growth inhibition as it detoxifies Cd2+ by reducing its concentration in the cytoplasm and removing hydrogen peroxide generated in chloroplasts.
The combined effects of water stress (WS) and low irradiance (LI) on growth, photosynthesis, osmotic adjustment, and lipid peroxidation were studied in dragon spruce (Picea asperata Mast.) seedlings grown under two water treatments (well watered, 100 % of field capacity, and water stressed, 30 % of field capacity) and two irradiances (HI, 100 % of full sunlight and LI, 15 % of full sunlight). WS reduced growth, chlorophyll (Chl) a and b contents, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and effective quantum yield of photosystem 2 (Y) but increased free proline and malondialdehyde contents. LI increased Chl contents and decreased Y, photochemical quenching (qP), and non-photochemical quenching (qN) under both water treatments. Hence the seedlings in the understory were more sensitive to drought than to LI. and Y. Yang ... [et al.].
Changes in pigment composition and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters were studied in 20 year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees grown in environment-controlled chambers and subjected to ambient conditions (CON), doubled ambient CO2 concentration (EC), elevated temperature (ambient +2-6 °C, ET), or a combination of EC and ET (ECT) for four years. EC did not significantly alter the optimal photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS2; Fv/Fm), or Chl a+b content during the main growth season (days 150-240) but it reduced Fv/Fm and the Chl a+b content and increased the ratio of total carotenoids to Chl a+b during the 'off season'. By contrast, ET significantly enhanced the efficiency of PS2 in terms of increases in Fv/Fm and Chl a+b content throughout the year, but with more pronounced enhancement in the 'off season'. The reduction in Fv/Fm during autumn could be associated with the CO2-induced earlier yellowing of the leaves, whereas the temperature-stimulated increase in the photochemical efficiency of PS2 during the 'off season' could be attributed to the maintenance of a high sink capacity. The pigment and fluorescence responses in the case of ECT showed a similar pattern to that for ET, implying the importance of the temperature factor in future climate changes in the boreal zone. and K. Y. Wang, S. Kellomäki, T. Zha.