Humidity-sensitive Degreening and Regreening of Leaves of Borya nitida Labill. As Followed by Changes in Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Abstract

Fast and slow chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinetics were used to follow changes in photosynthetic activity during humidity-sensitive degreening and regreening of leaves of Borya nidita Labill. During dry periods the leaves of this desiccation-tolerant plant lose chlorophyll, becoming yellow-brown and upon rehydration turn green again. This degreening process can be simulated in detached leaves by slow dehydration at 96% relative humidity. Under these conditions changes in chlorophyll fluorescence in vivo and the activities of photosystems I and II in chloroplasts isolated from dehydrated leaves indicated that degreening was accompanied initially by a stimulation of photosystem II activity and a gradual decrease in photosystem I-mediated electron transfer, while at advanced stages of degreening both photosystems were lost. Control leaves detached and kept at 100% relative humidity remained green and showed little change in chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics. During the rehydration and subsequent regreening of dry yellow leaves, photosystem I activity appeared to recover faster than photosystem II. The ability of the leaves to recover and regreen from the dried state, either on the plant or after detachment, depended upon the physiological age of the leaves at the time of dehydration.