Temperature/light dependent development of selective resistance to photoinhibition of photosystem I

Abstract
Exposure of winter rye leaves grown at 20°C and an irradiance of either 50 or 250 μmol m−2s−1to high light stress (1600 μmol m−2s−1, 4 h) at 5°C resulted in photoinhibition of PSI measured in vivo as a 34% and 31% decrease in ΔA820/A820(P700+). The same effect was registered in plants grown at 5°C and 50 μmol m−2s−1. This was accompanied by a parallel degradation of the PsaA/PsaB heterodimer, increase of the intersystem epool size as well as inhibition of PSII photochemistry measured as Fv/Fm. Surprisingly, plants acclimated to high light (800 μmol m−2s−1) or to 5°C and moderate light (250 μmol m−2s−1) were fully resistant to photoinhibition of PSI and did not exhibit any measurable changes at the level of PSI heterodimer abundance and intersystem epool size, although PSII photochemistry was reduced to 66% and 64% respectively. Thus, we show for the first time that PSI, unlike PSII, becomes completely resistant to photoinhibition when plants are acclimated to either 20°C/800 μmol m−2s−1or 5°C/250 μmol m−2s−1as a response to growth at elevated excitation pressure. The role of temperature/light dependent acclimation in the induction of selective tolerance to PSI photoinactivation is discussed.