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Photoacclimation and photoinhibition in Ulva rotundata as influenced by nitrogen availability

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Abstract

Clonal tissue of the marine chlorophyte macroalga, Ulva rotundata Blid., was transferred from 100 to 1700 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1 under limiting (1.5 μM NH +4 maximum, N/P=2) and sufficient (15 μM NH +4 maximum, N/P=20) nitrogen supply at 18° C and 11 h light-13 h darkness daily. Photoinhibition was assayed by light-response curves (photosynthetic O2 exchange), and chlorophyll fluorescence at 77 K and room temperature. Daily surface-area growth rate (μSA) in N-sufficient plants increased sixfold over 3 d and was sustained at that level. During this period, respiration (R d) doubled and light-saturated net photosynthesis capacity (P m) increased by nearly 50%, indicating acclimation to high light. Quantum yield (ϕ) decreased by 25% on the first day, but recovered completely within one week. The ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (F v/F m) also decreased markedly on the first day, because of an increase in initial fluorescence (F o) and a decrease in F m, and partially recovered over several days. Under the added stress of N deficiency, μSA accelerated fivefold over 4 d, despite chronic photoinhibition, then declined along with tissue-N. Respiration doubled, but P m decreased by 50% over one week, indicating inability to acclimate to high light. Both ϕ and F v/F m decreased markedly on the first day and did not significantly recover. Changes in F o, F m and xanthophyll-cycle components indicate concurrent photodamage to photosystem II (PSII) and photoprotection by thermal deexcitation in the antenna pigments. Increasing μSA coincided with photoinhibition of PSII. Insufficient diel-carbon balance because of elevated R d and declining P m and tissue-N, rather than photochemical damage per se, was the apparent proximate cause of decelerating growth rate and subsequent tissue degeneration under N deficiency in U. rotundata.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

Fo, Fm, Fv :

in the sequence given, initial, maximum and variable chlorophyll fluorescence

PFD:

photon flux density

Pm :

photosynthesis rate at light saturation

PSI, PSII:

photosystems I, II, respectively

Rd :

dark-respiration rate

RT:

room temperature

ϕ :

quantum yield of photosynthetic O2 evolution

μSA :

daily surface-area specific growth rate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Duke University Marine Laboratory, 28516-9721, Beaufort, NC, USA

    William J. Henley, Guy Levavasseur, Linda A. Franklin & J. Ramus

  2. Department of Botany, Duke University, 27706, Durham, NC, USA

    Linda A. Franklin, C. Barry Osmond & J. Ramus

  3. Station Biologique, CNRS and Université Paris VI, F-29680, Roscoff, France

    Guy Levavasseur

Authors
  1. William J. Henley
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  2. Guy Levavasseur
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  3. Linda A. Franklin
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  4. C. Barry Osmond
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  5. J. Ramus
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Additional information

We wish to thank Jud Kenworthy, National Marine Fisheries Service, Beaufort, N.C., USA for performing the C/N analysis, and Olle Björkman and Susan Thayer, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Stanford, Cal., USA for the analysis of xanthophylls. This research was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant OCE-8812157 to C.B.O. and J.R. Support for G.L. was provided by a NSF-CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) exchange fellowship.

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Henley, W.J., Levavasseur, G., Franklin, L.A. et al. Photoacclimation and photoinhibition in Ulva rotundata as influenced by nitrogen availability. Planta 184, 235–243 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00197952

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