Changes in various components of photosynthetic apparatus during the 6-d dark incubation at 25 °C of detached control and DCMU-treated Triticum aestivum L. leaves were examined. The rate of photosystem 2 (PS2) activity was decreased with increase of the time of dark incubation in control leaves. In contrast to this, DCMU-treated leaves demonstrated high stability by slowing down the inactivation processes. Diphenyl carbazide and NH2OH restored the PS2 activity more in control leaves than in DCMU-treated leaves. Mn2+ failed to restore the PS2 activity in both control and DCMU-treated samples. Similar results were obtained when Fv/Fm was evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements. The marked loss of PS2 activity in dark incubated control leaves was primarily due to the loss of D1, 33, and 23 kDa extrinsic polypeptides and 28-25 kDa LHCP2 polypeptides. and N. Nedunchezhian, K. Muthuchelian, M. Bertamini.
The contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and carotenoids (Car) per fresh mass were lower in shade needles than in sun needles. Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBPC) activity and contents of soluble proteins were also significantly lower in shade needles. In isolated thylakoids, a marked lower rate of whole chain and photosystem (PS) 2 activities were observed in shade needles. Smaller lower rate of PS1 activity was also observed in shade needles. The artificial exogenous electron donors, diphenyl carbazide (DPC) and NH2OH, significantly restored the loss of PS2 activity in shade needles. Similar results were obtained when Fv/Fm was evaluated by Chl fluorescence measurements. The marked lower rate of PS2 activity in shade needles was due to the lower contents of 47, 33, 28-25, 23, and 17 kDa polypeptides. This conclusion was confirmed by immunological studies showing that the content of the 33 kDa protein of the watersplitting complex was diminished significantly in shade needles. and M. Bertamini, K. Muthuchelian, N. Nedunchezhian.