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Effects of GeO2 on chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidant enzymes in apple leaves under strong light

  • Original paper
  • Published:
Photosynthetica

Abstract

In this study, we chose apple leaf as plant material and studied effects of GeO2 on operation of photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant enzyme activities under strong light. When exogenous GeO2 concentration was below 5.0 mg L–1, maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII and actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry increased significantly compared with the control under irradiances of 800 and 1,600 μmol(photon) m–2 s–1. Photosynthetic electron transport chain capacity between QA–QB, QA–PSI acceptor, and QB–PSI acceptor showed a trend of rising up with 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 mg(GeO2) L–1 and declining with 10.0 mg(GeO2) L–1. On the other hand, dissipated energy via both ΔpH and xanthophyll cycle decreased remarkably compared with the control when GeO2 concentration was below 5.0 mg L–1. Our results suggested that low concentrations of GeO2 could alleviate photoinhibition and 5.0 mg(GeO2) L–1 was the most effective. In addition, we found, owing to exogenous GeO2 treatment, that the main form of this element in apple leaves was organic germanium, which means chemical conversion of germanium happened. The organic germanium might be helpful to allay photoinhibition due to its function of scavenging free radicals and lowering accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which was proven by higher antioxidant enzyme activities.

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Abbreviations

ABS:

absorption flux

ABS/RC:

absorption flux per reaction center of PSII

ABS/CS0 :

absorption flux per sample cross section

APX:

ascorbate peroxidase

CAT:

catalase

CS:

phenomenological energy fluxes per excited cross section

DHAR:

dehydroascorbate reductase

DI0/CS0 :

dissipated energy flux per sample cross section

DI0/RC:

dissipated energy flux per reaction center of PSII

DM:

dry mass

FM:

fresh mass

FM :

maximal fluorescence

F0 :

initial fluorescence

Fv/FM :

maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII

FV'/FM' :

actual photochemical efficiency

FS:

steady-state fluorescence

GPX:

guaiacol peroxidase

GR:

glutathione reductase

MDHAR:

monodehydroascorbate reductase

NPQ:

nonphotochemical quenching coefficient

OJIP:

fast chlorophyll fluorescence transients

PETC:

photosynthetic electron transport chain

POD:

peroxidase

qP:

photochemical quenching coefficient

RC:

specific energy fluxes per active PSII reaction center

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

SOD:

superoxide dismutase

TR0/CS0 :

flux of energy trapping per sample cross-section

TR0/RC:

flux of energy trapping per reaction center of PSII

VI :

relative variable fluorescence at the I-step

VJ :

relative variable fluorescence at the J-step

ΦNO :

quantum yield of non-light-induced nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching

ΦNPQ :

quantum yield of light-induced ΔpH and zeaxanthin-dependent

ΦPSII :

actual quantum yield of PSII photochemistry

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

    Z. B. Wang, Y. F. Wang, J. J. Zhao, L. Ma, Y. J. Wang, X. Zhang, Y. T. Nie, Y. P. Guo, L. X. Mei & Z. Y. Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory of Horticulture Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

    Y. P. Guo

  3. Shaanxi Engineering Research Center for Apple, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

    Z. Y. Zhao

Authors
  1. Z. B. Wang
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  2. Y. F. Wang
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Correspondence to Y. P. Guo.

Additional information

Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program (2014BAD16B06) and the project of the China Agriculture Research System (CARS-28).

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Wang, Z.B., Wang, Y.F., Zhao, J.J. et al. Effects of GeO2 on chlorophyll fluorescence and antioxidant enzymes in apple leaves under strong light. Photosynthetica 56, 1081–1092 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0807-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-018-0807-7

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