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Transient state characteristics of adaptation to changes in light conditions for the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii

I. Pigmentation and photosynthesis

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Abstract

Transitions in growth irradiance level from 92 to 7 μEm-2 s-1 and vice versa caused changes in the pigment contents and photosynthesis of Oscillatoria agardhii. The changes in chlorophyll a and C-phycocyanin contents during the transition from high to low irradiance (H→L) were reflected in photosynthetic parameters. In the L→H transition light utilization efficiencies of the cells changed faster than pigment contents. This appeared to be related to the lowering of light utilization efficiencies of photosynthesis. As a possible explanation it was hypothesized that excess photosynthate production led to feed back inhibition of photosynthesis. Time-scales of changes in the maximal rate of O2 evolution were discussed as changes in the number of reaction centers of photosystem II in relation to photosynthetic electron transport. Parameters that were subject to change during irradiance transitions obeyed first order kinetics, but hysteresis occurred when comparing H→L with L→H transients. Interpretation of first order kinetic analysis was discussed in terms of adaptive response vs changes in growth rate.

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Abbreviations

Chla :

chlorophyll a

CPC:

C-phycocyanin

PS II:

photosystem II

PS I:

photosystem I

RC II:

reaction center of photosystem II

P:

photosynthetic O2-evolution

I:

irradiance, μEm-2 s-1

α:

light utilization efficiency of cells, μmmol O2·mg dry wt-1·h-1/μEm-2 s-1

α′:

light utilization efficiency of photosynthetic apparatus, μmol O2·μmol Chla -1·h-1/μEm-2 s-1

Pmax :

maximal rate of O2 evolution by cells, μmol O2·mg dry wt-1·h-1

P′max :

maximal rate of O2 evolution by photosynthetic apparatus, μmol O2·μmol·Chla -1·h-1

LL:

low light, μE m-2 s-1

HL:

high light, μE m-2 s-1

L→H:

low to high light transition

H→L:

high to low light transition

k :

specific rate of adaptation, h-1

μ:

specific growth rate, h-1

Q :

pool size of cell constituent, μmol·mg dry wt-1

q :

net synthesis rate of cell constituent, μmol·mg dry wt-1·h-1

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Post, A.F. Transient state characteristics of adaptation to changes in light conditions for the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria agardhii . Arch. Microbiol. 145, 353–357 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00470870

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00470870

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