Salinity affects the photoacclimation of Chlamydomonas raudensis Ettl UWO241

• Published in: Photosynthesis research Vol. 99; no. 3; pp. 195 - 203
• Main Authors: Takizawa, Kenji, Takahashi, Shinichiro, Hüner, Norman P. A, Minagawa, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01-03-2009; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acclimatization - drug effects; Algae; Animals; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chlamydomonas - classification; Chlamydomonas - drug effects; Chlamydomonas - radiation effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Life Sciences; Light; Photosynthesis; Photosynthesis - physiology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Regular Paper; Saline water; Sodium Chloride - pharmacology; Studies; Thylakoids - drug effects; Thylakoids - ultrastructure; Antarctica; Psychrophile; State transition; Photoacclimation; Light-harvesting complex; NPQ
• ISSN: 0166-8595; 1573-5079
• DOI: 10.1007/s11120-008-9397-8

Chlamydomonas raudensis Ettl UWO241, a natural variant of C. raudensis, is deficient in state transitions. Its habitat, the deepest layer of Lake Bonney in Antarctica, features low irradiance, low temperature, and high salinity. Although psychrophily and low-light acclimation of this green alga has been described, very little information is available on the effect of salinity. Here, we demonstrate that this psychrophile is halotolerant, not halophilic, and it shows energy redistribution between photosystem I and II based on energy spillover under low-salt conditions. Furthermore, we revealed that C. raudensis exhibits higher non-photochemical quenching in comparison with the mesophile Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, when grown with low-salt, which is due to the lower proton conductivity across the thylakoid membrane. Significance of the C. raudensis UWO241 traits found in the low salinity culture are implicated with their natural habitats, including the high salinity and extremely stable light environments.