| Abstract: | The effects of long term exposure to suboptimal growth temperature on the photosynthetic apparatus of Dunaliella tertiolecta Butcher were investigated using carbon fixation rate versus irradiance curves and the variable fluorescence induction method. Carbon fixation rates per unite chlorophyll a at saturating (pBm) and subsaturating (αB) irradiances were 55% and 39% lower, respectively, at 12° C than at 20° C. Chlorophyll a quotas and the spectrally averaged in vivo absorption cross section normalized to chlorophyll a (a*) were not significantly different at these two temperatures. Analysis of the fluorescence kinetics revealed 1) no significant variations of the amount of PSII photoactive reaction centers per unit chlorophyll a, 2) a 14% decrease of the PSII quantum yield(+) and 3) a 29% decrease of the energy transfer efficiency between the light harvesting chlorophyll a pigment bed and the PSII reaction centers. The decrease in energy transfer efficiency between the antennae and the PSII reaction centers at 12° C was interpreted as a mechanism to avoid photoinhibition. |
