The Effect of Chloramphenicol on Photoinhibition of Photosynthesis and Its Recovery in Intact Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) Leaves

Abstract

Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C. F. Liang et A. R. Ferguson] leaves in high light and its subsequent recovery in low light was assessed in the presence of chloramphenicol (CAP), an inhibitor of chloroplast-encoded protein synthesis. Rooted cuttings were grown in a controlled environment at a photosynthetic irradiance of 700 μmol m^-2 s^-1 and a day/night temperature of 25/20ºC. Time-courses of photoinhibition and recovery treatments were followed by measuring CO₂ exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence at 77K and 692 nm.

CAP both exacerbated photoinhibition and blocked recovery for at least 150 min, especially at high temperatures. The close conformation of these two effects affirm that photoinhibition and recovery occur concomitantly. There was no apparent effect of CAP on the xanthophyll cycle, either during photoinhibition or recovery, indicating that zeaxanthin-mediated non-radiative energy (thermal) dissipation was unaffected by CAP. Because the CAP-induced increase in photoinhibition was not matched by an increase in the ratio of zeaxanthin to violaxanthin and antheraxanthin, the capacity of this photoprotective mechanism was apparently saturated.

The primary effect of CAP on chlorophyll fluorescence was to affect F_m, the maximum fluorescence. There was only a minor effect on the initial fluorescence, F_o, during the photoinhibition and recovery treatments. The calculation of the rate constants for non-radiative dissipation (k_D) and photochemistry (k_p) from the fluorescence measurements indicated that an increase in k_D occurred during high-light exposures and this was stimulated by CAP. However, since zeaxanthin was not mediating this, an alternative quencher in kiwifruit leaves, perhaps damaged PSII centres, is proposed. This would be consistent with an increased inactivation of PSII, as indicated by the changes in k_p.