Desiccation tolerance and underlying mechanisms for the recovery of the photosynthetic efficiency in the tropical intertidal seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii

Tharawit Wuthirak; Rapeepan Kongnual; Pimchanok Buapet

doi:10.1515/bot-2016-0052

Article

Desiccation tolerance and underlying mechanisms for the recovery of the photosynthetic efficiency in the tropical intertidal seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii

Tharawit Wuthirak
Tharawit Wuthirak is a BSc student studying Biology at Prince of Songkla University: he is currently supported by the Science Achievement Scholarship of Thailand (SAST) from the Thai government to pursue his study. During his summer training, he worked on this project under Dr. Pimchanok Buapet.
, Rapeepan Kongnual
Rapeepan Kongnual is a BSc student studying Biology at Prince of Songkla University: she is currently receiving a scholarship from the government of Thailand under the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) to pursue her study. During her summer training, she worked on this project under Dr. Pimchanok Buapet.
and Pimchanok Buapet
Pimchanok Buapet is a lecturer and researcher at Prince of Songkla University in the Department of Biology and an alumni of the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST). She earned a PhD in 2014 from Stockholm University in Plant Physiology by studying the photobiology of the seagrass Zostera marina and other macrophytes. Her research interest is ecophysiology of marine plants, in particular the mechanisms which seagrasses in the upper-intertidal areas employ to protect their photosynthetic apparatus from high light intensity and desiccation.

Published/Copyright: September 17, 2016

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From the journal Botanica Marina Volume 59 Issue 5

Abstract

The seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Thalassia hemprichii commonly occur in the upper-intertidal zone where they are subjected to prolonged desiccation during low tides. This study investigated their desiccation tolerance and the mechanisms underlying their eventual recovery. Halophila ovalis exhibited a faster decline in photosynthetic efficiency, measured as effective quantum yield of photosystem II (φ_PSII), during 90 min of desiccation and did not recover when rehydrated. Thalassia hemprichii, however, showed a nearly full recovery. Desiccation also imposed greater membrane damage on H. ovalis as indicated by a higher electrolyte leakage. In a subsequent experiment, seagrasses were desiccated for 60 min before being rehydrated with seawater containing either chloramphenicol (CMP), cycloheximide (CHX), dithiothreitol (DTT) or no metabolic inhibitor (control). Recovery of φ_PSII of H. ovalis was hindered by CMP and DTT while CHX had little effect. Recovery of φ_PSII of T. hemprichii, however, was partially affected by both CMP and CHX to a similar extent and not by DTT. The results indicate that H. ovalis relies substantially on the synthesis of chloroplast-encoded proteins and excess energy dissipation by the xanthophyll cycle whereas T. hemprichii requires limited protein synthesis in both chloroplast and cytoplasm to completely recover their photosynthetic function from desiccation stress.

Keywords: desiccation; PAM fluorometry; photosynthesis; protein synthesis; seagrass; xanthophyll cycle

About the authors

Tharawit Wuthirak

Tharawit Wuthirak is a BSc student studying Biology at Prince of Songkla University: he is currently supported by the Science Achievement Scholarship of Thailand (SAST) from the Thai government to pursue his study. During his summer training, he worked on this project under Dr. Pimchanok Buapet.

Rapeepan Kongnual

Rapeepan Kongnual is a BSc student studying Biology at Prince of Songkla University: she is currently receiving a scholarship from the government of Thailand under the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) to pursue her study. During her summer training, she worked on this project under Dr. Pimchanok Buapet.

Pimchanok Buapet

Pimchanok Buapet is a lecturer and researcher at Prince of Songkla University in the Department of Biology and an alumni of the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST). She earned a PhD in 2014 from Stockholm University in Plant Physiology by studying the photobiology of the seagrass Zostera marina and other macrophytes. Her research interest is ecophysiology of marine plants, in particular the mechanisms which seagrasses in the upper-intertidal areas employ to protect their photosynthetic apparatus from high light intensity and desiccation.

Acknowledgments

This project was financially supported by the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Prince of Songkla University for PB, the Science Achievement Scholarship of Thailand (SAST) for TW and the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) for RK. Finally, the authors wish to thank Professor Mats Björk for constructive suggestions and Dr. Brian Hodgson for assistance with the English proofreading.

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Received: 2016-6-12

Accepted: 2016-8-23

Published Online: 2016-9-17

Published in Print: 2016-10-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2016-0052

Keywords for this article

desiccation; PAM fluorometry; photosynthesis; protein synthesis; seagrass; xanthophyll cycle