Resolving an unconventional non-photochemical quenching signature at the light-to-dark transition

Abstract

Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) protects photosynthetic organisms via diverse molecular players contributing at varying timescales. However, in the absence of one of the largest contributors to NPQ, energy-dependent quenching (qE), we observe an unusual but universal phenomenon: a transient increase in quenching in the dark following high light exposure. To mechanistically interrogate this light-to-dark (LtD) NPQ phenotype, we performed chlorophyll fluorescence lifetime snapshot measurements across a diverse array of Arabidopsis mutant backgrounds and chemical treatments. We found that the electrochemical gradient across the thylakoid membrane is essential for this phenomenon. Through analysis of higher-order Arabidopsis mutants, we also found that LtD NPQ is independent of the known forms of photoprotective NPQ, as well as the major and minor light-harvesting complexes (LHCII). Our results point to LtD NPQ as a photoinhibition (qI)-related, reaction center quenching with implications for photoprotection in fluctuating light.