Characterizing non-photochemical quenching in leaves through fluorescence lifetime snapshots

Hydrophobic Mismatch in the Thylakoid Membrane Regulates Photosynthetic Light Harvesting

The ability to harvest light effectively in a changing environment is necessary to ensure efficient photosynthesis and crop growth. One mechanism, known as qE, protects photosystem II (PSII) and regulates electron transfer through the harmless dissipation of excess absorbed photons as heat. This process involves reversible clustering of the major light-harvesting complexes of PSII (LHCII) in the thylakoid membrane and relies upon the ΔpH gradient and the allosteric modulator protein PsbS. To date, the exact role of PsbS in the qE mechanism has remained elusive. Here, we show that PsbS induces hydrophobic mismatch in the thylakoid membrane through dynamic rearrangement of lipids around LHCII leading to observed membrane thinning. We found that upon illumination, the thylakoid membrane reversibly shrinks from around 4.3 to 3.2 nm, without PsbS, this response is eliminated. Furthermore, we show that the lipid digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG) is repelled from the LHCII-PsbS complex due to an increase in both the pKa of lumenal residues and in the dipole moment of LHCII, which allows for further conformational change and clustering in the membrane. Our results suggest a mechanistic role for PsbS as a facilitator of a hydrophobic mismatch-mediated phase transition between LHCII-PsbS and its environment. This could act as the driving force to sort LHCII into photoprotective nanodomains in the thylakoid membrane. This work shows an example of the key role of the hydrophobic mismatch process in regulating membrane protein function in plants.

EPR Spin-Trapping for Monitoring Temporal Dynamics of Singlet Oxygen during Photoprotection in Photosynthesis

A central goal of photoprotective energy dissipation processes is the regulation of singlet oxygen (1O2*) and reactive oxygen species in the photosynthetic apparatus. Despite the involvement of 1O2* in photodamage and cell signaling, few studies directly correlate 1O2* formation to nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) or lack thereof. Here, we combine spin-trapping electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopies to track in real time the involvement of 1O2* during photoprotection in plant thylakoid membranes. The EPR spin-trapping method for detection of 1O2* was first optimized for photosensitization in dye-based chemical systems and then used to establish methods for monitoring the temporal dynamics of 1O2* in chlorophyll-containing photosynthetic membranes. We find that the apparent 1O2* concentration in membranes changes throughout a 1 h period of continuous illumination. During an initial response to high light intensity, the concentration of 1O2* decreased in parallel with a decrease in the chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime via NPQ. Treatment of membranes with nigericin, an uncoupler of the transmembrane proton gradient, delayed the activation of NPQ and the associated quenching of 1O2* during high light. Upon saturation of NPQ, the concentration of 1O2* increased in both untreated and nigericin-treated membranes, reflecting the utility of excess energy dissipation in mitigating photooxidative stress in the short term (i.e., the initial ∼10 min of high light).

The major trimeric antenna complexes serve as a site for qH-energy dissipation in plants

Plants and algae are faced with a conundrum: harvesting sufficient light to drive their metabolic needs while dissipating light in excess to prevent photodamage, a process known as nonphotochemical quenching. A slowly relaxing form of energy dissipation, termed qH, is critical for plants’ survival under abiotic stress; however, qH location in the photosynthetic membrane is unresolved. Here, we tested whether we could isolate subcomplexes from plants in which qH was induced that would remain in an energy-dissipative state. Interestingly, we found that chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence lifetimes were decreased by qH in isolated major trimeric antenna complexes, indicating that they serve as a site for qH-energy dissipation and providing a natively quenched complex with physiological relevance to natural conditions. Next, we monitored the changes in thylakoid pigment, protein, and lipid contents of antenna with active or inactive qH but did not detect any evident differences. Finally, we investigated whether specific subunits of the major antenna complexes were required for qH but found that qH was insensitive to trimer composition. Because we previously observed that qH can occur in the absence of specific xanthophylls, and no evident changes in pigments, proteins, or lipids were detected, we tentatively propose that the energy-dissipative state reported here may stem from Chl–Chl excitonic interaction.

Interplay between LHCSR proteins and state transitions governs the NPQ response in Chlamydomonas during light fluctuations

Photosynthetic organisms use sunlight as the primary energy source to fix CO₂ . However, in nature, light energy is highly variable, reaching levels of saturation for periods ranging from milliseconds to hours. In the green microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, safe dissipation of excess light energy by nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) is mediated by light-harvesting complex stress-related (LHCSR) proteins and redistribution of light-harvesting antennae between the photosystems (state transition). Although each component underlying NPQ has been documented, their relative contributions to NPQ under fluctuating light conditions remain unknown. Here, by monitoring NPQ in intact cells throughout high light/dark cycles of various illumination periods, we find that the dynamics of NPQ depend on the timescales of light fluctuations. We show that LHCSRs play a major role during the light phases of light fluctuations and describe their role in growth under rapid light fluctuations. We further reveal an activation of NPQ during the dark phases of all high light/dark cycles and show that this phenomenon arises from state transition. Finally, we show that LHCSRs and state transition synergistically cooperate to enable NPQ response during light fluctuations. These results highlight the dynamic functioning of photoprotection under light fluctuations and open a new way to systematically characterize the photosynthetic response to an ever-changing light environment.

Xanthophyll-cycle based model of the rapid photoprotection of Nannochloropsis in response to regular and irregular light/dark sequences

Abstract <p>We explore the photoprotection dynamics of Nannochloropsis oceanica using time-correlated single photon counting under regular and irregular actinic light sequences. The varying light sequences mimic natural conditions, allowing us to probe the real-time response of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) pathways. Durations of fluctuating light exposure during a fixed total experimental time and prior light exposure of the algae are both found to have a profound effect on NPQ. These observations are rationalized with a quantitative model based on the xanthophyll cycle and the protonation of LHCX1. The model is able to accurately describe the dynamics of non-photochemical quenching across a variety of light sequences. The combined model and observations suggest that the accumulation of a quenching complex, likely zeaxanthin bound to a protonated LHCX1, is responsible for the gradual rise in NPQ. Additionally, the model makes specific predictions for the light sequence dependence of xanthophyll concentrations that are in reasonable agreement with independent chromatography measurements taken during a specific light/dark sequence.

Dissipation of Light Energy Absorbed in Excess: The Molecular Mechanisms

Light is essential for photosynthesis. Nevertheless, its intensity widely changes depending on time of day, weather, season, and localization of individual leaves within canopies. This variability means that light collected by the light-harvesting system is often in excess with respect to photon fluence or spectral quality in the context of the capacity of photosynthetic metabolism to use ATP and reductants produced from the light reactions. Absorption of excess light can lead to increased production of excited, highly reactive intermediates, which expose photosynthetic organisms to serious risks of oxidative damage. Prevention and management of such stress are performed by photoprotective mechanisms, which operate by cutting down light absorption, limiting the generation of redox-active molecules, or scavenging reactive oxygen species that are released despite the operation of preventive mechanisms. Here, we describe the major physiological and molecular mechanisms of photoprotection involved in the harmless removal of the excess light energy absorbed by green algae and land plants. In vivo analyses of mutants targeting photosynthetic components and the enhanced resolution of spectroscopic techniques have highlighted specific mechanisms protecting the photosynthetic apparatus from overexcitation. Recent findings unveil a network of multiple interacting elements, the reaction times of which vary from a millisecond to weeks, that continuously maintain photosynthetic organisms within the narrow safety range between efficient light harvesting and photoprotection.

Complex Roles of PsbS and Xanthophylls in the Regulation of Nonphotochemical Quenching in Arabidopsis thaliana under Fluctuating Light

Protection of photosystem II against damage from excess light by nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) includes responses on a wide range of timescales. The onset of the various phases of NPQ overlap in time making it difficult to discern if they influence each other or involve different photophysical mechanisms. To unravel the complex relationship of the known actors in NPQ, we perform fluorescence lifetime snapshot measurements throughout multiple cycles of alternating 2 min periods of high light and darkness. By comparing the data with an empirically based mathematical model that describes both fast and slow quenching responses, we suggest that the rapidly reversible quenching response depends on the state of the slower response. By studying a series of Arabidopsis thaliana mutants, we find that removing zeaxanthin (Zea) or enhancing PsbS concentration, for example, influences the amplitudes of the slow quenching induction and recovery, but not the timescales. The plants' immediate response to high light appears independent of the illumination history, while PsbS and Zea have distinct roles in both quenching and recovery. We further identify two parameters in our model that predominately influence the recovery amplitude and propose that our approach may prove useful for screening new mutants or overexpressors with enhanced biomass yields under field conditions.

Photosynthesis: basics, history and modelling

BACKGROUND

With limited agricultural land and increasing human population, it is essential to enhance overall photosynthesis and thus productivity. Oxygenic photosynthesis begins with light absorption, followed by excitation energy transfer to the reaction centres, primary photochemistry, electron and proton transport, NADPH and ATP synthesis, and then CO2 fixation (Calvin-Benson cycle, as well as Hatch-Slack cycle). Here we cover some of the discoveries related to this process, such as the existence of two light reactions and two photosystems connected by an electron transport 'chain' (the Z-scheme), chemiosmotic hypothesis for ATP synthesis, water oxidation clock for oxygen evolution, steps for carbon fixation, and finally the diverse mechanisms of regulatory processes, such as 'state transitions' and 'non-photochemical quenching' of the excited state of chlorophyll a.

SCOPE

In this review, we emphasize that mathematical modelling is a highly valuable tool in understanding and making predictions regarding photosynthesis. Different mathematical models have been used to examine current theories on diverse photosynthetic processes; these have been validated through simulation(s) of available experimental data, such as chlorophyll a fluorescence induction, measured with fluorometers using continuous (or modulated) exciting light, and absorbance changes at 820 nm (ΔA820) related to redox changes in P700, the reaction centre of photosystem I.

CONCLUSIONS

We highlight here the important role of modelling in deciphering and untangling complex photosynthesis processes taking place simultaneously, as well as in predicting possible ways to obtain higher biomass and productivity in plants, algae and cyanobacteria.

Remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) in vegetation: 50 years of progress

Remote sensing of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) is a rapidly advancing front in terrestrial vegetation science, with emerging capability in space-based methodologies and diverse application prospects. Although remote sensing of SIF - especially from space - is seen as a contemporary new specialty for terrestrial plants, it is founded upon a multi-decadal history of research, applications, and sensor developments in active and passive sensing of chlorophyll fluorescence. Current technical capabilities allow SIF to be measured across a range of biological, spatial, and temporal scales. As an optical signal, SIF may be assessed remotely using highly-resolved spectral sensors and state-of-the-art algorithms to distinguish the emission from reflected and/or scattered ambient light. Because the red to far-red SIF emission is detectable non-invasively, it may be sampled repeatedly to acquire spatio-temporally explicit information about photosynthetic light responses and steady-state behaviour in vegetation. Progress in this field is accelerating with innovative sensor developments, retrieval methods, and modelling advances. This review distills the historical and current developments spanning the last several decades. It highlights SIF heritage and complementarity within the broader field of fluorescence science, the maturation of physiological and radiative transfer modelling, SIF signal retrieval strategies, techniques for field and airborne sensing, advances in satellite-based systems, and applications of these capabilities in evaluation of photosynthesis and stress effects. Progress, challenges, and future directions are considered for this unique avenue of remote sensing.

Snapshot transient absorption spectroscopy: toward in vivo investigations of nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms

Although the importance of nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) on photosynthetic biomass production and crop yields is well established, the in vivo operation of the individual mechanisms contributing to overall NPQ is still a matter of controversy. In order to investigate the timescale and activation dynamics of specific quenching mechanisms, we have developed a technique called snapshot transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, which can monitor molecular species involved in the quenching response with a time resolution of 30 s. Using intact thylakoid membrane samples, we show how conventional TA kinetic and spectral analyses enable the determination of the appropriate wavelength and time delay for snapshot TA experiments. As an example, we show how the chlorophyll-carotenoid charge transfer and excitation energy transfer mechanisms can be monitored based on signals corresponding to the carotenoid (Car) radical cation and Car S₁ excited state absorption, respectively. The use of snapshot TA spectroscopy together with the previously reported fluorescence lifetime snapshot technique (Sylak-Glassman et al. in Photosynth Res 127:69-76, 2016) provides valuable information such as the concurrent appearance of specific quenching species and overall quenching of excited Chl. Furthermore, we show that the snapshot TA technique can be successfully applied to completely intact photosynthetic organisms such as live cells of Nannochloropsis. This demonstrates that the snapshot TA technique is a valuable method for tracking the dynamics of intact samples that evolve over time, such as the photosynthetic system in response to high-light exposure.

Time-resolved fluorescence measurements on leaves: principles and recent developments

Photosynthesis starts when a pigment in the photosynthetic antennae absorbs a photon. The electronic excitation energy is then transferred through the network of light-harvesting pigments to special chlorophyll (Chl) molecules in the reaction centres, where electron transfer is initiated. Energy transfer and primary electron transfer processes take place on timescales ranging from femtoseconds to nanoseconds, and can be monitored in real time via time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. This method is widely used for measurements on unicellular photosynthetic organisms, isolated photosynthetic membranes, and individual complexes. Measurements on intact leaves remain a challenge due to their high structural heterogeneity, high scattering, and high optical density, which can lead to optical artefacts. However, detailed information on the dynamics of these early steps, and the underlying structure-function relationships, is highly informative and urgently required in order to get deeper insights into the physiological regulation mechanisms of primary photosynthesis. Here, we describe a current methodology of time-resolved fluorescence measurements on intact leaves in the picosecond to nanosecond time range. Principles of fluorescence measurements on intact leaves, possible sources of alterations of fluorescence kinetics and the ways to overcome them are addressed. We also describe how our understanding of the organisation and function of photosynthetic proteins and energy flow dynamics in intact leaves can be enriched through the application of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy on leaves. For that, an example of a measurement on Zea mays leaves is presented.

Models and mechanisms of the rapidly reversible regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting

The rapid response of photosynthetic organisms to fluctuations in ambient light intensity is incompletely understood at both the molecular and membrane levels. In this review, we describe research from our group over a 10-year period aimed at identifying the photophysical mechanisms used by plants, algae and mosses to control the efficiency of light harvesting by photosystem II on the seconds-to-minutes time scale. To complement the spectroscopic data, we describe three models capable of describing the measured response at a quantitative level. The review attempts to provide an integrated view that has emerged from our work, and briefly looks forward to future experimental and modelling efforts that will refine and expand our understanding of a process that significantly influences crop yields.

Energy-dependent quenching adjusts the excitation diffusion length to regulate photosynthetic light harvesting

Plants’ photosynthetic mechanism adjusts to fluctuations in light intensity. Intermittent bright sunlight can damage light-harvesting proteins; to preempt this, plants dissipate excess absorbed excitation energy as heat. Energy-dependent quenching (qE) of excitations occurs on the seconds to minutes timescale through conformational changes in antenna proteins. Using a multiscale model of photosystem II, we show that changes in light harvesting due to qE can be explained using a single parameter, the excitation diffusion length, which decreases as qE activates. These findings have implications for the interpretation of pulse amplitude-modulated fluorescence, a common noninvasive measurement of photosynthetic activity in leaves.

An important determinant of crop yields is the regulation of photosystem II (PSII) light harvesting by energy-dependent quenching (qE). However, the molecular details of excitation quenching have not been quantitatively connected to the fraction of excitations converted to chemical energy by PSII reaction centers (PSII yield), which determines flux to downstream metabolism. Here, we incorporate excitation dissipation by qE into a pigment-scale model of excitation transfer and trapping for a 200 × 200-nm patch of the grana membrane. We show that excitation transport can be rigorously coarse grained to a 2D random walk with an excitation diffusion length determined by the extent of quenching. We present an alternative method for analyzing pulse amplitude-modulated chlorophyll fluorescence measurements that incorporates the effects of a variable excitation diffusion length during qE activation.

Dynamic feedback of the photosystem II reaction centre on photoprotection in plants

Photosystem II of higher plants is protected against light damage by thermal dissipation of excess excitation energy, a process that can be monitored through non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence. When the light intensity is lowered, non-photochemical quenching largely disappears on a time scale ranging from tens of seconds to many minutes. With the use of picosecond fluorescence spectroscopy, we demonstrate that one of the underlying mechanisms is only functional when the reaction centre of photosystem II is closed, that is when electron transfer is blocked and the risk of photodamage is high. This is accompanied by the appearance of a long-wavelength fluorescence band. As soon as the reaction centre reopens, this quenching, together with the long-wavelength fluorescence, disappears instantaneously. This allows plants to maintain a high level of photosynthetic efficiency even in dangerous high-light conditions.

Snapshot Transient Absorption Spectroscopy of Carotenoid Radical Cations in High-Light-Acclimating Thylakoid Membranes

Nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms regulate light harvesting in oxygenic photosynthesis. Measurement techniques for nonphotochemical quenching have typically focused on downstream effects of quenching, such as measuring reduced chlorophyll fluorescence. Here, to directly measure a species involved in quenching, we report snapshot transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy, which rapidly tracks carotenoid radical cation signals as samples acclimate to excess light. The formation of zeaxanthin radical cations, which is possible evidence of zeaxanthin-chlorophyll charge-transfer (CT) quenching, was investigated in spinach thylakoids. Together with fluorescence lifetime snapshot data and time-resolved high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements, snapshot TA reveals that Zea^•+ formation is closely related to energy-dependent quenching (qE) in nonphotochemical quenching. Quantitative and dynamic information on CT quenching discussed in this work give insight into the design principles of photoprotection in natural photosynthesis.

Dissecting and modeling zeaxanthin- and lutein-dependent nonphotochemical quenching in Arabidopsis thaliana

Photosynthetic organisms use various photoprotective mechanisms to dissipate excess photoexcitation as heat in a process called nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Regulation of NPQ allows for a rapid response to changes in light intensity and in vascular plants, is primarily triggered by a pH gradient across the thylakoid membrane (∆pH). The response is mediated by the PsbS protein and various xanthophylls. Time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) measurements were performed on Arabidopsis thaliana to quantify the dependence of the response of NPQ to changes in light intensity on the presence and accumulation of zeaxanthin and lutein. Measurements were performed on WT and mutant plants deficient in one or both of the xanthophylls as well as a transgenic line that accumulates lutein via an engineered lutein epoxide cycle. Changes in the response of NPQ to light acclimation in WT and mutant plants were observed between two successive light acclimation cycles, suggesting that the character of the rapid and reversible response of NPQ in fully dark-acclimated plants is substantially different from in conditions plants are likely to experience caused by changes in light intensity during daylight. Mathematical models of the response of zeaxanthin- and lutein-dependent reversible NPQ were constructed that accurately describe the observed differences between the light acclimation periods. Finally, the WT response of NPQ was reconstructed from isolated components present in mutant plants with a single common scaling factor, which enabled deconvolution of the relative contributions of zeaxanthin- and lutein-dependent NPQ.

Multiscale model of light harvesting by photosystem II in plants

The first step of photosynthesis in plants is the absorption of sunlight by pigments in the antenna complexes of photosystem II (PSII), followed by transfer of the nascent excitation energy to the reaction centers, where long-term storage as chemical energy is initiated. Quantum mechanical mechanisms must be invoked to explain the transport of excitation within individual antenna. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms influence transfer across assemblies of antenna and thus the photochemical yield at reaction centers in the functional thylakoid membrane. Here, we model light harvesting at the several-hundred-nanometer scale of the PSII membrane, while preserving the dominant quantum effects previously observed in individual complexes. We show that excitation moves diffusively through the antenna with a diffusion length of 50 nm until it reaches a reaction center, where charge separation serves as an energetic trap. The diffusion length is a single parameter that incorporates the enhancing effect of excited state delocalization on individual rates of energy transfer as well as the complex kinetics that arise due to energy transfer and loss by decay to the ground state. The diffusion length determines PSII's high quantum efficiency in ideal conditions, as well as how it is altered by the membrane morphology and the closure of reaction centers. We anticipate that the model will be useful in resolving the nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms that PSII employs in conditions of high light stress.