title: Relaxation of the non-photochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching in diatoms: kinetics, components and mechanisms.
abstract: Diatoms are especially important microorganisms because they constitute the larger group of microalgae. To survive the constant variations of the light environment, diatoms have developed mechanisms aiming at the dissipation of excess energy, such as the xanthophyll cycle and the non-photochemical chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence quenching. This contribution is dedicated to the relaxation of the latter process when the adverse conditions cease. An original nonlinear regression analysis of the relaxation of non-photochemical Chl fluorescence quenching, qN, in diatoms is presented. It was used to obtain experimental evidence for the existence of three time-resolved components in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum: qNf, qNi and qNs. qNf (s time-scale) and qNs (h time-scale) are exponential in shape. By contrast, qNi (min time-scale) is of sigmoidal nature and is dominant among the three components. The application of metabolic inhibitors (dithiothreitol, ammonium chloride, cadmium and diphenyleneiodonium chloride) allowed the identification of the mechanisms on which each component mostly relies. qNi is linked to the relaxation of the ΔpH gradient and the reversal of the xanthophyll cycle. qNs quantifies the stage of photoinhibition caused by the high light exposure, qNf seems to reflect fast conformational changes within thylakoid membranes in the vicinity of the photosystem II complexes.
authors.affiliation: Biology Centre AS CR, p.r.i., IPMB, , Branisovska 31, Ceske Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roháček
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jacquette
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Caplat
authors.forename: Annick
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morant-Manceau
authors.forename: Benoît
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schoefs
mesh_terms: D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D002104:Cadmium; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D017377:Diatoms / Q000502:physiology*; D004229:Dithiothreitol; D005453:Fluorescence; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D009861:Onium Compounds; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020524:Thylakoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009861:Onium Compounds; D045332:Photosystem II Protein Complex; D024341:Xanthophylls; D002104:Cadmium; D000643:Ammonium Chloride; D002734:Chlorophyll; C007517:diphenyleneiodonium; D004229:Dithiothreitol
keywords: diatom; high light stress; photoprotection; photosynthesis; relaxation; xanthophyll cycle