Observations on Chromosomes of Fourteen Moss Species from the Qinling Range,China

The chromosome numbers in fourteen moss species from the Qinling Range, and karyotype of Mnium lycopodioides are reported in this paper. Immature capsules were used as material. Bryum capillare L. ex Hedw was found. to have n = 10; Mnium lycopodioides Schwaegr. n = 6 with the karyotype formula n = 6 = 3m+3sm (1SAT); Plagiomnium maximoviczii (Lindl.)T. Kop. n=6; Bartramia halleriana var. elongate Turn. n=10+2m; Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) Mitt. n= 11; Thuidium philibertii Limpr. n= 10+m; Hygrohypnum ochraceum (Wils.) Loesk. n=10; Drepanocladus uncinatus (Hedw.) Warnst. n = 7+3m; Campylium chrysophyllus (Brid.) J. Lange. n = 10; Brachythecium starkei (Brid.) B. S. G. n=6; Brachythecium buchananii (Hook.) Jaeg. n=6; Brotherella yokohamae (Broth.)Broth. n= 9+2m; Gollamia neckerella (C. MÜll. )Broth. N=7; Pogonatum fastigiatum Mitt. n = 7. No report on the chromosome number of Brotherella yokohamae and Gollania neckerella has been found. The chromosome numbers in Brachythecium starkei andBrachythecium buchananii (Hook.) Jaeg. are different from previous reports, while the others are in accordance with the previous reports.     

A Comparative Study on Function and Membrane Proteins of Chloroplasts of Three Species of Cephalotaxus in Late Winter

Three species of evergreen Cephalotaxus (C. fortunei Hook. f., C. sinensis Li and C. harringtonia cv. Fastigiata) were used as materials to study some functional properties of chloroplasts. It is found that the oxygenevolving capacity of the chloroplasts from these plants is inhibited but partial reaction of PS-II and effect of Mg²⁺ on energy distribution between two photosystems are detectable during the winter. Seasonal effects on the functional properties of chloroplasts from evergreen Cephalotaxus are similar to that of conifer chloroplasts. The ratio between F₆₈₅, F₆₉₅ and F₇₃₅ of fluorescence emission spectra at 77°K of chloroplasts is different among these three species. It is found by using SDS-PAGE that the number of polypeptide resolved from thylakoid membrane of C. harringtonia cv. Fastigiata substantially differs from that of C. fortunei Hook.f. and C. sinensis Li. The result shows that the fluorescence emission spectrum feature and polypeptide composition of thylakoid membrane may be used as a tool for systematics of the genus Cephalotaxus.     

湖南藓类植物新资料

报道了湖南藓类7个新分布种:虾藓东亚亚种(Bryoxiphium norvegicum ssp. japonicum,隶属于虾藓科Bryoxiphiaceae,为湖南新记录科)、细拟合睫藓(Pseudosymblepharis duriuscula)、大叶真藓(Bryum pseudotriquetrum)、密叶匍灯藓(Plagiom niumconfertidens)、尖叶匍灯藓(P.cuspidatum)、石地青藓(Brachythecium glareosum)和毛叶梳藓(Ctenidium capillifolium,梳藓属为湖南新记录属)。并对它们的生境和地理分布进行了初步讨论。     

紫花含笑(♀)与灰岩含笑(♂)及其杂种F1代叶表皮微形态和叶结构的比较观察

通过比较观察紫花含笑(♀)和灰岩含笑(♂)及其杂种F₁代叶表皮微形态和叶结构发现,紫花含笑和灰岩含笑在叶表皮微形态及叶解剖结构方面有很大差异。杂种F₁代个体间在叶表皮微形态及叶解剖结构方面变异很大,为连续的数量遗传;其中57.7%以上的杂种F₁代气孔密度高于父母本。杂种F₁代矮化型植株叶片气孔密度较小,推测其抗寒性较强,可以通过进一步杂交改良,获得矮化型的盆栽含笑新品种。观察结果可为深入探讨含笑属种间杂种F₁代的遗传变异,并从这些杂种F₁代中选育观赏新品种积累科学资料。     

Effects of dehydration on the electron transport of Chlorella. An in vivo fluorescence study

Chlorella was used to study the effects of dehydration on photosynthetic activities. The use of unicellular green algae assured that the extent of dehydration was uniform throughout the whole cell population during the course of desiccation. Changes in the activities of the cells were monitored by measurements of fluorescence induction kinetics. It was found that inhibition of most of the photosynthetic activities started at a similar level of cellular water content. They included CO₂ fixation, photochemical activity of Photosystem II and electron transport through Photosystem I. The blockage of electron flow through Photosystem I was complete and the whole transition occurred within a relative short time of dehydration. On the other hand, the suppression of Photosystem II activity was incomplete and the transition took a longer time of dehydration. Upon rehydration, the inhibition of Photosystem II activity was fully reversible when samples were in the middle of the transition, but was not thereafter. The electron transport through Photosystem I was also reversible during the transition, but was only partially afterward.Abbreviations DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea - F_m maximum fluorescence yield - F₀ non-variable fluorescence level emitted when all PS II centers are open - F_v variable part of fluorescence - PS photosystem - Q_A primary quinone acceptor of Photosystem II     

Fluorescence decay kinetics of mutants of corn deficient in photosystem I and photosystem II

The fast fluorescence decay kinetics of two photosynthetic mutants of corn (Zea mays) have been compared with those of normal corn. The fluorescence of normal corn can be resolved into three exponential decay components of lifetime 900–1500 ps (slow), 300–500 ps (middle) and 50–120 ps (fast), the yields of which are affected by light intensity and Mg²⁺ levels. The Photosystem II-(PS II)-defective mutant hcf-3 has similar decay lifetimes (approx. 1200, 450 and 100 ps) but is not affected by light intensity, reflecting the absence of PS II charge recombination. However, yields do respond to Mg²⁺ in a fashion typical of normal corn, which may be correlated with the presence of normal levels of light-harvesting chlorophyll a + b complex (LHCP). The PS I mutant hcf-50 also shows three-component decay kinetics. In conjunction with the results on the LHCP-deficient mutant of barley presented in a recent paper (Karukstis, K.K. and Sauer, K. (1984) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 766, 148–155), these data suggest that the slow component of normal chloroplasts is kinetically controlled by the decay processes of the LHCP and that the energy comes from one of two sources: (a) charge recombination in the reaction centre or (b) energy transferred within or between LHCP units only. The fast component appears to originate from both PS I and PS II. The complex response of the middle component to cations and light intensity, and its presence in all of the mutants, suggests that it also may have multiple origins.     

Effect of the manganese complex on the binding of the extrinsic proteins (17, 23 and 33 kDa) of Photosystem II

Selective extraction-reconstitution experiments with the extrinsic Photosystem II polypeptides (33 kDa, 23 kDa and 17 kDa) have demonstrated that the manganese complex and the 33 kDa polypeptide are both necessary structural elements for the tight binding of the water soluble 17 and 23 kDa species. When the manganese complex is intact the 33 kDa protein interacts strongly with the rest of the photosynthetic complex. Destruction of the Mn-complex has two dramatic effects: i) The binding of the 33 kDa polypeptide is weaker, since it can be removed by exposure of the PS II system to 2 M NaCl, and ii) the 17 and 23 kDa species do not rebind to Mn-depleted Photosystem II membranes that retain the 33 kDa protein.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - HQ hydroquinone - MES 2(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid - PS II Photosystem II - Tris 2-amino-2-hydroxymethylpropane-1,3-diol     

Iron deficiency interrupts energy transfer from a disconnected part of the antenna to the rest of Photosystem II

Iron deficiency changed markedly the shape of the leaf chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinetics during a dark-light transition, the so-called Kautsky effect. Changes in chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime and yield were observed, increasing largely the minimal and the intermediate chlorophyll fluorescence levels, with a marked dip between the intermediate and the maximum levels and loss of the secondary peak after the maximum. During the slow changes, the lifetime-yield relationship was found to be linear and curvilinear (towards positive lifetime values) in control and Fe-deficient leaves, respectively. These results suggested that part of the Photosystem II antenna in Fe-deficient leaves emits fluorescence with a long lifetime. In dark-adapted Fe-deficient leaves, measurements in the picosecond-nanosecond time domain confirmed the presence of a 3.3-ns component, contributing to 15% of the total fluorescence. Computer simulations revealed that upon illumination such contribution is also present and remains constant, indicating that energy transfer is partially interrupted in Fe-deficient leaves. Photosystem II-enriched membrane fractions containing different pigment-protein complexes were isolated from control and Fe-deficient leaves and characterized spectrophotometrically. The photosynthetic pigment composition of the fractions was also determined. Data revealed the presence of a novel pigment-protein complex induced by Fe deficiency and an enrichment of internal relative to peripheral antenna complexes. The data suggest a partial disconnection between internal Photosystem II antenna complexes and the reaction center, which could lead to an underestimation of the Photosystem II efficiency in dark-adapted, low chlorophyll Fe-deficient leaves, using chlorophyll fluorescence. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photochemical reactions of chlorophyll in dehydrated Photosystem II: two chlorophyll forms (680 and 700 nm)

Lichens and phototolerant poikilohydric mosses differ from spinach leaves, fern fronds or photosensitive mosses in that they show strongly decreased F_o chlorophyll fluorescence after drying. This desiccation-induced fluorescence loss is rapidly reversible under rehydration. Fluorescence emission from Photosystem II at 685 nm was decreased more strongly by dehydration than 720 nm emission. Reaction centers of Photosystem II lose activity on dehydration and regain it on hydration. Heating of desiccated lichens increased F_o chlorophyll fluorescence. The activation energy for the reversible part of the temperature-dependent fluorescence increase was 0.045 eV, which corresponds to the energy difference between the 680 and 697 nm absorption bands. In desiccated chlorolichens such as Parmelia sulcata, heating induces the appearance of positive variable fluorescence related to the reversible reduction of Q_A due to overcoming the energy barrier. This is interpreted to provide information on the mechanism of photoprotection: energy is dissipated by changing Chl680 or P680 into a chlorophyll form, which absorbs at 700 nm and emits light at 720 nm (Chl-720 or P680(700)) with a low quantum yield. Dissipation of light energy in this trap is activated by desiccation.     

The far red induced slow component of delayed light from chloroplasts is emitted from Photosystem II

In spinach chloroplasts illuminated with far red light, the relative intensity maximum during the decay of delayed light is emitted at 680–690 nm. This finding supports previous models predicting emission from Photosystem II, and contradicts earlier attributions to Photosystem I.Due to self absorption, the emission spectrum of the relative maximum is shifted to longer wavelengths and displays apparent Photosystem I characteristics in chloroplast samples of higher concentration or in leaves. This may have caused earlier investigators to ascribe the emission to Photosystem I.A differences between the spectral width of the emission spectra of delayed fluorescence and the relative maximum indicates that these two phenomena represent emission from different sub-populations of Photosystem II centers.Abbreviations PS I Photosystem I - PS II Photosystem II - DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea     

Evidence for the contribution of the S-state transitions of oxygen evolution to the initial phase of fluorescence induction

Fluorescence induction of isolated spinach chloroplasts was measured by using weak continuous light. It is found that the kinetics of the initial phase of fluorescence induction as well as the initial fluorescence level F_j are influenced by the number of preilluminating flashes, and shows damped period 4 oscillation. Evidence is given to show that it is correlated with the S-state transitions of oxygen evolution. Based on the previous observations that the S states can modulate the fluorescence yield of Photosystem II, a simulating calculation suggests that, in addition to the Photosystem II centers inactive in the plastoquinone reduction, the S-state transitions can also make a contribution to the intial phase of fluorescence induction.Abbreviations DCMU 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl urea - F₀ non-variable fluorescence level emitted when all PS II centers are open - F_i initial fluorescence level immediately after shutter open - F_pt intermediate plateau fluorescence level - F_m maximum fluorescence level emitted when all PS II centers are closed - PS II Photosystem II - Q_A primary quinone acceptor of PS II - Q_B secondary quinone acceptor of PS II     

Inhibition of CO2-fixation and its effect on the activity of Photosystem II,on D1-protein synthesis and phosphorylation

To study the effects of limitations in the Calvin-cycle on Photosystem (PS) II function and on its repair by D1-protein turnover, glycerinaldehyde (DLGA) was applied to 1 h dark-adapted pea leaves via the petiole. The application resulted in a 90% inhibition of photosynthetic oxygen evolution after 90 min illumination at either 120 or 500 µmol m^–2 s^–1. In the control leaves an increase of light-dependent oxygen production to 147 and 171% was observed after 90 min illumination. According to chlorophyll fluorescence quenching analysis the inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport by DLGA led to a substantial increase in the reduction state of the primary quinone acceptor of PS II, QA, and to a rise in membrane energetisation. However, PS II functionality was hardly affected by DLGA at the low light intensity as indicated by the constant high yield of variable fluorescence, Fv/Fm. Only at 500 µmol m^–2 s^–1 a 15% loss of Fv/Fm was observed in the presence of DLGA indicating that inactivated PS II centres had accumulated. The control leaves also showed a slight loss of Fv/Fm which did not affect photosynthetic electron transport due to a faster reoxidation of QA. The relative stability of PS II function in the presence of DLGA could not be ascribed to an increased repair by the rapid turnover of the D1-protein. Radioactive pulse-labelling studies with [14C] leucine in combination with immunological determination of the protein content revealed that both synthesis and degradation of the protein were inhibited in DLGA-treated leaves whereas in the control leaves a stimulation of D1-protein turnover was observed. The changes of D1-protein turnover could be explained by differences in the occupancy state of the QB-binding niche. A relation between the phosphorylation status of the PS II polypeptides and the turnover of the D1-protein could not be established. As shown by radioactive labelling with [32P]i, addition of DLGA led to an increase in the phosphorylation level of the PS II polypeptides D1 and D2 at the low light intensity when compared to the non-treated control. At the higher light intensity the phosphorylation level of the PS II polypeptides in control and DLGA-treated leaves were identical in spite of the substantial differences in D1-protein turnover.     

秦岭十四种藓类植物的染色体观察

本文以藓类植物的幼嫩孢蒴为材料,对秦岭地区14种藓类植物的染色体作了观察,并对其中的长尖提灯藓进行了核型分析。结果如下：细叶真藓Bryum capillare L.ex Hedw．n＝10;长尖提灯藓Mnium lycopodioides Schwaegr．n＝6,核型公式为n＝6＝3m+3sm(1SAT)侧枝匍灯藓Plagiomnium maximoviczii(Lindb．)T．Kop．n＝6;梨蒴珠藓皱叶变种Bartramia pomiformis var．elongata Turn. n=10+2m;细枝羽藓Thuidium delicatulum (Hedw.) Mitt. n=11;尖叶羽藓Thuidium philibortii Limpr. n=10+1m;褐黄水灰藓Hygrohypnum ochraceum (Wils.) Loesk. n=10;钩枝镰刀藓Drepanocladus uncinatus (Hedw.) Warnst. n=7+3m; 黄叶细湿藓Campylium chrysophyllum (Brid.) J. Lange. n=10;林地青藓Brachythecium starkei (Brid.) B. S. G. n=16;多褶青藓 Brachythecium buchananii (Hook.) Jaeg. n=6;扁枝小锦藓Brotherella yokohamae (Broth.) Broth. n=9+2m; 粗枝藓Gollania neckerella (C. Mull.) Broth. n=7; 暖地金发藓, Pogonatum fastigiatum Mitt. n=7;其中粗枝藓和扁枝小锦藓的染色体数尚未见报道;林地青藓和多褶青藓的染色体数与所见报道的结果不同：其余10种与前人报道的结果一致。     

喀斯特石漠化区典型生境下石生苔藓的固土持水作用

为探究喀斯特石漠化区典型生境下石生苔藓植物的固土持水能力及影响因素,在其石生苔藓分布和形态特征基础上,深入探讨了不同生境下石生苔藓的固土持水效应。结果表明：（1）生境对石生苔藓植物的固土持水能力影响显著。草地中的宽叶真藓（Bryum funkii）固土量最高,为8.85×10³ kg/hm²,裸地中的美灰藓（Eurohypnum leptothallum）持水量最高,其最高持水量是自身干重的14倍。石生苔藓植物在裸地和草地中表现出较高的固土率,而在乔木林与草地下具有较好的持水率。（2）苔藓类型对固土持水能力存在显著性的影响。4种石生苔藓植物的固土率高低为宽叶真藓>尖叶对齿藓原变种（Didymodon constrictus var.constrictus）>卷叶湿地藓（Hyophila involuta）>美灰藓,且差异显著;4种苔藓植物的持水率强弱为美灰藓>宽叶真藓>卷叶湿地藓>尖叶对齿藓原变种。（3）石生苔藓植物的固土持水能力受自身功能性状和立地环境的综合影响,苔藓植物的固土率与干重存在显著的正相关关系,其持水量与干重和生物量间具有显著的正相关关系。综上,从固土持水和生态修复的角度出发,应加强裸地和草地两种生境的石漠化治理力度;可考虑将宽叶真藓和美灰藓作为喀斯特岩面生态恢复的先锋苔藓,其能有效解决喀斯特区石漠化大面积基岩裸露问题,提高喀斯特区水土保持效益。     

Excitation energy transfer in aggregates of Photosystem I and Photosystem II of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803: Can assembly of the pigment-protein complexes control the extent of spillover?

The fluorescence profile of Photosystem I/Photosystem II mixtures in different solvent systems shows that both non-hydrophobic and hydrophobic interactions govern their association and control energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I. The non-hydrophobic interactions lead to a highly efficient excitation energy transfer from Photosystem II to Photosystem I. In view of this, we propose that similar non-hydrophobic interactions, between the Photosystem II and Photosystem I peripheral proteins, also play a significant role in their association in thylakoids that control state transitions in cyanobacteria. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Target theory and the photoinactivation of Photosystem II

Application of target theory to the photoinactivation of Photosystem II in pea leaf discs (Park et al. 1995, 1996a,b) reveals that there is a critical light dosage below which there is complete photoprotection and above which there is photoinactivation (i.e a light-induced loss of oxygen flash yield). The critical dosage is about 3 mol photons m^–2 for medium and high light-grown leaves and 0.36 mol photons m^–2 for low light-grown leaves. Photoinactivation is a one-hit process with an effective cross-section of 0.045 m² mol^–1 photons which does not vary with growth irradiance, unlike the cross-section for oxygen evolution which increases with decreasing growth irradiance. The cross-section for oxygen evolution increased by about 20% following exposure to 6.8 mol photons m^–2 which may be due to energy transfer from photoinactivated units to functional Photosystem II units. We propose that the photoinactivation of PS II begins when a small group of PS II pigment molecules whose structure is uninfluenced by growth irradiance, becomes uncoupled energetically from the rest of the photosynthetic unit and thus no longer transfers excitions to P680. De-excitation of this group of pigment molecules provides the energy which leads to the damage of Photosystem II. Treatment of pea leaves with dithiothreitol, an inhibitor of the xanthophyll cycle, decreases the critical dosage i.e. decreases photoprotection but has no effect on the PS II photoinactivation cross-section. Treatment with 1 M nigericin increased the photoinactivation cross-section of PS II as did exposure to lincomycin which inhibits D1 protein synthesis and thus the repair of PS II reaction centres.Abbreviations DTT- dithiothreitol - PS II- Photosystem II - Fm- maximum fluorescence - Fv- variable fluorescence - LHCIIb- main light harvesting pigment-protein complex of PS II - D1 protein- psbA gene product - P680- reaction centre chlorophyll of Photosystem II - Qa- first quinone electron acceptor of Photosystem II - (o₂)- cross-section for oxygen evolution - (pi)- cross-section for photoinactivation     

Chlorophyll fluorescence changes at high temperatures induced by linear heating of greening barley leaves

A relative decrease of the high temperature part (above 60°C) of the chlorophyll fluorescence temperature curve during 3 h to 10 h greening period of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves was found to be concomitant to a decrease of Chl alb ratio and to a gradual increase of LHCP/core ratio found by electrophoresis and the ratio of granal to total length of thylakoid membranes. It is suggested that the high temperature part of the fluorescence temperature curve depends inversely on the relative amount of LHC II in thylakoid membranes.Abbreviations Chl a(b) chlorophyll a(b) - CPa chlorophyll a protein complex of PS II - CP1 P700 chlorophyll a protein complex of PS I - FP free pigments - FTC fluorescence temperature curve - F(T30) fluorescence intensity at 30°C - LHC II light harvesting complex II - LHCP light harvesting chlorophyll protein - LHCP3 (LHCPm) monomeric form of LHC II - LHCPo oligomeric form of LHC II complex - M1 first maximum of FTC - M2 second maximum (region) of FTC - PAA polyacrylamide - PAR photosynthetically active radiation - PS I(II) Photosystem I(II) - SDS-PAGE sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis     

Hg2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+ -induced changes in Photosystem II photochemical yield and energy storage in isolated thylakoid membranes: A study using simultaneous fluorescence and photoacoustic measurements

Simultaneous fluorescence and photoacoustic measurements have been used to study the effects of metal ions (copper, lead, and mercury) during dark incubation of thylakoid membranes. The values of the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters Fo (initial fluorescence yield with the reaction centers in the open state), Fm (maximal fluorescence yield), Ft (steady state fluorescence yield) and the calculated parameters, _o (maximal quantum yield of Photosystem II photochemistry) and _t (actual quantum yield of Photosystem II photochemistry), strongly decreased in the presence of the metal ions coinciding with an increase in the non-photochemical deexcitation rate constant k(N). It was observed that photosynthetic energy storage measured by photoacoustic spectroscopy also decreased but a large portion of energy storage remained unaffected even at the highest metal ion concentrations used. A maximal inhibition of photosyntheti c energy storage of 80% and 50% was obtained with Hg²⁺ and Cu²⁺-treated thylakoids, respectively, while energy storage was insensitive to Pb²⁺. The results are consistent with the known predominant inhibition of the donor side of Photosystem II by the metal ions. The insensitive portion of energy storage is attributed to the possible recurrence of cyclic electron transport around Photosystem II that would depend on the extent of inhibition produced on the acceptor side by the metal ion used.     

The relative absorption cross-sections of Photosystem I and Photosystem II in chloroplasts from three types of Nicotiana tabacum

In the present study we used three types of Nicotiana tabacum, cv John William's Broad Leaf (the wild type and two mutants, the yellow-green Su/su and the yellow Su/su var. Aurea) in order to correlate functional properties of Photosystem II and Photosystem I with the structural organization of their chloroplasts. The effective absorption cross-section of Photosystem II and Photosystem I centers was measured by means of the rate constant of their photoconversion under light-limiting conditions. In agreement with earlier results (Okabe, K., Schmid, G.H. and Straub, J. (1977) Plant Physiol. 60, 150–156) the photosynthetic unit size for both System II and System I in the two mutants was considerably smaller as compared to the wild type. We observed biphasic kinetics in the photoconversion of System II in all three types of N. tabacum. However, the photoconversion of System I occurred with monophasic and exponential kinetics. Under our experimental conditions, the effective cross-section of Photosystem I was comparable to that of the fast System II component (α centers). The relative amplitude of the slow System II component (β centers) varied between 30% in the wild type to 70% in the Su/su var. Aurea mutant. The increased fraction of β centers is correlated with the decreased fraction of appressed photosynthetic membranes in the chloroplasts of the two mutants. As a working hypothesis, it is suggested that β centers are located on photosynthetic membranes directly exposed to the stroma medium.     

Energy transfers from Photosystem II to Photosystem I in Cryptomonas rufescens (Cryptophyceae)

In Cryptomonas rufescens (Cryptophyceae), phycoerythrin located in the thylakoid lumen is the major accessory pigment. Oxygen action spectra prove phycoerythrin to be efficient in trapping light energy.The fluorescence excitation spectra at ?196°C obtained by the method of Butler and Kitajima (Butler, W.L. and Kitajima, M. (1975) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 396, 72–85) indicate that like in Rhodophycease, chlorophyll a is the exclusive light-harvesting pigment for Photosystem I.For Photosystem II we can observe two types of antennae: (1) a light-harvesting chlorophyll complex connected to Photosystem II reaction centers, which transfers excitation energy to Photosystem I reaction centers when all the Photosystem II traps are closed. (2) A light-harvesting phycoerythrin complex, which transfers excitation energy exclusively to the Photosystem II reaction complexes responsible for fluorescence at 690 nm.We conclude that in Cryptophyceae, phycoerythrin is an efficient light-harvesting pigment, organized as an antenna connected to Photosystem II centers, antenna situated in the lumen of the thylakoid. However, we cannot afford to exclude that a few parts of phycobilin pigments could be connected to inactive chlorophylls fluorescing at 690 nm.