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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379354
Research Project: Experimentally Assessing and Modeling the Impact of Climate and Management on the Resiliency of Crop-Weed-Soil Agro-Ecosystems

Location: Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory

Title: Regulation of Photosystem II heterogeneity and photochemistry in two cultivars of C4 crop sugarcane under chilling stress

Author
item MATHUR, SONAL - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item SUNOJ, VALIAPARAMBIL - Guangxi University
item ELSHEERY, NABIL - Guangxi University
item Reddy, Vangimalla
item JAJOO, ANJANA - Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore
item CAO, KUN-FAN - Guangxi University

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2021
Publication Date: 2/10/2021
Citation: Mathur, S., Sunoj, V., Elsheery, N.I., Reddy, V., Jajoo, A., Cao, K. 2021. Regulation of Photosystem II heterogeneity and photochemistry in two cultivars of C4 crop sugarcane under chilling stress. Frontiers in Plant Science. 12:627012. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.627012.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.627012

Interpretive Summary: Chilling stress is one of the constraints affecting sugarcane growth and development. The study is aimed to depict the effects of chilling stress on two recently released sugarcane cultivar, one more tolerant and other more susceptible to chilling stress. Chilling stress decreased photosynthesis and primary photochemistry by influencing photosystem II which is a major component of the photosynthetic machinery. Changes in PS II heterogeneity is an adaptive mechanism in plants for defense against stress conditions. Under chilling stress PSII heterogeneity was changed and regained when plants were kept for recovery. On the basis of changes in PSII heterogeneity, our study will help researchers to know the extent of chilling severity in sugarcane cultivars. This is the first study of its type on these two cultivars with heterogeneity as a method of protection. Based on our studies, it is concluded that PSII heterogeneity can be used as an additional non-invasive and novel technique for evaluating any type of environmental stress in plants.

Technical Abstract: In subtropical regions, chilling stress is one of the major constraints for sugarcane cultivation, which hampers yield and sugar production in sugarcane. Two recently released sugarcane cultivars, moderately chilling tolerant Guitang 49 and chilling tolerant Guitang 28 were selected. The experiments were conducted in the controlled environment and seedlings were exposed to optimum (25/15°C), chilling (10/5°C) and recovery (25/15°C) temperature conditions. PSII heterogeneity was studied in terms of reducing side and antenna size heterogeneity. Under chilling, reducing side heterogeneity resulted in increased number of QB non-reducing centers while antenna side heterogeneity resulted in enhanced number of inactive beta (ß) centers in both cultivars, but the magnitude of change was higher in Guitang 49. Furthermore, in both cultivars, quantum efficiency of PSII, status of water splitting complex and performance index were adversely affected by chilling, along with reduction in net photosynthesis and nigh time respiration and alterations in leaf optical properties. The extents of negative effect on these parameters were larger in Guitang 49 than in Guitang 28. These results reveal a clear differentiation in PSII heterogeneity between differentially chilling tolerant cultivars. Based on our studies, it is concluded that PSII heterogeneity can be used as an additional non-invasive and novel technique for evaluating any type of environmental stress in plants.