Carotenoids (Car) regulate energy flow in photosynthesis by a specific Car-chlorophyll (Chl) interaction in the singlet-excited states, leading to a reduction in Chl fluorescence. We studied quenching of Chl a-fluorescence in benzene by trans-β-carotene. Non-linear analysis of the quenching process enables to explain the possible molecular mechanism leading to the de-excitation of Chl a. The fluorescence intensity was measured at 670 nm for excitation wavelengths of 380, 430, 640, and 650 nm. The β -carotene concentrations ranged from 4×10-5 M to 5×10-3 M. When the samples were excited at 640 and 650 nm, the Stern-Volmer plots showed that the quenching process has high rate constants, hence β-carotene is a very efficient quencher. Two different types of quenching process could take place. and D. M. Gazdaru, B. Iorga.
To investigate whether brassinosteroids (BRs) could be used to alleviate chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L) during chilling and subsequent recovery, the effects of exogenously applied 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) on gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and antioxidant enzyme activity were studied. Cucumber plants were exposed to chilling under low light (12/8°C and 100 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD) for 3 days and then recovered under normal temperature and high irradiance (28/18°C and 600 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD) for 6 days. Chilling significantly decreased the net photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (g s), and increased rate of O2 .- formation and H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in cucumber leaves, but did not influence the optimal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm). Chilling also decreased the effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII) and photochemical quenching (qP), but induced an increase in nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). High irradiance (600 μmol m-2 s-1) further aggravated the decrease in PN, gs, ΦPSII and qP, and enhanced the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and accumulation in the first day of recovery after chilling. However, high irradiance induced a sharp decrease in Fv/Fm and NPQ, as well as the activities of SOD and APX on the first day of recovery. EBR pretreatment significantly alleviated chill-induced inhibition of photosynthesis during chilling stress and subsequent recovery period, which was mainly due to significant increases in gs, ΦPSII, qP and NPQ. EBR pretreatment also reduced ROS generation and accumulation, and increased the activities of SOD and APX during chilling and subsequent recovery. Those results suggest that EBR pretreatment alleviates the chill reduction in photosynthesis and accelerated the recovery rate mainly by increasing of the stomatal conductance, the efficiency of utilization and dissipation of leaf absorbed light, and the activity of the ROS scavenging system during chilling and subsequent recovery period. and W. H. Hu ... [et al.].
We studied changes in the chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence components in chilling-stressed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) cv. Tainung 57 (TN57, chilling-tolerant) and cv. Tainung 66 (TN66, chilling-susceptible). Plants under 12-h photoperiod and 400 µmol m-2 s-1 irradiance at 24/20 °C (day/night) were treated by a 5-d chilling period at 7/7 °C. Compared to TN66, TN57 exhibited a significantly greater basic Chl fluorescence (F0), maximum fluorescence (Fm), maximum fluorescence yield during actinic irradiation (Fm' ), and the quantum efficiency of electron transport through photosystem 2, PS2 (ΦPS2). Chilling stress resulted in decrease in the potential efficiency of PS2 (Fv/Fm), ΦPS2, non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (NPQ), non-photochemical quenching (qN), and the occurrence of chilling injury in TN66. Chilling increased the likelihood of photoinhibition, characterized by a decline in the Chl fluorescence of both cultivars, and photoinhibition during low temperature stress generally occurred more rapidly in TN66. and K. H. Lin, W. C. Hwang, H. F. Lo.
A long growing season, mediated by the ability to grow at low temperatures early in the season, can result in higher yields in biomass of crop Miscanthus. In this paper, the chilling tolerance of two highly productive Miscanthus genotypes, the widely planted Miscanthus × giganteus and the Miscanthus sinensis genotype ‘Goliath’, was studied. Measurements in the field as well as under controlled conditions were combined with the main purpose to create basic comparison tools in order to investigate chilling tolerance in Miscanthus in relation to its field performance. Under field conditions, M. × giganteus was higher yielding and had a faster growth rate early in the growing season. Correspondingly, M. × giganteus displayed a less drastic reduction of the leaf elongation rate and of net photosynthesis under continuous chilling stress conditions in the growth chamber. This was accompanied by higher photochemical quenching and lower nonphotochemical quenching in M. × giganteus than that in M. sinensis ‘Goliath’ when exposed to chilling temperatures. No evidence of impaired stomatal conductance or increased use of alternative electron sinks was observed under chilling stress. Soluble sugar content markedly increased in both genotypes when grown at 12°C compared to 20°C. The concentration of raffinose showed the largest relative increase at 12°C, possibly serving as a protection against chilling stress. Overall, both genotypes showed high chilling tolerance for C4 plants, but M. × giganteus performed better than M. sinensis ‘Goliath’. This was not due to its capacity to resume growth earlier in the season but rather due to a higher growth rate and higher photosynthetic efficiency at low temperatures., S. Fonteyne, P. Lootens, H. Muylle, W. van den Ende, T. de Swaef, D. Reheul, I. Roldan-Ruiz., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
We compared the sensitivity to cold stress, in terms of photosynthetic capacity and changes in chlorophyll fluorescence of photosystem 2 (PS2), of an evergreen and a deciduous oak species, which co-occur in the southeastern United States. We predicted that the evergreen species, Quercus virginiana, which must endure winter, is likely to have an inherently greater capacity for energy dissipation and to be less susceptible to chilling stress than the deciduous species, Quercus michauxii. Short-term cold stress in both species lead to greater than 50 % reduction in maximum photosynthetic rates, 60-70 % reduction in electron transport, and irreversible quenching of PS2 fluorescence. The kinetics of recovery in the dark after exposure to 1 h high irradiance (1000 µmol m-2 s-1) and chilling (5 °C) showed that the evergreen Q. virginiana exhibited more protective qE and less irreversible quenching (qI) than the deciduous Q. michauxii. The large qE which we observed in Q. virginiana suggests that the capacity for photoprotection at low temperatures is not induced by a long-term acclimation to cold but preexists in evergreen leaves. This capacity may contribute to the ability of this species to maintain leaves during the winter. and J. Cavender-Bares ... [et al.].
This work aimed to evaluate if chilling stress may be mitigated by elevated CO2 (EC) in Beta vulgaris L. plants. Photosynthetic rate was measured at 21% and 2% O2 after a short-term exposure of 5 h at four different treatments: 360 μmol(CO2) mol-1/25°C (AC); 360 μmol(CO2) mol-1/4°C (AC+LT); 700 μmol(CO2) mol-1/25°C (EC); 700 μmol(CO2) mol-1/4°C (EC+LT). Compared to AC+LT, EC+LT plants showed higher values of CO2 fixation, photochemical activity, and Rubisco amount. These latter invest a higher portion of photosynthetic electron flow to O2, differently from AC+LT plants that promote the regulated thermal dissipation processes. In EC+LT plants, the photosynthetic electron flow to O2 acts as a safety mechanism against the excess of absorbed light, upon return to prechilling conditions, allowing photosynthetic apparatus to maintain its efficiency. In AC+LT plants, the increase of thermal dissipation processes was not adequate to guarantee the PSII photoprotection and the photosynthetic recovery after chilling., C. Arena, L. Vitale., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Simultaneous measurements of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence and photosynthetic O2 evolution {P^ in leaf disks from Vicia faba (cv. Reina Blanca) leaves were doně during the first weeks of growth in order to evaluate the damage caused by methabenzthiazuron (MBT) under field conditions. The plants were treated at preemergence with two doses of MBT (0.25 .and 0,40 g m'^). Measurements were carried out at constant temperature and saturating CO2 concentration. During the first weeks after plant emergence both doses of herbicide were followed by a drop in and in some fluorescence parameters, such as Fy/Fn, and AF/Fn,' ratios, and in photochemical and non-photochemical quenching, qp and q^. At the same time, increases in minimal fluorescence (Fq and Fq') and in maximal (Fj„') and steady-state fluorescence (Fj) were aiso observed on application of saturating pulses. Fluorescence parameters gave a better indication of the damage caused to the photosynthetic systém than the measurements. The linear relationship found between OO2 and the effective quantum yield, AF/Fn,', suggests that the latter is a good measure of the quantum efficiency of photosynthesis in herbicide-treated plants. Moreover, plant tissues detoxified the herbicide and, one month after plant emergence, photosynthesis was fully recovered in herbicide-treated plants; biomass production recovered and even increased at the end of the growth period.
The effect of inorganic (IC) depletion on fluorescence quenching was studied under laboratory conditions using the chlorococcal alga Scenedesmus quadricauda strain Greifswald/15. The absence of IC caused a decrease in photochemical quenching (^p), fluorescence yield and the photosystem 2 photochemical yield (dF/F^), and an increase of non-photochemical quenching {q^). High extemal pH (about 11), which accompanies the IC-depletion, did not háve any remarkable effect on the algae. Fluorescence parameters were reversed by a resupply of CO2. The IC-defícient algae when exposed to high irradiance appeared to be less sensitive to the photoinhibition than the algae supplied with CO2. Increased thermal dissipation of the excitation energy (non-photochemical quenching) in the absence of IC is one of the probable protective mechanisms against photoinhibitory damage.