Photosynthetica 2018, 56(1):427-432 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-017-0759-3

Susceptibility of an ascorbate-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis to high-light stress

L. D. Zeng1,2, M. Li1, W. S. Chow3, C. L. Peng1,*
1 Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitor, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
2 School of Life Science, Huizhou University, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China
3 Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Ascorbate is an important antioxidant involved in both enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions in plant cells. To reveal the function of ascorbate associated with defense against photo-oxidative damage, responses of the ascorbate-deficient mutant vtc2-1 of Arabidopsis thaliana to high-light stress were investigated. After high-light treatment at 1,600 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1 for 8 h, the vtc2-1 mutant exhibited visible photo-oxidative damage. The total ascorbate content was lower, whereas accumulation of H2O2 was higher in the vtc2-1 mutant than that in the wild type. The chlorophyll (Chl) content and PSII Chl fluorescence parameters, such as maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, yield, and electron transport rate, in vtc2-1 mutant decreased more than that in the wild type, whereas the nonphotochemical quenching coefficient increased more in the wild type than that in vtc2-1 mutant. Therefore, the vtc2-1 mutant was more sensitive to high-light stress than the wild type. Accumulation of reactive oxygen species was mainly responsible for the damage of PSII in the vtc2-1 mutant under high light. The results indicate that ascorbate plays a critical role in maintaining normal photosynthetic function in plants under high-light stress.

Additional key words: Arabidopsis thaliana; ascorbic acid; high-light stress; chlorophyll fluorescence; reactive oxygen species

Received: April 29, 2017; Accepted: July 26, 2017; Published: March 1, 2018  Show citation

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Zeng, L.D., Li, M., Chow, W.S., & Peng, C.L. (2018). Susceptibility of an ascorbate-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis to high-light stress. Photosynthetica, 56(SPECIAL ISSUE), 427-432. doi: 10.1007/s11099-017-0759-3
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