Nonintrusive Indicator for Rapid Assessment of In Vivo Photosynthesis
67
intensity. It is clear that to obtain all this information, a sample does not
even have to be touched, i.e., the methods employed are nondestructive and
the same sample can be followed in its physiological development and
changes over extended periods of time. On the basis of such information,
essential conclusions on the performance of a plant in a given natural or
artificial environment can be drawn. In particular, in the future, these
methods will be useful for rapid screening of genetically modified plant
cultivars and selecting for optimal performance in environments with various
forms of stress. It appears that the first response of a plant to environmental
stress is an increase of non-radiative energy dissipation, which is readily
reflected in chlorophyll fluorescence. In this manner, the plants attempt to
avoid photoinhibitory damage, repair of which is rather costly (see contribution by Bjorkman and Demmig, Chap. 2, this Vol.). Exactly how heat
dissipation is stimulated remains to be resolved. However, there is little
doubt that Ordependent electron flow, ApH formation, violaxanthin deepoxidation, and PS II reaction center inactivation are involved.
Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Murray Badger for reading the manuscript. Support
by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 176 and 251) is gratefully acknowledged.
References
Allen JF (1992) Protein phosphorylation in regulation of photosynthesis. Biochim Biophys
Acta 1098: 275-335
Arnon DI, Chain RK (1975) Regulation of ferredoxin-catalyzed photosynthetic phosphorylations. Proc Nat! Acad Sci USA 72: 4961-4965
Arnon DI, Chain RK (1977) Role of oxygen in ferredoxin-catalyzed cyclic phosphorylations. FEBS Lett 82: 297-302
Asada K, Bad¥er M (1984) Photoreduction of 18 0 2 and 18H202 with a concomitant
evolution of 602 in intact spinach chloroplasts. Evidence for scavenging of hydrogen
peroxide by peroxidase. Plant Cell Physiol25: 1169-1179
Asada H, Takahashi M (1987) Production and scavenging of active oxygen in photosynthesis. In: Kyle DJ, Osmond CB, Arntzen CJ (eds) Photoinhibiton. Elsevier,
Amsterdam, pp 227-287
Asada K, Neubauer C, Heber U, Schreiber U (1990) Methyl viologen-dependent cyclic
electron transport in spinach chloroplasts in the absence of oxygen. Plant Cell Physiol
31: 557-564
Bilger W, Bjorkman 0 (1990) Role of the xanthophyll cycle in photoprotection elucidated
by measurements of light-induced absorbance changes, fluorescence and photosynthesis
in leaves of Hedera canariensis. Photosynth Res 25: 173-186
Bilger W, Schreiber U (1986) Energy-dependent quenching of dark-level chlorophyll
fluorescence in intact leaves. Photosynth Res 10:303-308
Bilger W, Schreiber U, Lange OL (1987) Chlorophyll fluorescence as an indicator of heatinduced limitation of photosynthesis in Arbutus unedo. In: Tenhunen J, Catarino FM,
Lange OL. Oechel WC (eds) Plant response to stress. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New
York, pp '<>[-399
Bilger W, Heber U, Schreiber U (1988) Kinetic relationship between energy-dependent
fluorescence quenching, light scattering, chlorophyll luminescence and proton pumping
in intact leaves. Z Naturforsch 43cc: 377-887
67
intensity. It is clear that to obtain all this information, a sample does not
even have to be touched, i.e., the methods employed are nondestructive and
the same sample can be followed in its physiological development and
changes over extended periods of time. On the basis of such information,
essential conclusions on the performance of a plant in a given natural or
artificial environment can be drawn. In particular, in the future, these
methods will be useful for rapid screening of genetically modified plant
cultivars and selecting for optimal performance in environments with various
forms of stress. It appears that the first response of a plant to environmental
stress is an increase of non-radiative energy dissipation, which is readily
reflected in chlorophyll fluorescence. In this manner, the plants attempt to
avoid photoinhibitory damage, repair of which is rather costly (see contribution by Bjorkman and Demmig, Chap. 2, this Vol.). Exactly how heat
dissipation is stimulated remains to be resolved. However, there is little
doubt that Ordependent electron flow, ApH formation, violaxanthin deepoxidation, and PS II reaction center inactivation are involved.
Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Murray Badger for reading the manuscript. Support
by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 176 and 251) is gratefully acknowledged.
References
Allen JF (1992) Protein phosphorylation in regulation of photosynthesis. Biochim Biophys
Acta 1098: 275-335
Arnon DI, Chain RK (1975) Regulation of ferredoxin-catalyzed photosynthetic phosphorylations. Proc Nat! Acad Sci USA 72: 4961-4965
Arnon DI, Chain RK (1977) Role of oxygen in ferredoxin-catalyzed cyclic phosphorylations. FEBS Lett 82: 297-302
Asada K, Bad¥er M (1984) Photoreduction of 18 0 2 and 18H202 with a concomitant
evolution of 602 in intact spinach chloroplasts. Evidence for scavenging of hydrogen
peroxide by peroxidase. Plant Cell Physiol25: 1169-1179
Asada H, Takahashi M (1987) Production and scavenging of active oxygen in photosynthesis. In: Kyle DJ, Osmond CB, Arntzen CJ (eds) Photoinhibiton. Elsevier,
Amsterdam, pp 227-287
Asada K, Neubauer C, Heber U, Schreiber U (1990) Methyl viologen-dependent cyclic
electron transport in spinach chloroplasts in the absence of oxygen. Plant Cell Physiol
31: 557-564
Bilger W, Bjorkman 0 (1990) Role of the xanthophyll cycle in photoprotection elucidated
by measurements of light-induced absorbance changes, fluorescence and photosynthesis
in leaves of Hedera canariensis. Photosynth Res 25: 173-186
Bilger W, Schreiber U (1986) Energy-dependent quenching of dark-level chlorophyll
fluorescence in intact leaves. Photosynth Res 10:303-308
Bilger W, Schreiber U, Lange OL (1987) Chlorophyll fluorescence as an indicator of heatinduced limitation of photosynthesis in Arbutus unedo. In: Tenhunen J, Catarino FM,
Lange OL. Oechel WC (eds) Plant response to stress. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New
York, pp '<>[-399
Bilger W, Heber U, Schreiber U (1988) Kinetic relationship between energy-dependent
fluorescence quenching, light scattering, chlorophyll luminescence and proton pumping
in intact leaves. Z Naturforsch 43cc: 377-887