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Bladder PDT with intravesical clear and light scattering media: effect of an eccentric isotropic light source on the light distribution.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Whole bladder wall photodynamic therapy (PDT) is sometimes performed with a light scattering medium in the bladder, as it is assumed that this will promote a more uniform illumination of the bladder wall. The influence of eccentric placement of an isotropic light emitting diffuser on the homogeneity of the light distribution at the bladder wall is assessed. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Whole bladder wall irradiations were performed at approximately 630 nm, and fluence rates were measured with and without controlled amounts of Intralipid in an ex vivo pig bladder and in vitro in a bladder phantom. Experimental values were compared to Monte Carlo simulations using in vitro bladder optical properties. RESULTS: An eccentric diffuser in a clear intravesical medium produces a better uniform illumination than in a light scattering intravesical medium. Also, intravesical light absorption, e.g., by urine, would lead to a substantial loss of the energy delivered in case of light scattering cavity contents. CONCLUSION: The use of a clear intravesical medium guarantees the highest and most uniform fluence rate at the bladder wall during optical irradiation with an isotropic light source in clinical PDT of nonspherical bladders, whereas an intravesical light scattering medium reduces both the magnitude and the uniformity of the fluence rate.

Animals↗

Mode of coaction between blue/UV light and light absorbed by phytochrome in light-mediated anthocyanin formation in the milo (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) seedling.

Anthocyanin formation in milo (Sorghum vulgare Pers.) seedlings (coleoptile, mesocotyl, taproot) occurs only in white light and blue/UV light (BL/UV), while red light (RL) and far-RL are totally ineffective. However, after a BL/UV pretreatment, the participation of phytochrome can be demonstrated. With a short-wavelength light source [peak emission in longwave UV (UV-A)], the mode of coaction between BL/UV and light absorbed by phytochrome (RL) was studied with the following principal results. (i) As soon as the seedling becomes competent to respond to UV-A (with regard to anthocyanin formation), the involvement of phytochrome can be detected. (ii) A 5-min pulse of UV-A has a strong effect on the anthocyanin synthesis in the milo mesocotyl. This effect is fully reversible if a long-wavelength far-RL pulse (RG9 light) is given immediately after the UV-A light pulse. (iii) When seedlings treated with 5 min of UV-A and 5 min of RG9 light are kept in darkness for 3 hr and then transferred to RL, anthocyanin appears. (iv) In continuous UV-A treatment, anthocyanin accumulation starts after a lag phase of 3.5 hr (25 degrees C). A RL pretreatment prior to the onset of UV-A treatment strongly increases anthocyanin accumulation in UV-A, though the lag phase is not affected. Moreover, a RL pretreatment does not affect the time course for escape from reversibility in UV-A. It is concluded from these data that BL/UV cannot mediate induction of anthocyanin synthesis in the absence of P(fr), the active form of phytochrome that absorbs maximally in the far-red. Rather, the action of BL/UV must be considered to establish responsiveness of the anthocyanin-producing mechanism to P(fr). P(fr) operates in this system via two different channels. As the effector of the terminal response, it sets in motion the signal-response chain that eventually leads to the appearance of anthocyanin. This is a slow process with a lag phase of the order of 3.5 hr. The second function of P(fr) is to determine the responsiveness to the effector P(fr) in mediating anthocyanin synthesis. This is a very fast and highly sensitive phytochrome action that can be detected readily within 1 min. However, as long as the plant has not received BL/UV, the strong effect of RL on the effectiveness of P(fr) remains cryptic. The effect of a RL pretreatment and the effect of a UV-A pretreatment on responsiveness towards P(fr) (or, effectiveness of P(fr)) were found to be totally independent of each other, even though it is the UV-A that permits operation of P(fr).

Journal Article↗

Synthesis of the early light-inducible protein is controlled by blue light and related to light stress.

The early light-inducible proteins (ELIPs) are expressed in developing plants in the first hours of the greening process. Here we report that strong light causing photoinhibition of photosynthesis also induces ELIP transcription and accumulation of the protein in mature green pea plants. Accumulation of ELIP transcript is induced in plants exposed to light intensities above 500 E/m2.s (E, einstein) and is maximal at approximately 1500 E/m2.s. The ELIP mRNA level increases in correlation with the degree of photoinhibition. The increase in ELIP level in the thylakoid membranes parallels the decrease in the amount of D1 protein of the photosystem II reaction center. Examination of ELIP induction as a function of light quality demonstrates that ELIP transcription is specifically induced by blue (410-480 nm) but not by red or far-red light. The level of blue light-induced ELIP transcript is significantly repressed by low-intensity red light. However, the accumulation of ELIP translation product is related to the total amount of blue and red light energy absorbed.

Journal Article↗

Comparison of artificial light sources and lighting programmes for laying hens on long ahemeral light cycles.

Three lighting treatments were given to laying hens, for which the bright and dim light of 28-h ahemeral light cycles was provided by incandescent (tungsten filament) lamps only or by combinations of tubular fluorescent or compact gas-discharge lamps with incandescent lamps. There were no differences in entrainment (the proportion of eggs laid in 4, 6 or 8 h modal periods) between the three bright:dim treatments. A fourth ahemeral lighting treatment in which the dim lights were extinguished except during a designated work period (09.00 h to 12.00 h daily) was termed bright:dim:dark. Hens given the bright:dim:dark treatment showed an increased entrainment compared with the three bright:dim light treatments. There were no differences (P greater than 0.05) in egg numbers or mean egg weight between all 4 lighting treatments. Birds given the bright:dim:dark treatment tended to have a lower (P greater than 0.05) food intake compared to the three bright:dim treatments.

Animals↗

Appearance of type 1, 2, and 3 light-harvesting complex II and light-harvesting complex I proteins during light-induced greening of barley (Hordeum vulgare) etioplasts.

Monospecific antibodies directed against typical domains of type 1, 2, and 3 light-harvesting complex (LHC) II apoproteins have been used (a) to identify these apoproteins on denaturing sodium dodecyl sulfate gels of barley (Hordeum vulgare) thylakoids, (b) to determine their distribution between grana and stroma membranes, and (c) to follow their accumulation during light-induced greening of etioplasts. In addition, we have studied the light-induced assembly of chlorophyll-protein complexes with a native green gel system (K.D. Allen, L.A. Staehelin [1991] Anal Biochem 194: 214-222). Western blot analysis of the three major LHCII apoprotein bands has identified the highest molecular mass band at 27.5 kD as containing the type 2 LHCII apoproteins, the middle band at 26.9 kD as containing the type 1 LHCII apoproteins, and the lowest band at 26.0 kD as containing the type 3 LHCII apoproteins. During light-induced greening of 6-d-old etiolated barley seedlings, the type 1, 2, and 3 LHCII apoproteins accumulate simultaneously and at similar rates but appear somewhat sooner (< 4 h) in thylakoids from apical than from basal (4-8 h) leaf segments. LHCI polypeptides accrue with similar kinetics, whereas the 33-kD oxygen-evolving complex polypeptides can be detected already in the 0-h light samples. During the most rapid phase of thylakoid development (8-24 h), two slightly larger (28.3 and 28.7 kD) type 2 LHCII apoproteins (precursor intermediates?) also accumulate in the thylakoids. No corresponding higher molecular mass forms of type 1 and 3 LHCII apoproteins could be detected. It is interesting that differences are still apparent in the composition of chlorophyll-protein complexes of light-control plants and those of etiolated plants greened for 8 d.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ultraviolet light-induced and green light-induced transient pupillary light reflex in mice.

PURPOSE: To study UV light-induced and green light-induced pupillary light reflex (PLR) in mice and to measure the illumination thresholds of rod-mediated and cone-mediated PLR responses. METHODS: We measured dark-adapted transient PLR- in C57BL/6 mice elicited with ultraviolet and green light over an intensity range of 9 log units. To assist in isolating the responses mediated by rods and cones, we studied the PLRs in mouse models presenting pure cone and pure rod functions. We also characterized ERG signals in these mice under the same experimental conditions. RESULTS: The UV light-induced transient PLR has identical intensity-response curves as green light-induced PLR in all the three mice strains. The threshold (5% PLR) of rod-driven PLR is 107 approximately 108 photons cm2 s-1, which is 1 approximately 2 log units lower than the dark-adapted ERG b-wave. The threshold of cone-driven PLR is approximately 1012.5 photons cm-2 s-1 and is similar to that of the cone ERG. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that mice have PLR responses under UV stimulation. The cone-elicited PLRs have a threshold that is approximately 5 log units higher than that of rod-elicited PLR at both UV and green wavelengths. We observed a divergence between the spectra responses in PLR and ERG. However, the mechanism and implications of this phenomenon are yet to be identified.

Animals↗

Intratumoural light distribution in an experimental mouse tumour irradiated by a diffuse-light irradiator compared with unilateral helium-neon light for photodynamic therapy.

Investigations on dosimetry in photodynamic therapy (PDT) of experimental mouse tumours transplanted into the right hind leg revealed a significant variability in the fluence rate reaching tumour cells in different parts of the tumour when irradiated by a 50 mW collimated He-Ne laser. Based on intratumoural fibre-optical light measurements, a new irradiation source was constructed, in which variability in the radiant energy fluence rate between different parts of the solid tumour was reduced. The new diffuse-light irradiator was constructed basically from two concentric water chambers surrounded by three linear 3000 W xenon flash lamps. The outer chamber was an optical band filter, and the inner chamber contained a light-dispersing solution of lipid droplets which created an isotropic light field in which the tumours were submerged for PDT. Compared with unilateral He-Ne laser irradiation, an enhancement factor of 7.3 in radiance was obtained for the diffuse-light irradiator measured in the tumour. The new apparatus provides a nearly isotropic light field for in vivo experimental PDT.

Animals↗

Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease: light chain and light and heavy chain deposition diseases and their relation to light chain amyloidosis. Clinical features, immunopathology, and molecular analysis.

Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition occurs in tissues as Congo Red binding fibrils in light chain amyloidosis, as less structured deposits in light chain deposition disease, and as similar but distinct deposits in light and heavy chain deposition disease. The nonamyloid forms were found in 13 patients who had evidence of plasmacytic dyscrasia by the immunohistochemical detection of immunoglobulin light chains of kappa or lambda class (with or without staining for a single heavy chain isotype) and by the absence of amyloid P component in tissue sections that did not show the birefringence characteristic of amyloid after Congo Red staining. All but two of the patients presented with proteinuria with or without azotemia. Clinical syndromes involving other organ systems were less common but occasionally severe. Four patients had overt multiple myeloma. Three others had hypercalcemia and mild bone marrow plasmacytosis but no lytic lesions. Analyses of immunoglobulin synthesis in bone marrow cells from seven patients showed excess light chains in all and incomplete light chains or heavy chain fragments in six, regardless of whether an intact monoclonal protein or related subunit was in the serum or urine. The fibrillar (amyloidotic) and nonfibrillar forms of monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition occur either in overt multiple myeloma or in the course of less neoplastically aggressive plasmacytic dyscrasias. Bone marrow cells from patients with either type produce immunoglobulin fragments that are related to those deposited in the affected tissues.

Adult↗

Dynamic light scattering in turbid colloidal dispersions: a comparison between the modified flat-cell light-scattering instrument and 3D dynamic light-scattering instrument.

It remains a challenge to measure dynamics in dense colloidal systems. Multiple scattering and low light-transmission rates often hinder measurements in such systems. One of the well-established techniques for overcoming the problem of multiple scattering is cross-correlation techniques such as 3D dynamic light scattering (3D-DLS). However, a high degree of multiple scattering, i.e., vanishing single-scattering contribution in the signal, limits the use of the 3D-DLS technique. We present another approach to measure turbid media by way of upgrading our flat-cell light-scattering instrument (FCLSI). This instrument was originally designed for static light-scattering (SLS) experiments and is similar to a Fraunhofer setup, which features a flat sample cell. The thickness of the flat sample cell can be varied from 13 mum to 5 mm. The small thickness increases the transmission, reduces multiple scattering to a negligible amount, and therefore enables the investigation of dense colloidal systems. We upgraded this instrument for DLS measurements by the installation of an optical single-mode fiber detector in the forward scattering regime. We present our instrumentation and subsequently test its limits using a concentration series of a turbid colloidal suspension. We compare the performances of our modified flat-cell light-scattering instrument with that of standard DLS and with that of 3D-DLS. We show that 3D-DLS and FCLSI only have a comparable performance if the length of the light path in the sample using the 3D-DLS is reduced to a minimum. Otherwise, the FCLSI has some advantage.

Journal Article↗

Differential control of xanthophylls and light-induced stress proteins, as opposed to light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b proteins, during photosynthetic acclimation of barley leaves to light irradiance

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants were grown at different photon flux densities ranging from 100 to 1800 &mgr;mol m-2 s-1 in air and/or in atmospheres with reduced levels of O2 and CO2. Low O2 and CO2 partial pressures allowed plants to grow under high photosystem II (PSII) excitation pressure, estimated in vivo by chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, at moderate photon flux densities. The xanthophyll-cycle pigments, the early light-inducible proteins, and their mRNA accumulated with increasing PSII excitation pressure irrespective of the way high excitation pressure was obtained (high-light irradiance or decreased CO2 and O2 availability). These findings indicate that the reduction state of electron transport chain components could be involved in light sensing for the regulation of nuclear-encoded chloroplast gene expression. In contrast, no correlation was found between the reduction state of PSII and various indicators of the PSII light-harvesting system, such as the chlorophyll a-to-b ratio, the abundance of the major pigment-protein complex of PSII (LHCII), the mRNA level of LHCII, the light-saturation curve of O2 evolution, and the induced chlorophyll-fluorescence rise. We conclude that the chlorophyll antenna size of PSII is not governed by the redox state of PSII in higher plants and, consequently, regulation of early light-inducible protein synthesis is different from that of LHCII.

Journal Article↗

Greening under high light or cold temperature affects the level of xanthophyll-cycle pigments, early light-inducible proteins, and light-harvesting polypeptides in wild-type barley and the chlorina f2 mutant

Etiolated seedlings of wild type and the chlorina f2 mutant of barley (Hordeum vulgare) were exposed to greening at either 5 degrees C or 20 degrees C and continuous illumination varying from 50 to 800 &mgr;mol m-2 s-1. Exposure to either moderate temperature and high light or low temperature and moderate light inhibited chlorophyll a and b accumulation in the wild type and in the f2 mutant. Continuous illumination under these greening conditions resulted in transient accumulations of zeaxanthin, concomitant transient decreases in violaxanthin, and fluctuations in the epoxidation state of the xanthophyll pool. Photoinhibition-induced xanthophyll-cycle activity was detectable after only 3 h of greening at 20 degrees C and 250 &mgr;mol m-2 s-1. Immunoblot analyses of the accumulation of the 14-kD early light-inducible protein but not the major (Lhcb2) or minor (Lhcb5) light-harvesting polypeptides demonstrated transient kinetics similar to those observed for zeaxanthin accumulation during greening at either 5 degrees C or 20 degrees C for both the wild type and the f2 mutant. Furthermore, greening of the f2 mutant at either 5 degrees C or 20 degrees C indicated that Lhcb2 is not essential for the regulation of the xanthophyll cycle in barley. These results are consistent with the thesis that early light-inducible proteins may bind zeaxanthin as well as other xanthophylls and dissipate excess light energy to protect the developing photosynthetic apparatus from excess excitation. We discuss the role of energy balance and photosystem II excitation pressure in the regulation of the xanthophyll cycle during chloroplast biogenesis in wild-type barley and the f2 mutant.

Journal Article↗

An immunological approach to myosin light-chain function in thick filament linked regulation. 2. Effects of anti-scallop myosin light-chain antibodies. Possible regulatory role for the essential light chain.

Specific antibodies directed against the regulatory light chains (R-LC) or essential light chains (SH-LC) of scallop myosin abolished calcium regulation in myofibrils, myosin, and heavy meromyosin by elevating the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity in the absence of calcium. Calcium dependence was completely eliminated at molar ratios of 2.5-3 antibodies bound per myosin. Monovalent anti-R-LC Fab and anti-SH-LC Fab fragments also desensitized myofibrils fully. High Ca2+-ATPase activity remained unaffected by the antibodies. Anti-SH-LC IgG reduced to about one-half the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase in the presence of calcium and the potassium-activated ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)-ATPase activities. Anti-SH-LC Fab, however, desensitized without inhibiting the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase. The desensitizing effect of both antibodies was abolished by prior absorption with the homologous myosin light chain. Calcium binding and R-LC and anti-SH-LC IgG's and by anti-SH-LC Fab. The anti-R-LC Fab fragment induced a significant (70%) dissociation of R-LC from myofibrils and myosins with concomitant losses in calcium binding. In contrast, anti-R-LC IgG prevented the dissociation of R-LC from myosin by EDTA. Binding of anti-R-LC IgG to myofibrils was proportional to thier R-LC content. Increased amounts of anti-SH-LC IgG were bound by myofibrils devoid of R-LC. Bound anti-SH-LC antibody significantly inhibited the reuptake of R-LC by EDTA-treated myofibrils as well as the full binding of anti-R-LC antibody. Certain rabbits produced a population of anti-SH-LC antibodies which were specific for this light chain and bound extensively to myosin but failed to desensitize it (nondesensitizing anti-SH-LC antibody). The desensitizing and nondesensitizing anti-SH-LC populations bound to different regions of the SH-LC on the myosin, and the binding of the two types of antibody to the SH-LC was nearly additive. The nondesensitizing SH-antibody inhibited the reuptake of R-LC less, and its binding to myofibrils was not influenced by the absence of R-LC. These studies indicate a direct or indirect involvement of the SH-LC's in myosin-linked regulation, raise the possibility of an interaction between the R-LC and SH-LC, and confirm the regulatory function of the scallop R-LC. A model for a relative location of the two types of light chains and the involvement of the subfragment-2 region of myosin linked regulation is discussed.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Acclimation Processes in the Light-Harvesting System of the Cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans following a Light Shift from White to Red Light.

Cyanobacteria acclimate to changes in light by adjusting the amounts of different cellular compounds, for example the light-harvesting macromolecular complex. Described are the acclimatization responses in the light-harvesting system of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans following a shift from high intensity, white light to low intensity, red light.The phycocyanin and chlorophyll content and the relative amount of the two linker peptides (33 and 30 kilodaltons) in the phycobilisome were studied. Both the phycocyanin and chlorophyll content per cell increased after the shift, although the phycocyanin increased relatively more. The increase in phycocyanin was biphasic in nature, a fast initial phase and a slower second phase, while the chlorophyll increase was completed in one phase. The phycocyanin and chlorophyll responses to red light were immediate and were completed within 30 and 80 hours for chlorophyll and phycocyanin, respectively. An immediate response was also seen for the two phycobilisome linker peptides. The amount of both of them increased after the shift, although the 33 kilodalton linker peptide increased faster than the 30 kilodalton linker peptide. The increase of the content of the two linker peptides stopped when the phycocyanin increase shifted from the first to the second phase. We believe that the first phase of phycocyanin increase was due mainly to an increase in the phycobilisome size while the second phase was caused only by an increase in the amount of phycobilisomes. The termination of chlorophyll accumulation, which indicates that no further reaction center chlorophyll antennae were formed, occurred parallel to the onset of the second phase of phycocyanin accumulation.

Journal Article↗

The light chain composition of chicken brain myosin-Va: calmodulin, myosin-II essential light chains, and 8-kDa dynein light chain/PIN.

Class V myosins are a ubiquitously expressed family of actin-based molecular motors. Biochemical studies on myosin-Va from chick brain indicate that this myosin is a two-headed motor with multiple calmodulin light chains associated with the regulatory or neck domain of each heavy chain, a feature consistent with the regulatory effects of Ca(2+) on this myosin. In this study, the identity of three additional low molecular weight proteins of 23-,17-, and 10 kDa associated with myosin-Va is established. The 23- and 17-kDa subunits are both members of the myosin-II essential light chain gene family, encoded by the chicken L23 and L17 light chain genes, respectively. The 10-kDa subunit is a protein originally identified as a light chain (DLC8) of flagellar and axonemal dynein. The 10-kDa subunit is associated with the tail domain of myosin-Va.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Measurements on fast light-induced light-scattering and -absorption changes in outer segments of vertebrate light sensitive rod cells.

Flash-induced changes of light-absorption and of light-scattering of vertebrate rod outer segments (ROS) from frog and cattle in suspension were measured at 380 and 800 nm. The photometer used allows the observation of light intensity changes under well defined angles. We studied the successive decrease of the signal amplitude in series of flashes. One flash bleaches about 1% rhodopsin. The following results are discussed: 1. The signal at 380 nm is a superposition of the absorption change caused by formation of metarhodopsin II and of a biphasic additional signal. The latter exists only for the initial range of bleaching (15 to 25% rhodopsin). 2. At 800 nm three scattering signals are observed which are characterized by their successive amplitude decrease and time course: N: A small signal with time course and successive amplitude decrease comparable to the metarhodopsin II absorption change, probably arising from a structural change within the disc membrane. Ni: A slow signal, disappearing with the first flash, which may be understood as an outer membrane effect. P: A biphasic signal with a successive decrease rate, by a factor of 10 to 20 higher than that of the metarhodopsin II signal. The two kinetically different components are separated by variation of the observation angle. Two regions of different extension appear to change structurally with different time course. "P" may reflect an influence of the light-induced transmitter release on disc shape and/or mass.

Absorption↗

Overexpression of light-dependent PORA or PORB in plants depleted of endogenous POR by far-red light enhances seedling survival in white light and protects against photooxidative damage.

The structurally related light-dependent protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) oxidoreductases PORA and PORB mediate the only light-requiring step in chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis in higher plants. Correlative evidence suggests that some in vivo functions of PORA and PORB may be unique, including a postulated photoprotective role for PORA. For example, wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown in non-photooxidative far-red light (cFR) resemble those grown in white light (WL), but they are yellow and do not green normally thereafter in WL. This defect is accompanied by the absence of detectable PORA and reduced levels of PORB expression. Here, direct evidence is provided that the presence of POR, either as PORA or PORB, can confer photoprotection in plants. In contrast to the wild-type, the plastids of transgenic PORA- or PORB-overexpressing Arabidopsis seedlings grown in cFR possess extensive prolamellar bodies. Upon a subsequent shift to WL, POR-overexpressing seedlings develop thylakoid membranes, accumulate large amounts of Chl and are viable at fluence rates lethal to the wild-type. Intriguingly, the plastid membrane architectures of greening transgenic seedlings seem to depend on whether PORA or PORB has been overproduced. POR-overexpressing seedlings shifted from cFR to WL of fluence rates from 20 to 500 muE m-2 sec-1 accumulate substantially higher amounts of Chl than does the wild-type. Furthermore, the WL fluence rate that permits maximal Chl accumulation increases from 8 muE m-2 sec-1 in the wild-type to 125 muE m-2 sec-1 in transgenic seedlings. POR overexpression during growth in cFR also correlates with a fourfold decrease in the steady-state content of Pchlide, a potentially lethal photosensitizer.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens↗

Acclimation of Arabidopsis thaliana to the light environment: the existence of separate low light and high light responses.

The capacity for photosynthetic acclimation in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. cv. Landsberg erecta was assessed during growth over a broad range of irradiance. Discontinuities in the response to growth irradiance were revealed for the light- and CO2-saturated rate of photosynthesis (Pmax) and the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b (Chl a/b). Three separate phases in the response of Pmax and Chl a/b to growth light were evident, with increases at low and high irradiance ranges and a plateau at intermediate irradiance. By measuring all chlorophyll-containing components of the thylakoid membrane that contribute to Chl a/b we reveal that distinct strategies for growth at low and high irradiance underlie the discontinuous response. These strategies include, in addition to changes in the major light-harvesting complexes of photosystem II (LHCII), large shifts in the amounts of both reaction centres as well as significant changes in the levels of minor LHCII and LHCI components.

Acclimatization↗

Seasonal changes in light and temperature affect the balance between light harvesting and light utilisation components of photosynthesis in an evergreen understory shrub.

In a temperate climate, evergreen species in the understory are exposed to large changes in photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and temperature over the year. We determined the photosynthetic traits of leaves of an evergreen understory shrub Aucuba japonica at three sites at monthly intervals: understorys of a deciduous forest; an evergreen forest; and a gap in a mixed forest. This set up enabled us to separate the effects of seasonal change in PPFD and temperature on photosynthetic acclimation under natural conditions. The effects of PPFD and temperature were analysed by simple and multiple regression analyses. The amounts of light utilisation components (LU), represented by nitrogen and rubisco contents per area, were higher in winter, when temperature was low and PPFD was high. The LU relative to the amount of light harvesting components (LH), represented by chlorophyll a/b and rubisco/chlorophyll ratios, and the inverse of chlorophyll/nitrogen ratio were also higher in winter. We quantified the effects of PPFD and temperature on the LU and LH components. Across sites PPFD had stronger effects than air temperature, while within a site temperature had stronger effects on photosynthetic acclimation. We concluded that the photosynthetic apparatus is strongly affected by the prevailing PPFD at the time of leaf development. Within a given light regime, however, plants acclimated by increasing LU relative to LH primarily in response to temperature and to a lesser extent to PPFD.

Japan↗