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Xanthophyll cycle induction by anaerobic conditions under low light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

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Abstract

The effect of anaerobiosis on the induction of the xanthophyll cycle was investigated in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The results showed that, anaerobiosis obtained by either sulfur starvation or by bubbling nitrogen in the culture grown in complete medium induced the xanthophyll cycle even when cultures were exposed to low light conditions. The zeaxanthin content reached 35 mmol mol−1 Chl a, after 110 h in anaerobic sulfur-starved cultures, and 30 mmol mol−1 Chl a within 24 h in sulfur replete cultures bubbled with nitrogen. Both starved and non-starved cultures grown under aerobic conditions, did not exhibit any sizeable increase in the zeaxanthin content. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements revealed a decrease in the maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) by more than 50 %. The chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics (OJIP) analysis showed a strong rise at the J-step indicating a strong reduction of QA. Our findings demonstrated that anaerobiosis in low light exposed cultures induced the xanthophyll cycle through a strong increase of the level of plastoquinone pool reduction, which was associated to the formation of a trans-thylakoid membranes proton gradient, while in dark anaerobic cultures, no appreciable induction of xanthophyll cycle could be observed, despite the sizeable increase in non–photochemical quenching.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the MIUR (Italian Ministry of University and Research) through project FISR “Fondo Integrativo Speciale per la Ricerca” contract number 1756 (GP). Partial support was also provided by joint projects under the framework of the Bilateral Scientific Agreement between the National Research Council of Italy and the TUBITAK (Turkey). The information reported in this article was also generated as a part of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) Task 21 Program on Bio-inspired Hydrogen and Biological Hydrogen Production.

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  1. Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi (ISE), CNR, Via Madonna del Piano, 10-50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy

    Cecilia Faraloni & Giuseppe Torzillo

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  1. Cecilia Faraloni
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  2. Giuseppe Torzillo
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Correspondence to Cecilia Faraloni.

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Faraloni, C., Torzillo, G. Xanthophyll cycle induction by anaerobic conditions under low light in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . J Appl Phycol 25, 1457–1471 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-9986-6

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