scholarly journals The desert green algae Chlorella ohadii thrives at excessive high light intensities by exceptionally enhancing the mechanisms that protect photosynthesis from photoinhibition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Levin ◽  
Sharon Kulikovsky ◽  
Varda Liveanu ◽  
Benjamin Eichenbaum ◽  
Ayala Meir ◽  
...  

AbstractAlthough light is the driving force of photosynthesis, excessive light can be harmful. One of the main processes that limits photosynthesis is photoinhibition (PI), the process of light-induced photo-damage. When the absorbed light exceeds the amount that is dissipated by photosynthetic electron flow and other processes, damaging radicals are formed that mostly inactivate photosystem II (PSII). Damaged PSII must be replaced by a newly repaired complex in order to preserve full photosynthetic activity. Chlorella ohadii is a green micro-alga, isolated from biological soil crusts in the desert that thrive under extreme high light and is highly resistant to PI. Therefore, C. ohadii is an ideal candidate for study the molecular protection mechanisms from PI. To charac-terize these protection mechanisms in C. ohadii, we compared thylakoids of cells that were grown under low light versus extreme high light intensities. C. ohadii were found to employ all three known PI protection mechanisms: i) performance of massive reduction of the PSII antenna size; ii) accumulate protective carotenoids; and iii) possess a very fast repair cycle of photo-damaged reaction center proteins. This work elucidated the molecular mechanisms of photoinhibition resistance in one of the most light-tolerant photosynthetic organisms and shows how photoinhibition protection mechanisms evolved to marginal conditions enabling photosynthesis-dependent life in severe habitats.One Sentence HighlightAnalysis of the photosynthetic properties of a desert algae that thrives at extreme high light in-tensities reveals how protection from photoinhibition is achieved by a remarkable enhancement of three protection mechanisms.

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e8001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangnan Sun ◽  
Xiaomei Chi ◽  
Mingfang Yang ◽  
Jingyun Ding ◽  
Dongtao Shi ◽  
...  

Small sea urchins Strongylocentrotus intermedius (1–2 cm of test diameter) are exposed to different environments of light intensities after being reseeded to the sea bottom. With little information available about the behavioral responses of S. intermedius to different light intensities in the environment, we carried out an investigation on how S. intermedius is affected by three light intensity environments in terms of phototaxis, foraging and righting behaviors. They were no light (zero lx), low light intensity (24–209 lx) and high light intensity (252–2,280 lx). Light intensity had obvious different effects on phototaxis. In low light intensity, sea urchins moved more and spent significantly more time at the higher intensity (69–209 lx) (P = 0.046). S. intermedius in high light intensity, in contrast, spent significantly more time at lower intensity (252–690 lx) (P = 0.005). Unexpectedly, no significant difference of movement (average velocity and total distance covered) was found among the three light intensities (P > 0.05). Foraging behavior of S. intermedius was significantly different among the light intensities. In the no light environment, only three of ten S. intermedius found food within 7 min. In low light intensity, nine of 10 sea urchins showed successful foraging behavior to the food placed at 209 lx, which was significantly higher than the ratio of the number (two of 10) when food was placed at 24 lx (P = 0.005). In the high light intensity, in contrast, significantly less sea urchins (three of 10) found food placed at the higher light intensity (2,280 lx) compared with the lower light intensity (252 lx) (10/10, P = 0.003). Furthermore, S. intermedius showed significantly longer righting response time in the high light intensity compared with both no light (P = 0.001) and low light intensity (P = 0.031). No significant difference was found in righting behavior between no light and low light intensity (P = 0.892). The present study indicates that light intensity significantly affects phototaxis, foraging and righting behaviors of S. intermedius and that ~200 lx might be the appropriate light intensity for reseeding small S. intermedius.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Li ◽  
Junming Zhou ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
Changkao Mu ◽  
Ce Shi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Scylla paramamosain is one of the commercially crucial marine crustaceans belonging to the genus Scylla, which is commonly distributed along the coasts of China, Vietnam, and Japan. Genomic and transcriptomic data are scarce for the mud crab. Light intensity is one of the ecological factors that affect S. paramamosain during indoor overwintering. To understand the energy metabolism mechanism adapted to light intensity, we analyzed the transcriptome of S. paramamosain hepatopancreas in response to different light intensities (0, 1.43, 40.31 μmol·m− 2·s− 1). Results A total of 5052 differentially expressed genes were identified in low light group (LL group, 3104 genes were up-regulated and 1948 genes were down-regulated). A total of 7403 differentially expressed genes were identified in high light group (HL group, 5262 genes were up-regulated and 2141 genes were down-regulated). S. paramamosain adapts to different light intensity environments through the regulation of amino acids, fatty acids, carbon and energy metabolism. Different light intensities had a strong impact on the energy generation of S. paramamosain by influencing oxygen consumption rate, aerobic respiration, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and fatty acid degradation. Conclusion Low light is more conducive to the survival of S. paramamosain, which needs to produce and consume relatively less energy to sustain physiological activities. In contrast, S. paramamosain produced more energy to adapt to the pressure of high light intensities. The findings of the study add to the knowledge of regulatory mechanisms related to S. paramamosain metabolism under different light intensities.


1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (12) ◽  
pp. 1650-1659 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Chevallier ◽  
R. Douce ◽  
F. Nurit

The effect of DBMIB, antimycine A, and FCCP on respiration and photosynthesis of intact chlorophyllic moss (Funaria hygrometrica) spore was investigated.Antimycine A (1 μM) strongly inhibited dark respiration, was without effect on photosynthesis at high light intensities (above the saturation plateau values), and stimulated photosynthesis at low light intensities (below the saturation plateau values).DBMIB (3 μM) inhibited photosynthesis and was without effect, even under light conditions, on the dark respiration. Low amount of FCCP (3 μM) partially inhibited oxygen production at high light intensities. In this case, the inhibition observed was partially relieved by 1 μM antimycine A or 30 μM of KCN; higher concentration of FCCP totally inhibited the oxygen production.It seems likely, therefore, that in the chlorophyllic moss spore the cytochrome oxidase pathway is not functioning under high light intensities and that this inhibition of respiration is attributable to the low cytoplasmic ADP:ATP ratio.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (22) ◽  
pp. 7382-7392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuan Ching Foo ◽  
Alexandra J Burgess ◽  
Renata Retkute ◽  
Pracha Tree-Intong ◽  
Alexander V Ruban ◽  
...  

Abstract High light intensities raise photosynthetic and plant growth rates but can cause damage to the photosynthetic machinery. The likelihood and severity of deleterious effects are minimised by a set of photoprotective mechanisms, one key process being the controlled dissipation of energy from chlorophyll within PSII known as non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Although ubiquitous, the role of NPQ in plant productivity is important because it momentarily reduces the quantum efficiency of photosynthesis. Rice plants overexpressing and deficient in the gene encoding a central regulator of NPQ, the protein PsbS, were used to assess the effect of protective effectiveness of NPQ (pNPQ) at the canopy scale. Using a combination of three-dimensional reconstruction, modelling, chlorophyll fluorescence, and gas exchange, the influence of altered NPQ capacity on the distribution of pNPQ was explored. A higher phototolerance in the lower layers of a canopy was found, regardless of genotype, suggesting a mechanism for increased protection for leaves that experience relatively low light intensities interspersed with brief periods of high light. Relative to wild-type plants, psbS overexpressors have a reduced risk of photoinactivation and early growth advantage, demonstrating that manipulating photoprotective mechanisms can impact both subcellular mechanisms and whole-canopy function.


1959 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 252 ◽  
Author(s):  
RL Bieleski

A method for determining the effect of light on seedling distribution in the field is described. It can be applied when seedling frequencies are as low as 1/m2. The frequency distribution of light intensities occupied by seedlings in a quadrat is compared with the frequency distribution of light intensities measured on a grid in the quadrat. This method was used to study the effect of light intensity on the establishment of two New Zealand gymnosperms, kauri (Agathis australis) and Phyllocladus trichomanoides, in the nursery community, a semimature Leptospermum scoparium – L. ericoides associes. Kauri and Phyllocladus did not occur at light intensities below 0.015 and 0.018 full daylight respectively. This limitation appeared to be due to the low light intensity presumably limiting photosynthesis. Kauri, but not Phyllocladus, also showed a high light intensity limit, at 0.30 full daylight, above which seedlings did not establish. Reasons are given for considering this as an indirect effect, probably through related solar heating affecting soil temperature or moisture. The optimal light intensity for kauri and Phyllocladus seedling establishment was close to the modal light intensity under the Leptospermum community: Leptospermum spp. were incapable of regenerating under their own cover. These two reasons appear to explain the suitability of the Leptospermum community as a nurse crop for the two conifer seedling species.


1983 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marvin B. Seiger ◽  
Amelia Broach Sanner

Selection was carried out on a population of Drosophila pseudoobscura to obtain lines preferring high-light intensity or low-light intensity during oviposition. This species is generally characterized as preferring low-light intensities. It was possible to select for increased preference for high-light intensity, but not for low-light intensity during oviposition. However, additive genetic variability exists in preferences for both high- and low-light intensities. The original population was probably operating at a photonegative extreme for oviposition, yet maintained enough genetic variability to permit selection toward a photopositive preference.


mSystems ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Fixen ◽  
Yasuhiro Oda ◽  
Caroline S. Harwood

ABSTRACT Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a phototrophic purple nonsulfur bacterium that adapts its photosystem to allow growth at a range of light intensities. It does this by adjusting the amount and composition of peripheral light-harvesting (LH) antenna complexes that it synthesizes. Rhodopseudomonas strains are notable for containing numerous sets of light-harvesting genes. We determined the diversity of LH complexes and their transcript levels during growth under high and low light intensities in 20 sequenced genomes of strains related to the species Rhodopseudomonas palustris. The data obtained are a resource for investigators with interests as wide-ranging as the biophysics of photosynthesis, the ecology of phototrophic bacteria, and the use of photosynthetic bacteria for biotechnology applications. Many photosynthetic bacteria have peripheral light-harvesting (LH) antenna complexes that increase the efficiency of light energy capture. The purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris produces different types of LH complexes under high light intensities (LH2 complex) and low light intensities (LH3 and LH4 complexes). There are multiple pucBA operons that encode the α and β peptides that make up these complexes. However, low-resolution structures, amino acid similarities between the complexes, and a lack of transcription analysis have made it difficult to determine the contributions of different pucBA operons to the composition and function of different LH complexes. It was also unclear how much diversity of LH complexes exists in R. palustris and affiliated strains. To address this, we undertook an integrative genomics approach using 20 sequenced strains. Gene content analysis revealed that even closely related strains have differences in their pucBA gene content. Transcriptome analyses of the strains grown under high light and low light revealed that the patterns of expression of the pucBA operons varied among strains grown under the same conditions. We also found that one set of LH2 complex proteins compensated for the lack of an LH4 complex under low light intensities but not under extremely low light intensities, indicating that there is functional redundancy between some of the LH complexes under certain light intensities. The variation observed in LH gene composition and expression in Rhodopseudomonas strains likely reflects how they have evolved to adapt to light conditions in specific soil and water microenvironments. IMPORTANCE Rhodopseudomonas palustris is a phototrophic purple nonsulfur bacterium that adapts its photosystem to allow growth at a range of light intensities. It does this by adjusting the amount and composition of peripheral light-harvesting (LH) antenna complexes that it synthesizes. Rhodopseudomonas strains are notable for containing numerous sets of light-harvesting genes. We determined the diversity of LH complexes and their transcript levels during growth under high and low light intensities in 20 sequenced genomes of strains related to the species Rhodopseudomonas palustris. The data obtained are a resource for investigators with interests as wide-ranging as the biophysics of photosynthesis, the ecology of phototrophic bacteria, and the use of photosynthetic bacteria for biotechnology applications.


1972 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1825-1828 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Takahashi ◽  
K. Shiokawa ◽  
S. Ichimura

Photosynthetic characteristics of a purple sulfur bacterium, Chromatium, strain D, cultured under various light intensities were examined. With a decrease in the light intensity used for culture, the bacteriochlorophyll a content per unit cell nitrogen increased. Also, at low light intensities, the rate of photosynthesis (per unit bacteriochlorophyll a) was higher in samples grown under low light than in those grown under high light. These two responses to low light intensity are adaptations that ensure a high photosynthetic rate for the purple sulfur bacterium that usually occurs in a dimly lit environment. Possible chemical and structural mechanisms involved are discussed.


1954 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 578
Author(s):  
F Skaller ◽  
TE Allen ◽  
BL Sheldon

Fowls kept in individual laying cages may be exposed to very different intensities of daylight according to the position of the cage in relation ta the source of light. Daylight-intensity readings in two buildings housing laying-cage batteries varied from 1-8 ft. candles at 4.30 p.m. and 7-11 ft. candles at 9.30 a.m., in positions of low light, to 16-35 ft. candles at 4.30 p.m. and 65-172 ft. candles at 9.30 a.m. in positions of high light. Analysis of records from 170 pullets from selected positions showed no significant difference among egg production of birds exposed to this range of light intensities,


1979 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 932-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carl Fedtke

Abstract Among the adaptory responses of plants to different ecological conditions the adaptation to low light intensities is one of the most important. This response, known as “shade adaptation”, may, however, be similarly induced by decreasing the rate of photosynthesis in other ways. The partial inhibition of photosynthetic electron flow with herbicides has clearly been shown to induce shade- type plants; in the case of photosynthetic limitation by decreased CO2-availability only certain aspects of the shade-type metabolism - namely the changes occurring in the nitrogen metabolism - have been demonstrated.


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