Chlorophyll fluorescence in the resurrection plant Selaginella lepidophylla (Hook. & Grev.) Spring during high-light and desiccation stress, and evidence for zeaxanthin-associated photoprotection

• Published in: Planta 1993-01, Vol.189 (1), p.30-38
• Main Authors: Eickmeier, William G., Casper, Catharina, Osmond, C. Barry
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Chlorophylls; Dehydration; Flood damage; Fluorescence; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Leaves; Metabolism; Photosynthesis, respiration. Anabolism, catabolism; Plant physiology and development; Plants; Pretreatment; Resurrection; Stems; Xanthophylls
• ISSN: 0032-0935; 1432-2048
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00201340

The function of photosystem (PS)II during desiccation and exposure to high photon flux density (PFD) was investigated via analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence in the desert resurrection plant Selaginella lepidophylla (Hook. and Grev.) Spring. Exposure of hydrated, physiologically competent stems to 2000 μmol·m-2·s-1 PFD caused significant reductions in both intrinsic fluorescence yield (FO) and photochemical efficiency of PSII (FV/FM) but recovery to pre-exposure values was rapid under low PFD. Desiccation under low PFD also affected fluorescence characteristics. Both FV/FM and photochemical fluorescence quenching remained high until about 40% relative water content and both then decreased rapidly as plants approached 0% relative water content. In contrast, the maximum fluorescence yield (FM) decreased and non-photochemical fluorescence quenching increased early during desiccation. In plants dried at high PFD, the decrease in FV/FM was accentuated and FO was reduced, however, fluorescence characteristics returned to near pre-exposure values after 24-h of rehydration and recovery at low PFD. Pretreatment of stems with dithiothreitol, an inhibitor of zeaxanthin synthesis, accelerated the decline in FV/FM and significantly increased FO relative to controls at 925 μmol·m-2·s-1 PFD, and the differences persisted over a 3-h low-PFD recovery period. Pretreatment with dithiothreitol also significantly decreased non-photochemical fluorescence quenching, increased the reduction state of QA, the primary electron acceptor of PSII, and prevented the synthesis of zeaxanthin relative to controls when stems were exposed to PFDs in excess of 250 μmol·m-2·s-1. These results indicate that a zeaxanthin-associated mechanism of photoprotection exists in this desert pteridophyte that may help to prevent photoinhibitory damage in the fully hydrated state and which may play an additional role in protecting PSII as thylakoid membranes undergo water loss.