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Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology
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Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2024) | Viewed by 9199

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Alexander G. Ivanov

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Photoexcitable Membranes, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad G. Bonchev Str., l. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
2. Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Str. N., London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
Interests: bioenergetics; chlorophyll fluorescence techniques; membrane biophysics; photosynthesis; physiological stress responses; thylakoid membranes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Wah Soon Chow

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Interests: photosystem II and photosystem I; photosynthetic electron transport; photoinhibition; chlorophyll fluorescence; chloroplast ultrastructure; salinity stress on photosynthesis; entropy effects on ultrastructure of chloroplasts; ion transport in photosynthesis
Dr. Alonso Zavafer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaak Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1 Canada
Interests: biological phenomena in photosynthetic organisms; design of biosensors and biosensing methods applied to agri/aquaculture; wastewater treatment using photobioprocessing; photobiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photosynthesis is a light-driven process through which photoautotrophs (cyanobacteria, algae and higher plants) convert and store solar energy in the form of energy-rich organic molecules, which, in turn, are the ultimate energy source for the growth and reproduction of all life forms on Earth. Photosynthesis spans from primary light-driven processes (light harvesting, excitation energy, charge separation) to the redox reactions that compose photosynthetic electron transport, all of which have the purpose of generating the reducing power for CO2 assimilation. The highly complex photosynthetic processes are orchestrated on the thylakoid membranes of cyanobacteria, algae and plants. Photosynthesis integrates a wide range of spatial and temporal scales that are dependent on thermodynamic/environmental constraints imposed on the photosynthetic apparatus by various abiotic/biotic (temperature, light intensity/quality, water and nutrient availability, herbivory, etc.) stresses. Various regulatory mechanisms (state transitions, non-photochemical quenching, photosynthetic control, etc.) occur within a wide timescale. All these mechanisms proceed via dynamic structural changes and/or re-organizations of the chloroplast grana/stroma, thylakoid membrane organization, thylakoid membrane dynamics and lipid phase transitions. In addition, lipid/protein interactions, the macro-organization of photosynthetic integral supercomplexes and peripheral proteins ensure the optimization of photosynthetic efficiency and protection of the photosynthetic apparatus in ever-changing environmental conditions. Considering the continuing global climate changes, it is vital to understand and predict the current and the future environmental challenges for improving photosynthesis. Such improvement will translate into an increase in productivity to meet the demand for crops of the growing world population. In the last decade, a wide range of advanced biophysical methods and innovative techniques have been developed for assessing the physiological and photosynthetic performance of various photoautotroph species from the molecular to ecosystem levels. In this Special Issue, the editors invite works aiming to advance the study of photosynthesis that shed light on some novel biophysical aspects of photosynthesis, such as the use of advanced molecular dynamics simulations in the primary processes of photosynthesis, the use of bio-spectroscopical tools such as magnetic resonance and remote hyperspectral imaging or works predicting and re-modeling the photosynthetic apparatus to enable it to better withstand the environmental challenges imposed by global climate changes. We also welcome research on physiological stress responses and their molecular mechanisms in all photosynthetic organisms.

Prof. Dr. Alexander G. Ivanov
Prof. Dr. Wah Soon Chow
Dr. Alonso Zavafer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • photosynthesis
  • biophysical techniques
  • chlorophyll–protein complexes
  • imaging technologies
  • molecular dynamics
  • thylakoid membranes
  • stress responses

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2414 KiB  
Article
Permanent Stress Adaptation and Unexpected High Light Tolerance in the Shade-Adapted Chlamydomonas priscui
by Devon Popson, Susanna D’Silva, Kaylie Wheeless and Rachael Morgan-Kiss
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2254; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162254 - 14 Aug 2024
Viewed by 719
Abstract
The Antarctic photopsychrophile, Chlamydomonas priscui UWO241, is adapted to extreme environmental conditions, including permanent low temperatures, high salt, and shade. During long-term exposure to this extreme habitat, UWO241 appears to have lost several short-term mechanisms in favor of constitutive protection against environmental stress. [...] Read more.
The Antarctic photopsychrophile, Chlamydomonas priscui UWO241, is adapted to extreme environmental conditions, including permanent low temperatures, high salt, and shade. During long-term exposure to this extreme habitat, UWO241 appears to have lost several short-term mechanisms in favor of constitutive protection against environmental stress. This study investigated the physiological and growth responses of UWO241 to high-light conditions, evaluating the impacts of long-term acclimation to high light, low temperature, and high salinity on its ability to manage short-term photoinhibition. We found that UWO241 significantly increased its growth rate and photosynthetic activity at growth irradiances far exceeding native light conditions. Furthermore, UWO241 exhibited robust protection against short-term photoinhibition, particularly in photosystem I. Lastly, pre-acclimation to high light or low temperatures, but not high salinity, enhanced photoinhibition tolerance. These findings extend our understanding of stress tolerance in extremophilic algae. In the past 2 decades, climate change-related increasing glacial stream flow has perturbed long-term stable conditions, which has been associated with lake level rise, the thinning of ice covers, and the expansion of ice-free perimeters, leading to perturbations in light and salinity conditions. Our findings have implications for phytoplankton survival and the response to change scenarios in the light-limited environment of Antarctic ice-covered lakes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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13 pages, 2065 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Photosynthetic Induction Is Significantly Affected by Light Environments of Local Leaves and Whole Plants in Oryza Genus
by Zhuang Xiong, Jian Xiao, Jinfang Zhao, Sicheng Liu, Desheng Yang, Dongliang Xiong, Kehui Cui, Shaobing Peng and Jianliang Huang
Plants 2024, 13(12), 1646; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13121646 - 14 Jun 2024
Viewed by 797
Abstract
Photosynthetic induction and stomatal kinetics are acknowledged as pivotal factors in regulating both plant growth and water use efficiency under fluctuating light conditions. However, the considerable variability in methodologies and light regimes used to assess the dynamics of photosynthesis (A) and [...] Read more.
Photosynthetic induction and stomatal kinetics are acknowledged as pivotal factors in regulating both plant growth and water use efficiency under fluctuating light conditions. However, the considerable variability in methodologies and light regimes used to assess the dynamics of photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) during light induction across studies poses challenges for comparison across species. Moreover, the influence of stomatal morphology on both steady-state and non-steady-state gs remains poorly understood. In this study, we show the strong impact of IRGA Chamber Illumination and Whole Plant Illumination on the photosynthetic induction of two rice species. Our findings reveal that these illuminations significantly enhance photosynthetic induction by modulating both stomatal and biochemical processes. Moreover, we observed that a higher density of smaller stomata plays a critical role in enhancing the stomatal opening and photosynthetic induction to fluctuating light conditions, although it exerts minimal influence on steady-state gs and A under constant light conditions. Therefore, future studies aiming to estimate photosynthetic induction and stomatal kinetics should consider the light environments at both the leaf and whole plant levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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16 pages, 4815 KiB  
Article
Photosynthetic Responses of Racomitrium japonicum L. to Strontium Stress Evaluated through Chlorophyll a Fluorescence OJIP Transient Analysis
by Hui Ren, Yunmei Lu, Yunlai Tang, Peng Ren, Hao Tang, Qunlong Chen, Peigang Kuang, Renhua Huang, Wenkun Zhu and Ke Chen
Plants 2024, 13(5), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13050591 - 22 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1092
Abstract
Nuclides pollution and its biological effects are of great concern, especially for bryophytes during their terrestrial adaptation. Understanding PSII activity and electron transport response is vital for comprehending moss abiotic stress reactions. However, little is known about the photosynthetic performance of moss under [...] Read more.
Nuclides pollution and its biological effects are of great concern, especially for bryophytes during their terrestrial adaptation. Understanding PSII activity and electron transport response is vital for comprehending moss abiotic stress reactions. However, little is known about the photosynthetic performance of moss under nuclide treatment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the chlorophyll fluorescence of Racomitrium japonicum L. The moss was subjected to Sr2+ solutions at concentrations of 5, 50, and 500 mg/L to evaluate chlorophyll a fluorescence using the OJIP test. Moderate and high Sr2+ stress led to inner cell membrane dissolution and reduced chlorophyll content, indicating impaired light energy absorption. At 5 mg/L Sr2+, fluorescence kinetics showed increased light energy capture, energy dissipation, and total photosynthetic driving force, thus stimulating transient photosynthetic activity of PSII and improving PSI reduction. Linear electron transfer and PSII stability significantly decreased under moderate and high Sr2+ stress, indicating potential photosynthetic center damage. Cyclic electron transfer (CEF) alleviated photosynthetic stress at 5 mg/L Sr2+. Thus, low Sr2+ levels stimulated CEF, adjusting energy flux and partitioning to protect the photosynthetic apparatus. Nevertheless, significant damage occurred due to inefficient protection under high Sr2+ stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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23 pages, 15831 KiB  
Article
The Fitting of the OJ Phase of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Induction Based on an Analytical Solution and Its Application in Urban Heat Island Research
by Tongxin Shi, Dayong Fan, Chengyang Xu, Guoming Zheng, Chuanfei Zhong, Fei Feng and Wah Soon Chow
Plants 2024, 13(3), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030452 - 3 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1554
Abstract
Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence induction (FI) upon a dark–light transition has been widely analyzed to derive information on initial events of energy conversion and electron transfer in photosystem II (PSII). However, currently, there is no analytical solution to the differential equation of QA [...] Read more.
Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence induction (FI) upon a dark–light transition has been widely analyzed to derive information on initial events of energy conversion and electron transfer in photosystem II (PSII). However, currently, there is no analytical solution to the differential equation of QA reduction kinetics, raising a doubt about the fitting of FI by numerical iteration solution. We derived an analytical solution to fit the OJ phase of FI, thereby yielding estimates of three parameters: the functional absorption cross-section of PSII (σPSII), a probability parameter that describes the connectivity among PSII complexes (p), and the rate coefficient for QA− oxidation (kox). We found that σPSII, p, and kox exhibited dynamic changes during the transition from O to J. We postulated that in high excitation light, some other energy dissipation pathways may vastly outcompete against excitation energy transfer from a closed PSII trap to an open PSII, thereby giving the impression that connectivity seemingly does not exist. We also conducted a case study on the urban heat island effect on the heat stability of PSII using our method and showed that higher-temperature-acclimated leaves had a greater σPSII, lower kox, and a tendency of lower p towards more shade-type characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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19 pages, 2246 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Changes in the Thylakoid Proteome of Cyanobacteria during Light-Regulated Thylakoid Membrane Development
by Fang Huang, Arturas Grauslys, Tuomas Huokko, Eva Caamaño Gutiérrez, Andrew R. Jones and Lu-Ning Liu
Plants 2023, 12(23), 3967; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233967 - 25 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1767
Abstract
Cyanobacteria were among the oldest organisms to undertake oxygenic photosynthesis and have an essential impact on the atmosphere and carbon/nitrogen cycles on the planet. The thylakoid membrane of cyanobacteria represents an intricate compartment that houses a variety of multi-component (pigment–)protein complexes, assembly factors, [...] Read more.
Cyanobacteria were among the oldest organisms to undertake oxygenic photosynthesis and have an essential impact on the atmosphere and carbon/nitrogen cycles on the planet. The thylakoid membrane of cyanobacteria represents an intricate compartment that houses a variety of multi-component (pigment–)protein complexes, assembly factors, and regulators, as well as transporters involved in photosynthetic light reactions, and respiratory electron transport. How these protein components are incorporated into membranes during thylakoid formation and how individual complexes are regulated to construct the functional machinery remains elusive. Here, we carried out an in-depth statistical analysis of the thylakoid proteome data obtained during light-induced thylakoid membrane biogenesis in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. A total of 1581 proteins were experimentally quantified, among which 457 proteins demonstrated statistically significant variations in abundance at distinct thylakoid biogenesis stages. Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that predominantly photosystems, light-harvesting antennae, ABC transporters, and pathway enzymes involved in oxidative stress responses and protein folding exhibited notable alternations in abundance between high light and growth light. Moreover, through cluster analysis the 1581 proteins were categorized into six distinct clusters that have significantly different trajectories of the change in their abundance during thylakoid development. Our study provides insights into the physiological regulation for the membrane integration of protein components and functionally linked complexes during the cyanobacterial TM biogenesis process. The findings and analytical methodologies developed in this study may be valuable for studying the global responses of TM biogenesis and photosynthetic acclimation in plants and algae. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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10 pages, 1314 KiB  
Communication
Coupling and Slips in Photosynthetic Reactions—From Femtoseconds to Eons
by Nathan Nelson
Plants 2023, 12(22), 3878; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12223878 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 877
Abstract
Photosynthesis stands as a unique biological phenomenon that can be comprehensively explored across a wide spectrum, from femtoseconds to eons. Across each timespan, a delicate interplay exists between coupling and inherent deviations that are essential for sustaining the overall efficiency of the system. [...] Read more.
Photosynthesis stands as a unique biological phenomenon that can be comprehensively explored across a wide spectrum, from femtoseconds to eons. Across each timespan, a delicate interplay exists between coupling and inherent deviations that are essential for sustaining the overall efficiency of the system. Both quantum mechanics and thermodynamics act as guiding principles for the diverse processes occurring from femtoseconds to eons. Processes such as excitation energy transfer and the accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, along with the proliferation of organic matter on the Earth’s surface, are all governed by the coupling–slip principle. This article will delve into select time points along this expansive scale. It will highlight the interconnections between photosynthesis, the global population, disorder, and the issue of global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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15 pages, 2697 KiB  
Article
Continuous Cropping Inhibits Photosynthesis of Polygonatum odoratum
by Yan Wang, Yunyun Zhou, Jing Ye, Chenzhong Jin and Yihong Hu
Plants 2023, 12(19), 3374; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193374 - 25 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1443
Abstract
Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce possesses widespread medicinal properties; however, the continuous cropping (CC) often leads to a severe consecutive monoculture problem (CMP), ultimately causing a decline in yield and quality. Photosynthesis is the fundamental process for plant growth development. Improving photosynthesis is one [...] Read more.
Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce possesses widespread medicinal properties; however, the continuous cropping (CC) often leads to a severe consecutive monoculture problem (CMP), ultimately causing a decline in yield and quality. Photosynthesis is the fundamental process for plant growth development. Improving photosynthesis is one of the most promising approaches to increase plant yields. To better understand how P. odoratum leaves undergo photosynthesis in response to CC, this study analyzed the physiochemical indexes and RNA-seq. The physiochemical indexes, such as the content of chlorophyll (chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll), light response curves (LRCs), and photosynthetic parameters (Fv/Fm, Fv/F0, Fm/F0, Piabs, ABS/RC, TRo/RC, ETo/RC, and DIo/RC) were all changed in P. odoratum under the CC system. Furthermore, 13,798 genes that exhibited differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified in the P. odoratum leaves of CC and first cropping (FC) plants. Among them, 7932 unigenes were upregulated, while 5860 unigenes were downregulated. Here, the DEGs encoding proteins associated with photosynthesis and carbon assimilation showed a significant decrease in expression under the CC system, such as the PSII protein complex, PSI protein complex, Cytochorome b6/f complex, the photosynthetic electron transport chain, light-harvesting chlorophyll protein complex, and Calvin cycle, etc., -related gene. This study demonstrates that CC can suppress photosynthesis and carbon mechanism in P. odoratum, pinpointing potential ways to enhance photosynthetic efficiency in the CC of plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Acclimation under Environmental Stress: Insights from Biophysics and Physiology)
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