Jana Hazdrová

Effect of dehydration on spectral reflectance and photosynthetic efficiency in Umbilicaria arctica and U. hyperborea

In many polar and alpine ecosystems, lichens of genus Umbilicaria represent dominant species forming community structure. Photosynthetic and spectral properties of the lichens may change rapidly according to an actual hydration status of their thalli. In this study, we investigated responses of photochemical reflectance index (PRI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), effective quantum yield of photosynthetic efficiency of photosystem (PS) II (ΦPSII), and several photosynthetic parameters derived from fast induction kinetics of chlorophyll fluorescence (OJIP) to controlled dehydration. We used U. arctica and U. hyperborea collected close to Nuuk, Greenland. In both the species, PRI showed a curvilinear increase with dehydration, i.e., a decreasing water potential (Ψw). The increase was apparent within Ψw range of 0 to −10 MPa. The PRI increase was less pronounced in U. arctica than in U. hyperborea. NDVI decreased with a progressive thallus dehydration in both the species, however, throughout Ψw range of 0 to −30 MPa, U. hyperborea had lower NDVI values than U. arctica. The relationship between ΦPSII and Ψw resulted in a typical S curve. A critical Ψw at which photosynthetic processes were fully inhibited was −30 MPa in both the species, however, species-specific differences in the S curve shape were found. Analyses of photosynthetic parameters derived from OJIPs revealed that the absorption of radiation energy and a trapping rate increased with dehydration in active reaction centres of PS II, the number of which decreased with a more pronounced lichen thallus dehydration. It is concluded that U. arctica and U. hyperborea possess effective physiological mechanisms to maintain an effective photosynthesis when partly dehydrated (the Ψw range of 0 to −15 MPa). In spite of similar ecological niches that these two lichens occupy in nature, their spectral and photosynthetic properties differred.

Changes in photosynthesis, pigment composition and glutathione contents in two Antarctic lichens during a light stress and recovery

Over last decades, several studies have been focused on short-term high light stress in lichens under laboratory conditions. Such studies reported a strong photoinhibition of photosynthesis accompanied by a partial photodestruction of PSII, involvement of photoprotective mechanisms, and resynthetic processes into gradual recovery. In our paper, we applied medium [800 μmol(photon) m−2 s−1] light stress to induce negative changes in PSII funcioning as well as pigment and glutathione (GSH) content in two Antarctic fruticose lichen species. Chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters, such as potential and effective quantum yield of photosynthetic processes and fast transients (OJIP) recorded during high light exposition and recovery, revealed that Usnea antarctica was less susceptible to photoinhibition than U. aurantiaco-atra. This might be supported by a more pronounced high light-induced reduction in Chl a and b contents in U. aurantiaco-atra compared with U. antarctica. In both experimental species, total GSH showed an initial increase during the first 30–40 min of high light treatment followed by a decrease (60 min) and an increase during dark recovery. Full GSH recovery, however, was not finished in U. aurantiaco-atra even after 5 h indicating lower capacity of photoprotective mechanisms in the species. OJIP curves showed high light-induced decrease in both species, however, the recovery of the OJIPs shape to pre-photoinhibitory values was faster and more apparent in U. antarctica than in U. aurantiaco-atra. The results are discussed in terms of sensitivity of the two species to photoinhibition and their photosynthetic performance in natural environment.

Interspecific differences in photosynthetic efficiency andspectral reflectance in two Umbilicaria species from Svalbardduring controlled desiccation

This study aimed to evaluate the effective photosynthetic quantum yield ( Phi PSII) and the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) for assessment of photosynthetic performance of two Umbilicaria lichens during gradual desiccation of their thalli. U. cylindrica and U. decussata exhibited curvilinear relationship (S-shape curve) of decreasing Phi PSII values with decreasing water potential (WP) of thalli. During initial phase of desiccation (WP from 0 to -10 MPa), no decrease of Phi PSII was apparent, further desiccation (WP from -10 to -20 MPa) led to fast Phi PSII decrease from 0.6 to 0.1 indicating strong inhibition of photosynthetic processes. Critical WP at which photosythetic processes are fully inhibited was found bellow -25 MPa in both lichen species. Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) exhibited curvilinear increase with thalli desiccation (decreasing WP). At full thallus hydration, the PRI reached the value of -0.18 in both species. Under strong dehydration (WP from -20 to -30 MPa), however, U. cylindrica showed somewhat lower value (-0.04) than U.decussata (-0.02 MPa). PRI to WP relationship is discussed and compared to existing evidence from higher plants and poikilohydric organisms.

Effects of controlled oxidative stress and uncouplers on primary photosynthetic processes in vegetative cells of Antarctic alga Zygnema sp.

In our study, we present responses of Antarctic strain of filamentous alga Zygnema sp. collected at James Ross Island (Antarctica) to application of variuos uncouplers of pri-mary photosynthetic processes. We exposed the alga to different concentrations of nigericin, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), dithiothreitol (DTT), methyl viologen (MV) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in order to test stability of photosystem II, involvement of non-photochemical quenching, and PS II functioning under combination of moderate light with particular uncoupler. Oxidative stress tolerance was tested by the combination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and moderate light. Time courses of FV/FM, FPSII, NPQ and qF0 were investigated and particular effects of the above-specified chem-icals discussed. Moderate doses of uncouplers allowing partial recovery, and the doses causing full inhibition of PS II were specified.

Thallus morphology of two Antarctic foliose lichens evaluated by a digital optical microscopy approach (Short Communication)

Digital microscopy is an emerging technique that combines the tools of classic light microscopy with a computerized imaging system. The main components of digital microscopy is image formation by optics of the system, image registration by a digital camera, saving of image data in a file format that enables advanced image analysis. In this paper, we bring first data on application of digital microscopy approach in lichen thallus morphology study. Two Antarctic lichen species (Xanthoria elegans, Umbilicaria decussata) with a foliose morphotype of their thallus were studied. Both experimental species had an irregularly round or eliptic shape of a thallus that enabled to measure its diameter. After magnifition, images were taken in dry and fully-hydrated state of thallus in order to evaluate hydration-dependent size changes in thallus size and structures. It has been demonstrated that hydration-dependent size increment depend on thallus size and particular part of thallus. Mean increment of thallus diameter reached 15.1% and 13.8% for X. elegans and U. decussata, respectively. Higher value of diameter increment (26 %) was found for the upper projection area of apothecia, fruiting bodies developed over the upper thallus surface of X. elegans. Size and volume increment in thallus parts is discussed as a consequence of water holding capacity of lichens, and a capability of lichens to hold intraand extracellular water upon full hydration of a thallus. Finally, a potential of digital microscopy for future studies is discussed as well as some processing techniques such as e.g. metrics of profile lines through 3-D objects like apothecia.