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In vivo chlorophyll fluorescence analysis reflecting the photosystem II functionality was investigated in the cyanobacterium Anabaena variabilis PCC 7937 under simulated solar radiation in a combination with various cut-off filters (WG 280, WG 295, WG 305, WG 320, WG 335, WG 345, and GG 400) to assess the effects of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), ultraviolet-A (UV-A), and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiations on photosynthesis. The photosynthetic activity (PA) was severely inhibited immediately after 10 min of exposure to high PAR, UV-A, and UV-B radiations compared with low PAR grown control samples. After 1 h of exposure, PA of 17.5 ± 2.9% was detected in the high PAR exposed samples compared with the control, while only a trace or no PA was observed in the presence of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). A recovery of PA was recorded after 2 h of the exposure, which continued for next 4, 8, 12, and 24 h. After 24 h of the exposure, PA of 57.5 ± 1.9%, 36.1 ± 11.7%, 23.5 ± 3.3%, 22.3 ± 5.2%, 20.8 ± 6.7%, 13.2 ± 6.6%, and 21.6 ± 9.5% was observed compared with the control sample in 400, 345, 335, 320, 305, 295, and 280 nm cut-off filters-covered samples, respectively. The relative electron transport rate, measured after 24 h exposure, showed also a disturbance in electron transfer between the two photosystems under the high PAR and UVR treatments relative to the control samples, suggesting the inhibition of photosynthesis. This study suggests that both high PAR and UVR inhibited the photosynthetic performance of A. variabilis PCC 7937 by damaging the photosynthetic apparatus, however, photoprotective mechanisms evolved by the organism allowed an immediate repair of ecologically important machinery, and enabled its survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence parameters and rapid light curves of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merrill] were measured by pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry. Measurements were taken during different stages of soybean growth under field conditions with 20% enhancement in ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Results showed that supplemental UV-B radiation decreased Chl contents by 5.5% ( P=0.048), 8.7% ( P=0.046), and 10.5% ( P=0.005) in seedling, in branching-flowering, and in pod-setting stages, respectively. In the branching-flowering and pod-setting stages, maximum quantum yield of photosystem (PS) II photochemistry (F/F) decreased by 6.1% ( P=0.001) and 3.0% ( P=0.009), respectively. Supplemental UV-B radiation significantly decreased the effective quantum yield ( Y). The photosynthetic capacity at light saturation (P) also decreased in both the seedling and branching-flowering stages by 28.9% ( P=0.007) and 15.5% ( P=0.041), respectively. However, Y and Pm showed no significant difference in the trefoil and pod-setting stages with and without the UV treatment. The light saturation parameter ( E) decreased by 21.1% ( P=0.000) and 23.2% ( P=0.029) in the trefoil and seedling stages, respectively. Moreover, the initial slope ( α) decreased by 21.1% ( P=0.001) in the branching-flowering stage. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) in the seedling stage and photochemical quenching coefficient (q) in the branching-flowering stage decreased significantly under UV-B treatments. The results of the present study suggest that supplemental UV-B radiation adversely affected Chl content and electron transport activity in PSII and consequently decreased the photosynthetic efficiency of soybean plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have found the photosynthetic integration in clonal plants to response to resource heterogeneity, while little is known how it responses to heterogeneity of UV-B radiation. In this study, the effects of heterogeneous UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) on gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of a clonal plant Trifolium repens were evaluated. Pairs of connected and severed ramets of the stoloniferous herb T. repens were grown under the homogeneity (both of ramets received only natural background radiation, ca. 0.6 kJ m d) and heterogeneity of UV-B radiation (one of the ramet received only natural background radiation and the other was exposed to supplemental UV-B radiation, 2.54 kJ m d) for seven days. Stomatal conductance ( g), intercellular CO concentration ( C) and transpiration rate ( E) showed no significant differences in connected and severed ramets under homogenous and heterogeneous UV-B radiation, however, net photosynthetic rate ( P) and maximum photosynthetic rate ( P) of ramets suffered from supplemental increased UV-B radiation and that of its connected sister ramet decreased significantly. Moreover, additive UV-B radiation resulted in a notable decrease of the minimal fluorescence of dark-adapted state (F), the electron transport rate (ETR) and photochemical quenching coefficient (q) and an increase of nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) under supplemental UV-B radiation, while physiological connection reverse the results. In all, UV-B stressed ramets could benefit from unstressed ramets by physiological integration in photosynthetic efficiency, and clonal plants are able to optimize the efficiency to maintain their presence in less favourable sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kappaphycus alvarezii is a seaweed of great economic importance for the extraction of kappa carrageenan from its cell walls. The most common strains are dark red, brown, yellow, and different gradations of green. It is known that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) affects macroalgae in many important ways, including reduced growth rate, reduction of primary productivity, and changes in cell biology and ultrastructure. Therefore, we examined the brown strain of K. alvarezii exposed to ultraviolet-B radiaton (UVBR) for 3 h per day during 28 days of cultivation. The control plants showed growth rates of 7.27% d−1, while plants exposed to UVBR grew only 4.0% d−1. Significant differences in growth rates and in phycobiliproteins between control and exposed plants were also found. Compared with control plants, phycobiliprotein contents were observed to decrease after UV-B exposure. Furthermore, the chlorophyll a (Chl a) contents decreased and showed significant differences. UVBR also caused changes in the ultrastructure of cortical and subcortical cells, which included increased thickness of the cell wall and number of plastoglobuli, reduced intracellular spaces, changes in the cell contour, and destruction of chloroplast internal organization. Reaction with Toluidine Blue showed an increase in the thickness of the cell wall, and Periodic Acid-Schiff stain showed a decrease in the number of starch grains. By the significant changes in growth rates, photosynthetic contents and ultrastructual changes observed, it is clear that UVBR negatively affects intertidal macroalgae and, by extension, their economic viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]