Photosynthetic electron transport and carbon-reduction-cycle enzyme activities under long-term drought stress in Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. & Forst.

Abstract

The inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport and the activity of photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle (PCR) enzymes under long-term water stress after slow dehydration was studied in non-nodulated Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. & Forst. plants. Initially, drought increased the fraction of closed Photosystem II (PS II) reaction centres (lowered qP) and decreased the quantum yield of PS II electron transport (ΦPSII) with no enhancement of non-radiative dissipation of light energy (qN) because it increased the efficiency of electron capture by open PS II centres (F′v/F′m). As drought progressed, F′v/F′m fell and the decrease in ΦPSII was associated with an increased qN. The kinetics of dark relaxation of fluorescence quenching pointed to an increase in a slowly-relaxing component under drought, in association with increased contents of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin. Total NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase activity increased and total stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity decreased under drought, while the activation state of these enzymes remained unchanged. Water stress did not alter the activity and the activation state of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase.