Light and oxygenic photosynthesis: energy dissipation as a protection mechanism against photo-oxidation
Ildikó Szabó, Elisabetta Bergantino & Giorgio Mario Giacometti
Department of Biology, University of Padova, Viale G. Colombo 3, 35121 Padova, Italy
To whom correspondence should be addressed
Ildikó Szabó Tel: +39 (0)49 8276324; Fax: +39 (0)49 8276300; ildi@civ.bio.unipd.it
Received 29 March 2005; Accepted 19 May 2005.
Abstract
Efficient photosynthesis is of fundamental importance for plant survival and fitness. However, in oxygenic photosynthesis, the complex apparatus responsible for the conversion of light into chemical energy is susceptible to photodamage. Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms have therefore evolved several protective mechanisms to deal with light energy. Rapidly inducible non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) is a short-term response by which plants and eukaryotic algae dissipate excitation energy as heat. This review focuses on recent advances in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying this protective quenching pathway in higher plants.
