Acclimation of the Photosynthetic Apparatus to Photosystem I or Photosystem II Light: Evidence from Quantum Yield Measurements and Fluorescence Spectroscopy of Cyanobacterial Cells

Cells of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus 6301 were grown under illumination whose spectral composition favoured absorption either by the phycobilisome (PBS) light-harvesting antenna of photosystem II (PS II) or by the chlorophyll (Chi) a light-harvesting antenna of photosystem I (PS I). Cells grown under PS I-light developed relatively high PS II/PS I and PBS/Chl ratios. Cells grown under PS II-light developed relatively low PS II/PS I and PBS/Chl ratios. Thus, the primary difference between cells in the two acclimation states appeared to be the relative concentration of PBS-PS II and PS I complexes in the thylakoid membrane. Measurements of the quantum yield of oxygen evolution suggested a higher efficiency of cellular photosynthesis upon the adjustment of photosystem stoichiometry to a specific light condition. The quantum yield of oxygen evolution was nevertheless lower under PBS than Chi excitation, suggesting quenching of excitation energy in the photochemical apparatus of PS II in Synechococcus 6301. This phenomenon was more pronounced in the PS II-light than in the PS I-light grown cells. Room temperature and 77 K fluorescence emission spectroscopy indicated that excess excitation energy in the PBS was not transferred to PS I, suggesting the operation of a non-radiative and non-photochemical decay of excitation energy at the PBS-PS II complex. This non-photochemical quenching was specific to conditions where excitation of PS II occurred in excess of its capacity for useful photochemistry.