Contributions of the free oxidized and QB-bound plastoquinone molecules to the thermal phase of chlorophyll-a fluorescence

Variable chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence is composed of a photochemical and a thermal phases of similar amplitudes. The photochemical phase can be induced by a saturating single turnover flash (STF) and reflects the reduction of the Photosystem II (PS II) Q_A primary electron acceptor. The thermal phase requires multiple turnover flash (MTF) and is somehow related to the reduction of the plastoquinone (PQ) molecules. This article aimed to determine the relative contributions of the Q_B-bound and the free oxidized PQ molecules to the thermal phase of Chl a fluorescence. We thus measured the interactive effects of exogenous PQ (PQex), of an inhibitor (DCMU) acting at the Q_B site of PS II and of an artificial quencher, 2-methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone, on Chl a fluorescence levels induced by STF (F_F) and MTF (F_M) in spinach thylakoids. We observed that: (1) the incorporation of PQex in thylakoids stimulated photosynthetic electron transport but barely affected F_F and F_M in the absence of DCMU; (2) DCMU significantly increased the amplitude of F_F but slightly quenched F_M; (3) 2-methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone quenched F_M to a larger-extent than F_F; (4) DCMU increased the quenching effects of PQex on F_F and F_M and also, of methyl-1,4-naphtoquinone on F_F. These results indicate that: (1) the Q_B-bound and the free PQ molecules contribute to about 56% and 25%, respectively, to the thermal phase Chl a fluorescence in dark-adapted thylakoids; and (2) the thermal phase of Chl a fluorescence is more susceptible than the photochemical phase to the non-photochemical quenching effect of oxidized quinones. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Two types of PS II centres as manifested by light saturation of delayed fluorescence from DCMU-treated chloroplasts

Intensity of 2 s delayed fluorescence (DF) as a function of steady-state actinic light intensity was investigated in pea chloroplasts in the presence of 10 M DCMU. The light saturation curve of DF was approximated by a sum of two hyperbolic components which differ by an order of magnitude in the half-saturating incident light intensity. The relative contribution of the amplitudes of the components was practically independent of cation (Na⁺ and Mg²⁺) concentration and a short-term heating of the chloroplasts at 45°C. The component saturating at low incident light intensity was selectively suppressed by 100 M DCMU or by 1 mol g^-1 Chl oleic acid. DF intensity following excitation by a single saturating 15 s flash was equal to the intensity of the component saturating at a low incident light intensity. Upon flash excitation, the maximum steady-state DF level was found to be attained only after a series of saturating flashes. It is concluded that the two components of the DF light saturation curves are related to PS II centres heterogeneity in quantum yield of stabilization of the reduced primary quinone acceptor.Abbreviations DF Delayed fluorescence - L₁- and L₂-components DF components saturating at low and high incident light intensity, respectively - I incident light intensity - L DF intensity - P₆₈₀ reaction centre chlorophyll of PS II - Q_A and Q_B primary and secondary quinone acceptors of PS II, respectively     

Integrity and Activity of Photosystem 2 Complexes Isolated from the Thermophilic Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Elongatus Using Various Detergents

The efficiency in selective extraction of photosystem (PS) 2 oxygen evolving complexes was compared among seven detergents. These were applied to thylakoid membranes of the thermophilic cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. Used were five non-ionic detergents with one ionic and one zwitterionic for comparison. To compare the suitability and efficiency of the detergents the following properties of the extracts were examined: maximum rate of oxygen evolution with various electron acceptors, the relative variable fluorescence (F_V/F_M), the contamination of the extract with photosystem (PS) 1, and the status of the electron acceptor side of PS2 reaction centre. None of the detergents yielded a highly selective extraction of the PS2 complexes (negligible contamination with PS1) which would simultaneously display a high photochemical activity and high structural intactness. Heptylthioglucoside and dodecylmaltoside yielded the nearest approximation to the optimum result. Kinetic fluorometry was applied here for the first time to characterize the functional and structural properties of PS2 particles from cyanobacteria. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Bicarbonate effects in leaf discs from spinach

In this paper, we show the unique role of bicarbonate ion in stimulating the electron transfer of photosystem II (PS II) in formate-treated leaf discs from spinach. This is referred to as the bicarbonate effect and is independent of the role of CO₂ in CO₂ fixation. It is shown to have two sites of action:

生长调节剂对黄连木光合生理指标和荧光参数的影响

以黄连木幼苗为试材,采用叶片喷施的方法,研究了生长调节剂多效唑和矮壮素对黄连木叶片解剖结构、色素含量、光合生理指标和叶绿素荧光参数的影响,以揭示生长调节剂对黄连木光合特性的影响及其内在机制。结果显示:随着两种生长调节剂处理浓度的增加,黄连木幼苗叶片厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、色素含量、净光合速率(Pn)、PSⅡ原初光能转化效率(Fv/Fm)、PSⅡ的潜在活性(Fv/F0)、叶片单位面积吸收的能量(ABS/CS)和捕获的能量(TRo/CS)以及电子传递的能量(ETo/CS)均呈先增大后减小的趋势,并均在800mg/L多效唑和500mg/L矮壮素处理时达到最大值,且显著提高了黄连木叶片的净光合速率。研究发现,黄连木幼苗叶片栅/海比例增大和叶绿素含量的增加使叶片对光能的捕获和吸收能力提高,而PSⅡ反应中心开放比例的增大与其活性的增强保证了叶片对光能的高效传递,同时降低了能量的热耗散,是提高苗木光合速率和保证苗木光合作用高效进行的内在机制。     

Light saturation response of inactive photosystem II reaction centers in spinach

Oxygen evolving photosystem II particles were exposed to 100 and 250 W m^–2 white light at 20°C under aerobic, anaerobic and strongly reducing (presence of dithionite) conditions. Three types of photoinactivation processes with different kinetics could be distinguished: (1) The fast process which occurs under strongly reducing (t _1/21–3 min) and anaerobic conditions (t _1/24–12 min). (2) The slow process (t _1/215–40 min) and (3) the very slow process (t _1/2>100 min), both of which occur under all three sets of conditions.The fast process results in a parallel decline of variable fluorescence (F _v) and of Hill reaction rate, accompanied by an antiparallel increase of constant fluorescence (F _o). We assume that trapping of Q_A in a negatively charged stable state, (Q_A ^–)_stab, is responsible for the effects observed.The slow process is characterized by a decline of maximal fluorescence (F _m). In presence of oxygen this decline is due to the well known disappearance of F _v which proceeds in parallel with the inhibition of the Hill reaction; F _o remains essentially constant. Under anaerobic and reducing conditions the decline of F _m represents the disappearance of the increment in F _o generated by the fast process. We assume that the slow process consists in neutralization of the negative charge in the domain of Q_A in a manner that renders Q_A non-functional. The charge separation in the RC is still possible, but energy of excitation becomes thermally dissipated.The very slow photoinactivation process is linked to loss of charge separation ability of the PS II RC and will be analyzed in a forthcoming paper.Abbreviations F chlorophyll a fluorescence - F _o, F _v, F _m constant, variable, maximum fluorescence - F _o, F _v, F _m the same, measured in presence of dithionite (F _v suppression method) - PS II photosystem II - RC reaction centre (P680. Pheo) - P680 primary electron donor - Pheo pheophytin, intermediary electron acceptor - Q_A, Q_B the primary and secondary electron acceptor - Z, D electron donors to P680 - (Q_A)_stab, (Q_A H)_stab hypothetical modifications of Q_A resulting from photoinactivation - O-, A- and R-conditions aerobic, anaerobic and strongly reducing (presence of dithionite) conditions - MES 2-(N-morpholine) ethanesulphonic acid - DCPIP 2,6-dichlorphenolindophenol - GGOC mixture of glucose, glucose oxidase and catalase - DT-20 oxygen-evolving PS II particles     

氮素水平对不同品种茶树光合及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

为探明氮素水平对不同品种茶树的光合系统的影响机制,以‘福鼎大白茶’、‘保靖黄金茶1号’、‘白毫早’两年生茶苗为材料,设置不施氮N_0(0g)、低氮N_1(11g)、中氮N_2(22g)和高氮N_3(33g)4个氮素[(NH_4)_2SO_4]水平的盆栽实验,研究了铵态氮对3个品种茶树的生长势、叶片叶绿素含量、光合参数与叶绿素荧光参数的影响。结果表明:(1)施氮处理能够显著促进茶树的生长,提高茶树叶片叶绿素含量、净光合速率(Pn)、气孔导度(Gs)、蒸腾速率(Tr),降低胞间CO_2浓度(Ci),并以N_2处理最好,但水分利用率(WUE)在3个品种茶树间表现不同。(2)在N_2处理下,3个茶树品种的叶片光系统Ⅱ(PSⅡ)暗适应下的最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)、光化学猝灭系数(qP)、PSⅡ的相对电子传递速率(rETR)亦增加最大,非光化学淬灭系数(NPQ)降低。(3)茶树叶片叶绿素含量与光合参数间存在着一定的联系,并且具有品种特异性。研究发现,适量施氮能够显著增加茶树叶绿素含量、气孔导度、光合活性,从而使得各品种茶树净光合速率增加;氮素水平对各茶树品种的光合及荧光特性影响存在差异,水分利用率亦具有品种特异性;生产中应综合叶绿素含量、光合作用参数、叶绿素荧光参数,可快速、直观地评价不同品种茶树对氮素营养的内在需求,为茶园施肥管理提供指导。     

Effects of high temperatures on the photosynthetic systems in spinach: Oxygen-evolving activities,fluorescence characteristics and the denaturation process

Activities of oxygen evolution, fluorescence F_v (a variable part of chlorophyll fluorescence) values, and amounts of the 33 kDa protein remaining bound to the thylakoids in intact spinach chloroplasts were measured during and after high-temperature treatment. The following results were obtained. (1) Both the F_v value and the flash-induced oxygen evolution measured by an oxygen electrode were decreased at high temperatures, but they showed partial recovery when the samples were cooled down and incubated at 25°C for 5 min after high-temperature treatment. (2) Oxygen evolution was more sensitive to high temperatures than the F_v value, and the decrease in the F_v/F_m ratio at high temperatures rather corresponded to that in the oxygen evolution measured at 25°C after high-temperature treatment. (3) Photoinactivation of PS II was very rapid at high temperatures, and this seems to be a cause of the difference between the F_v values and the oxygen-evolving activities at high temperatures. (4) At around 40°C, the manganese-stabilizing 33 kDa protein of PS II was supposed to be released from the PS II core complexes during heat treatment and to rebind to the complexes when the samples were cooled down to 25°C. (5) At higher temperatures, the charge separation reaction of PS II was inactivated, and the PS II complexes became less fluorescent, which was recovered partially at 25°C. (6) Increases in the F_v value due to a large decrease in the electron flow from Q_A to Q_B became prominent after high-temperature treatment at around 50°C. This was the main cause of the discrepancy between the F_v values and the oxygen-evolving activities measured at 25°C. Relationship between the process of heat inactivation of PS II reaction center complexes and the fluorescence levels is discussed.     

Relation Between the Heat-Induced Increase of F0 Fluorescence and a Shift in the Electronic Equilibrium at the Acceptor Side of Photosystem 2

F₀ fluorescence and thermoluminescence (TL) were recorded simultaneously on various dark-adapted leaf samples. Above 40 °C, a sharp peak of TL coincided with the onset of the heat-induced F₀ rise. It results from a back-transfer of an electron from the secondary Q_B ^-to the primary acceptor Q_A of photosystem 2, followed by a luminescence-emitting recombination with Tyr-D¹. This demonstrates that the critical temperature at which the F₀ starts rising also corresponds to a shift towards the left of the Q_A↔Q_B ^- equilibrium. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

NaCl胁迫对祁连山野生黄瑞香叶片光合叶绿素荧光特性的影响

以4片真叶黄瑞香幼苗为材料,设置不同浓度(0、50、100、150、200mmol·L~(-1))NaCl胁迫处理,采用温室砂培实验系统考察了其幼苗叶绿素含量、叶绿素荧光参数及气体交换参数等光合生理指标的变化。结果表明:(1)在正常环境条件下(对照),黄瑞香叶片净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(G_s)的日变化曲线呈双峰型,蒸腾速率(T_r)日变化曲线呈单峰型;较高浓度(100mmol·L~(-1))NaCl胁迫改变了黄瑞香叶片光合特性日变化曲线,导致其P_n、T_r、G_s日变化曲线整体下降,而胞间CO_2浓度(Ci)日变化曲线整体上升。(2)低浓度(50mmol·L~(-1))NaCl胁迫对黄瑞香叶片叶绿素含量及其比值无显著影响,但较高浓度(100mmol·L~(-1))NaCl胁迫则使叶绿素含量显著下降,其比值下降则较平缓。(3)较高浓度(100mmol·L~(-1))NaCl胁迫使得黄瑞香叶片最大荧光(F_m)、PSⅡ最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)、PSⅡ光下最大捕光效率(F_v′/F_m′)、光化学荧光猝灭系数(qP)、PSⅡ实际光化学效率(Φ_(PSⅡ))均显著下降,却使其初始荧光(F_0)和非光化学猝灭(NPQ)显著上升。研究发现,随着盐胁迫浓度的增加,引起黄瑞香光合速率下降的主要原因是非气孔因素;在轻度NaCl胁迫下黄瑞香有较强的忍耐性,而重度NaCl胁迫则显著降低了叶片的光合机构活性,加剧了光抑制程度,从而严重限制了其叶片的光合作用效率。     

Physical properties of the cell wall of photoautotrophic suspension cells fromChenopodium rubrum L.

Photoautotrophic suspension cells ofChenopodium rubrum were used to determine Donnan potential, charge density and pore-radius distribution in the cell wall. Experiments were done either with turgescent cells or with isolated cell walls. Titration of a cell-wall-generated 9-aminoacridine fluorescence quench with salts of mono- and divalent cations was used to determine Donnan potential and charge density. The experiments and theory were adapted from measurements of membrane surface charges. A tenfold increase in ionic strength, which decreases the repellant forces between charges of the same sign, led to an approximately threefold increase in the measured charge density, thus resulting in a much smaller decrease of the Donnan potential than would be expected if the charge density remained fixed. This decreased influence of ionic strength on the Donnan potential, resulting from the elasticity of the cell wall, was also measurable but less pronounced when the wall of intact cells was stretched by turgor. The porosity of the cell wall was determined by longterm uptake of polyethylene glycols of different molecular weights, and by gel filtration of polyethylene glycols and dextrans as well as mono- and disaccharides using intact suspension cells as matrix. Both methods gave a mean pore diameter of about 4.5 nm and a maximum pore size of 5.5 nm. The resulting pores-size distribution was slightly broader with the latter method.Abbreviations 9-AA 9-aminoacridine - DMBr₂ decamethoniumbromide=N,N,N,N,N,N hexamethyldecane-1,10-diaminebromide - DW dry weight after lyophilization - EDTA ethylene diaminetetra acetic acid - EGTA ethylene glycol-bis(-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N,N-tetraacetic acid - FW fresh weight - Mops 3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid - MW molecular weight - PEG polyethylene glycol     

Alternative formation of anthraquinones and lipoquinones in heterotrophic and photoautotrophic cell suspension cultures of Morinda lucida Benth.

Photoheterotrophic and photoautotrophic cell suspension cultures were raised from a callus tissue derived from a Morinda lucida Benth. plant (Rubiaceae). The cultures were characterized with regard to fresh weight, dry weight, cell number, pH, chlorophyll and quinoid natural products. The amount of lipoquinones (phylloquinone, -tocopherol, plastoquinone, ubiquinone) isolated from the photoautotrophic cultures matched the amount detected in an intact leaf. Anthraquinone glycosides which are found in the roots of Morinda plants were not present in the photoautotrophic culture. The photoheterotrophic culture contained only trace amounts of these pigments. Abundant anthraquinone synthesis was observed when photoautotrophic and photoheterotrophic suspension cultures were transferred into darkness, provided sucrose was present in the medium. Induction of synthesis of anthraquinone pigments coincided with a rapid disappearance of lipoquinones from the culture. Thus, in the suspension culture, photoautotrophy correlates with lipoquinone synthesis and heterotrophy correlates with anthraquinone synthesis. This reflects the situation in the intact plants where lipoquinones are chloroplast-associated whereas anthraquinones occur in the roots.Abbreviation HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography     

Both chlorophylls a and d are essential for the photochemistry in photosystem II of the cyanobacteria, Acaryochloris marina

We have measured the flash-induced absorbance difference spectrum attributed to the formation of the secondary radical pair, P⁺Q⁻, between 270 nm and 1000 nm at 77 K in photosystem II of the chlorophyll d containing cyanobacterium, Acaryochloris marina. Despite the high level of chlorophyll d present, the flash-induced absorption difference spectrum of an approximately 2 ms decay component shows a number of features which are typical of the difference spectrum seen in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms containing no chlorophyll d. The spectral shape in the near-UV indicates that a plastoquinone is the secondary acceptor molecule (Q_A). The strong C-550 change at 543 nm confirms previous reports that pheophytin a is the primary electron acceptor. The bleach at 435 nm and increase in absorption at 820 nm indicates that the positive charge is stabilized on a chlorophyll a molecule. In addition a strong electrochromic band shift, centred at 723 nm, has been observed. It is assigned to a shift of the Qy band of the neighbouring accessory chlorophyll d, Chl_D1. It seems highly likely that it accepts excitation energy from the chlorophyll d containing antenna. We therefore propose that primary charge separation is initiated from this chlorophyll d molecule and functions as the primary electron donor. Despite its lower excited state energy (0.1 V less), as compared to chlorophyll a, this chlorophyll d molecule is capable of driving the plastoquinone oxidoreductase activity of photosystem II. However, chlorophyll a is used to stabilize the positive charge and ultimately to drive water oxidation.     

Fluorescence quenching during photosynthesis and photoinhibition of Ulva rotundata blid.

The relationships between photoinhibition and photoprotection in high and low-light-grown Ulva were examined by a combination of chlorophyll-fluorescence-monitoring techniques. Tissues were exposed to a computer-controlled sequence of 5-min exposures to red light, followed by 5-min darkness, with stepwise increases in photon flux. Coefficients of chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (1?q_P and NPQ) were calculated following a saturating pulse of white light near the end of each 5-min light treatment. Dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F₀ and F_V/F_M) were calculated from a saturating pulse at the end of each 5-min dark period. Low-light-grown Ulva showed consistently higher 1?q_P, i.e. higher reduction status of Q (high primary acceptor of photosystem II), and lower capacity for nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) at saturating light than did high-light-grown plants. Consequently, low-light plants rapidly displayed photoinhibitory damage (increased F₀) at light saturation in seawater. Removal of dissolved inorganic carbon from seawater also led to photoinhibitory damage of high-light-grown Ulva at light saturation, and addition of saturating amounts of dissolved inorganic carbon protected low-light-grown plants against photoinhibitory damage. A large part of NPQ was abolished by treatment with 3 mM dithiothreitol and the processes so inhibited were evidently photoprotective, because dithiothreitol treatment accelerated photoinhibitory damage in both low- and high-light-grown Ulva. The extent of photoinhibitory damage in Ulva was exacerbated by treatment with chloramphenicol (1 mM) without much effect on chlorophyll-quenching parameters, evidently because this inhibitor of chloroplast protein synthesis reduced the rate of repair processes.     

水分胁迫对极小种群东兴金花茶幼苗光合特性的影响

为了解东兴金花茶幼苗对水分胁迫的适应能力和响应机制,该文以东兴金花茶1年生实生苗为材料,采用盆栽控水试验,研究不同控水时间处理对东兴金花茶幼苗的生理生态特性的影响。结果表明:随着控水时间的延长,水分胁迫的程度不断加剧,东兴金花茶叶片净光合速率(P_n)、气孔导度(G_s)、蒸腾速率(T_r)呈现显著下降趋势;胞间CO₂浓度(C_i)呈现先低后高的变化趋势,水分利用效率(WUE)呈现先高后低的变化趋势。土壤含水率和叶片相对含水量均呈现不断下降的趋势,丙二醛呈现先降后升的变化趋势;东兴金花茶幼苗的荧光参数F_v/F_m和F_v/F_o呈现先增加后不断下降趋势,分别从0.806下降至0.754和4.17下降至3.08,表明水分胁迫降低了PSⅡ原初光能转化效率,光合作用原初反应过程受到抑制。基于水分胁迫的生理生态指标和叶片生物性状的变化表明,控水时间在4 d情况下东兴金花茶可以提高自身水分利用效率来抵抗干旱,说明东...     

Photosynthetic properties of two different soybean suspension cultures

The photosynthetic properties of two commonly used suspension cultured lines, embryogenic and photoautotrophic (PA, SB-1 line) cells of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] were characterized. We found that compared to the dark green PA cells, the light green embryogenic cells contained fewer and smaller plastids with less-developed thylakoid membranes. The embryogenic cells also contained much lower contents of both chlorophyll and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco; EC 4.1.1.39) protein, an undetectable level of Rubisco small subunit protein, and a very low rate of photosynthesis. While the DNA contents of the nuclear genomes were similar in these two types of cultured cells, the embryogenic cells possessed a markedly lower content of plastid DNA. The 18-year-old PA suspension culture, SB-1, continues to evolve with higher Rubisco and plastid DNA contents than leaves, and with small decreases in nuclear DNA content that appears to mimic changes in chromosome numbers. These findings may prove useful in the application of plastid transformation, particularly when non-leaf or non-green tissues must be used as targets for transformation and plant regeneration.     

Photosynthesis and apparent affinity for dissolved inorganic carbon by cells and chloroplasts of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii grown at high and low CO2 concentrations

Chloroplasts with high rates of photosynthetic O₂ evolution (up to 120 mol O₂· (mg Chl)^-1·h^-1 compared with 130 mol O₂· (mg Chl)^-1·h^-1 of whole cells) were isolated from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells grown in high and low CO₂ concentrations using autolysine-digitonin treatment. At 25° C and pH=7.8, no O₂ uptake could be observed in the dark by high- and low-CO₂ adapted chloroplasts. Light saturation of photosynthetic net oxygen evolution was reached at 800 mol photons·m^-2·s^-1 for high- and low-CO₂ adapted chloroplasts, a value which was almost identical to that observed for whole cells. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) saturation of photosynthesis was reached between 200–300 M for low-CO₂ adapted chloroplasts, whereas high-CO₂ adapted chloroplasts were not saturated even at 700 M DIC. The concentrations of DIC required to reach half-saturated rates of net O₂ evolution (K_m(DIC)) was 31.1 and 156 M DIC for low- and high-CO₂ adapted chloroplasts, respectively. These results demonstrate that the CO₂ concentration provided during growth influenced the photosynthetic characteristics at the whole cell as well as at the chloroplast level.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - DIC dissolved inorganic carbon - K_m(DIC) coneentration of dissolved inorganic carbon required for the rate of half maximal net O₂ evolution - PFR photon fluence rate - SPGM silicasol-PVP-gradient medium     

Purification and characterization of a stable oxygen-evolving Photosystem II complex from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis

Oxygen-evolving Photosystem II particles (crude PSII) retaining a high oxygen-evolving activity have been prepared from a marine centric diatom, Chaetoceros gracilis (Nagao et al., 2007). The crude PSII, however, contained a large amount of fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c-binding proteins (FCP). In this study, a purified PSII complex which was deprived of major components of FCP was isolated by one step of anion exchange chromatography from the crude PSII treated with Triton X-100. The purified PSII was still associated with the five extrinsic proteins of PsbO, PsbQ', PsbV, Psb31 and PsbU, and showed a high oxygen-evolving activity of 2135 μmol O₂ (mg Chl a)^− 1 h^− 1 in the presence of phenyl-p-benzoquinone which was virtually independent of the addition of CaCl₂. This activity is more than 2.5-fold higher than the activity of the crude PSII. The activity was completely inhibited by 3-(3,4)-dichlorophenyl-(1,1)-dimethylurea (DCMU). The purified PSII contained 42 molecules of Chl a, 2 molecules of diadinoxanthin and 2 molecules of Chl c on the basis of two molecules of pheophytin a, and showed typical absorption and fluorescence spectra similar to those of purified PSIIs from the other organisms. In this study, we also found that the crude PSII was significantly labile, as a significant inactivation of oxygen evolution, chlorophyll bleaching and degradation of PSII subunits were observed during incubation at 25 °C in the dark. In contrast, these inactivation, bleaching and degradation were scarcely detected in the purified PSII. Thus, we succeeded for the first time in preparation of a stable PSII from diatom cells.     

Computational analysis of fluorescence induction curves in intact spinach leaves treated at different pH

Effects of change in pH have been investigated on spinach leaf discs by measuring fluorescence induction kinetics using plant efficiency analyzer (PEA). On the basis of computational analysis of the results, we have reported that acidic pH causes a significant inhibition of the donor and the acceptor side of PS II. Energy flux models have been presented using the software Biolyzer HP 3. Effects of pH were investigated on the antenna size heterogeneity of PS II and a relative change in the proportions of α, β, and γ centers was observed.