Effects of low temperature on photochemical and non-photochemical energy dissipation of Kobresia pygmaea leaves

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2022.0227

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Kobresia pygmaea is a typical low temperature-tolerant arid mesophyte, and mainly distributes at low slope and high mountains ranging from 3 000 to 5 960 m on the Qingzang Plateau. Low temperature is a frequently occurring abiotic stress factor during the plants growing season on the Qingzang Plateau. The objectives of this study were to analyze the photochemical and non-photochemical energy distribution characteristics of the photosystem II (PSII) reaction center of K. pygmaea leaves, and explore their quenching protection mechanism in response to low temperature stress.

Methods Turf blocks (30 cm × 30 cm) of K. pygmaea meadow were collected from the Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station of the Resource of Three Rivers, moved and kept in a culture room with air temperature of 24 °C/18 °C (day/night) at a diurnal photoperiod of 12 h and relative humidity of 45%; being irradiated with artificial LED light source of 500 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ light intensity. When the turf black had been kept in culture room for one day, the measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence were performed immediately using chlorophyll fluorescence imager with built-in protocol. The trial of light response curves at different leaf temperatures, temperature response at a steady-state light intensity and light-temperature interaction effects were performed at controlled temperature using thermostatic control instruments. Based on the “Lake Model”, the relative variation of the PSII actual photochemical efficiency (Φ_PSII), the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (Φ_NPQ) and non-regulated energy dissipation (Φ_NO) were investigated. Furthermore, the interaction effects of low temperature and high light intensity was analyzed by two-way ANOVA of the general linear model (GLM).

Important findings The maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (F_v/F_m and 1/F_o - 1/F_m) were higher at 10 °C and their coefficient of variation (CV) was smaller relative to other temperatures. The rapid light-response curves of the PSII relative electron transfer rate (rETR) showed a downward as a whole with the decreasing of temperature, and their initial slope (α) also decreased accordingly. Low temperature caused a decrease in Φ_PSII and Φ_NO, and an increase in Φ_NPQ, accompanied with enhancement of CV values. Under 1 000 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ steady-state light intensity, the relative ratios of Φ_PSII:Φ_NPQ:Φ_NO at the temperature of 20, 10, 5, 0, and -5 °C were in turn 23:57:20, 18:63:19, 15:68:17, 11:75:14, and 8:80:12, showing remarkable decrease in Φ_PSII and increase in Φ_NPQ. The relative limitation of PSII photochemical efficiency (L_PPFD) increased gradually with the increase of light intensity, and also with the decrease of temperature. The two-way ANOVA of GLM showed that there were no interaction effects of low temperature and high light intensity in both PSII photochemical and non-photochemical energy dissipation processes. Therefore, the excited energy absorbed by PSII antenna pigments can be transferred and dissipated effectively by the photochemical energy conversion of Φ_PSII and protective regulatory mechanisms of Φ_NPQ avoiding the exacerbation of Φ_NO, which exhibited a strong tolerance and adaptation to alpine habitats. However, the increased instability of photosynthetic activities at low temperatures indicated that the photosynthetic apparatus of K. pygmaea still suffer the stress while maintaining normal operation. It can be inferred that the low temperature is an important factor affecting the photosynthetic physiological process and limiting growth and development and its distribution.

Key words: low-temperature stress, photosystem II non-photochemical quenching, Kobresia pygmaea, Qingzang Plateau, chlorophyll fluorescence

SHI Sheng-Bo, SHI Rui, ZHOU Dang-Wei, ZHANG Wen. Effects of low temperature on photochemical and non-photochemical energy dissipation of Kobresia pygmaea leaves[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2023, 47(10): 1441-1452.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2022.0227

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2023/V47/I10/1441

Figures/Tables 9

Fig. 1 Kobresia pygmaea meadow and plant configuration. A, Natural landscape of K. pygmaea-forb meadow. B, Cushion aggregation growth pattern of K. pygmaea. C, Developed root system is mainly distributed within a depth of 10 cm, forming a dense layer with the soil. D, Plants with stubby rhizomes and dense brown persistent leaf sheaths.

Fig. 2 Effects of measurement temperature on rapid light- response curves of the relative electron transfer rate through photosystem II (rETR) of Kobresia pygmaea leaves (mean ± SD, n = 60). PPFD, photosynthetical active photon flux density.

Fig. 3 Response of the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry (Fv/Fm and 1/Fo - 1/Fm) of Kobresia pygmaea leaves to temperature. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences of Fv/Fm and 1/Fo - 1/Fm among different measurement temperature degree, respectively (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 60).

Fig. 4 Response of the photosystem II non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qNP) in Kobresia pygmaea leaves to temperature and its variation to steady-state light intensities. Different lowercase letters in A indicate significant differences among different measurement temperature under 1 000 μmol·m-2·s-1 steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 55); different lowercase letters in B indicate significant differences among different temperature under the same steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 80). PPFD, photosynthetical active photon flux density.

Fig. 5 Effects of temperature on the photosystem II actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) (A), the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (ΦNPQ) (B) and non-regulated energy dissipation (ΦNO) (C) in Kobresia pygmaea leaves. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among different measurement temperature under 1 000 μmol·m-2·s-1 steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 55).

Fig. 6 Photosystem II actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) (A), the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (ΦNPQ) (B), and non-regulated energy dissipation (ΦNO) (C) in Kobresia pygmaea leaves under different temperature degrees. Different lowercase letters indicate significant differences among measurement temperature degrees at the same light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 80). PPFD, photosynthetical active photon flux density.

Fig. 7 Response of the relative limitation of photosystem II photochemical efficiency (LPPFD) in Kobresia pygmaea leaves to measurement temperature and their variation with steady-state light intensities. Different lowercase letters in A indicate significant differences among different temperature under 1 000 μmol·m-2·s-1 steady-state light intensity (mean ± SD, n = 55); different lowercase letters in B indicate significant differences among different measurement temperature under the same steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 80). PPFD, photosynthetical active photon flux density.

Fig. 8 Response of the fraction of open photosystem II centers (qL) in Kobresia pygmaea leaves to measurement temperature and their variation to steady-state light intensities. Different lowercase letters in A indicate significant differences among different measurement temperature under 1 000 μmol·m-2·s-1 steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 55); different lowercase letters in B indicate significant differences among different measurement temperature under the same steady-state light intensity (α = 0.05; mean ± SD, n = 80). PPFD, photosynthetical active photon flux density.

Table 1 Interaction effects analysis of high light intensity and low temperature on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of kobresia pygmaea

	PPFD			低温 Low temperature			PPFD ×低温 PPFD × Low temperature
	F	p	η²	F	p	η²	F	p	η²
q_L	264.712	0	0.358	7.927	0	0.032	0.927	0.397	0.004
q_NP	163.739	0	0.257	23.102	0	0.089	0.848	0.429	0.004
Φ_PSII	417.730	0	0.468	22.572	0	0.087	0.948	0.388	0.004
Φ_NO	0	0.991	0	5.569	0.004	0.023	0.707	0.493	0.003
Φ_NPQ	476.751	0	0.501	33.935	0	0.125	0.788	0.455	0.003
rETR	174.423	0	0.269	24.480	0	0.094	0.276	0.759	0.001
L_PPFD	417.730	0	0.468	22.572	0	0.087	0.948	0.388	0.004

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