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Development of a minimized model structure and a feedback control framework for regulating photosynthetic activities

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Abstract

In this work, the main activities of the plant photosynthesis process are discussed to yield a minimized mathematical model structure with photosystem II (PSII) chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) as a measurable output. After experimental validation of the model structure, we demonstrate that the states of the photosynthetic process may be observed by using this model and the extended Kalman filter method. We then show a feedback control framework that can be used to alter a given photosynthetic activity. The control framework is demonstrated with an example in which PSII ChlF is used as the feedback signal and light intensity is used as a controllable process input to regulate plastoquinone reduction. Although there are caveats, and further research is needed, the results lay the groundwork for further research on novel methods for optimization and regulation of photosynthetic activities, with a goal for sustainability.

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Abbreviations

A:

Antenna molecules

CEF:

Cyclic electron flow

ChlF:

Chlorophyll a fluorescence

Cytb6f:

Cytochrome b6f

C a :

Atmospheric CO2 concentration

C i :

Internal CO2 concentration in the cells

DPGA:

Diphosphoglyceraldehyde

EKF:

Extended Kalman filter method

Fd:

Ferredoxin

FNR:

Ferredoxin-NADP reductase

FQR:

Ferredoxin-PQ reductase

\({\text{H}}^{ + }_{\text{lumen}}\) :

\({\text{H}}^{ + } \left( {\text{s}} \right)\) in the thylakoid lumen

\({\text{H}}^{ + }_{\text{stroma}}\) :

\({\text{H}}^{ + } \left( {\text{s}} \right)\) in the chloroplast stroma

KABP:

3-Ketoarabinitol-1,5-bisphosphate

LEF:

Linear electron flow

NADPH:

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, reduced form

NPQ:

Non-photochemical quenching of excited state of Chl

OEC:

Oxygen evolving complex

P680:

Reaction center Chl of Photosystem II, with one of the absorption maxima at 680 nm

PC:

Plastocyanin

PGA:

3-Phosphoglycerate

PGAld:

Phosphoglyceraldehyde

Pheo:

Pheophytin—primary electron acceptor in Photosystem II

PID:

Proportion, integral, and derivative control method

pmf:

Proton motive force

PQ:

Plastoquinone

PQH2 :

Plastoquinol

PSI:

Photosystem I

PSII:

Photosystem II

Q A :

Primary PSII plastoquinone (electron) acceptor

Q B :

Secondary PSII plastoquinone (electron) acceptor

RuBP:

Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate

WWC:

Water–water cycle

XuBP:

Xylulose-1,5-bisphosphate

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Acknowledgements

We thank Alexendrina (Sandra) Stirbet for her critical comments that led to improvement of our paper. This project was partially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos: 51961125102, 31771680), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (No: JUSRP51730A), the Modern Agriculture Funds of Jiangsu Province (No: BE2018334), the 111 Project (B12018), and the Research Funds for New Faculty of Jiangnan University. Govindjee thanks the Department of Plant Biology and the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for constant support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Advanced Process Control for Light Industry (Ministry of Education), Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China

    Lijiang Fu & Ya Guo

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Department of Plant Biology, and Center of Biophysics & Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Govindjee Govindjee

  3. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Jinglu Tan & Ya Guo

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  1. Lijiang Fu
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Correspondence to Govindjee Govindjee or Ya Guo.

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Fu, L., Govindjee, G., Tan, J. et al. Development of a minimized model structure and a feedback control framework for regulating photosynthetic activities. Photosynth Res 146, 213–225 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-019-00690-1

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