Red algae acclimate to low light by modifying phycobilisome composition to maintain efficient light harvesting

Voerman, Sofie E. (author): Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Ruseckas, Arvydas (author): Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Turnbull, Graham A. (author): Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Samuel, Ifor D. W. (author): Organic Semiconductor Centre, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Burdett, Heidi L. (author): Umeå universitet,Umeå marina forskningscentrum (UMF),Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,UMFpub

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Abstract Subject headings

Background: Despite a global prevalence of photosynthetic organisms in the ocean’s mesophotic zone (30–200+ m depth), the mechanisms that enable photosynthesis to proceed in this low light environment are poorly defined. Red coralline algae are the deepest known marine benthic macroalgae — here we investigated the light harvesting mechanism and mesophotic acclimatory response of the red coralline alga Lithothamnion glaciale.Results: Following initial absorption by phycourobilin and phycoerythrobilin in phycoerythrin, energy was transferred from the phycobilisome to photosystems I and II within 120 ps. This enabled delivery of 94% of excitations to reaction centres. Low light intensity, and to a lesser extent a mesophotic spectrum, caused significant acclimatory change in chromophores and biliproteins, including a 10% increase in phycoerythrin light harvesting capacity and a 20% reduction in chlorophyll-a concentration and photon requirements for photosystems I and II. The rate of energy transfer remained consistent across experimental treatments, indicating an acclimatory response that maintains energy transfer.Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that responsive light harvesting by phycobilisomes and photosystem functional acclimation are key to red algal success in the mesophotic zone.

By the author/editor: Voerman, Sofie E ...; Ruseckas, Arvyda ...; Turnbull, Graham ...; Samuel, Ifor D. ...; Burdett, Heidi L ...

About the subject

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