Genotype-specific nonphotochemical quenching responses to nitrogen deficit are linked to chlorophyll a to b ratios

Seema Sahay; Marcin Grzybowski; James C Schnable; Katarzyna Głowacka

doi:10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154261

Genotype-specific nonphotochemical quenching responses to nitrogen deficit are linked to chlorophyll a to b ratios

J Plant Physiol. 2024 Jun:297:154261. doi: 10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154261. Epub 2024 May 1.

Authors

Seema Sahay¹, Marcin Grzybowski², James C Schnable³, Katarzyna Głowacka⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA. Electronic address: ssahay2@unl.edu.
² Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Department of Plant Molecular Ecophysiology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Plant Experimental Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warsaw, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: marcin.grzybowski@uw.edu.pl.
³ Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA. Electronic address: schnable@unl.edu.
⁴ Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA; Institute of Plant Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479, Poznań, Poland. Electronic address: kglowacka2@unl.edu.

PMID: 38705078
DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2024.154261

Abstract

Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) protects plants from photodamage caused by excess light energy. Substantial variation in NPQ has been reported among different genotypes of the same species. However, comparatively little is known about how environmental perturbations, including nutrient deficits, impact natural variation in NPQ kinetics. Here, we analyzed a natural variation in NPQ kinetics of a diversity panel of 225 maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes under nitrogen replete and nitrogen deficient field conditions. Individual maize genotypes from a diversity panel exhibited a range of changes in NPQ in response to low nitrogen. Replicated genotypes exhibited consistent responses across two field experiments conducted in different years. At the seedling and pre-flowering stages, a similar portion of the genotypes (∼33%) showed decrease, no-change or increase in NPQ under low nitrogen relative to control. Genotypes with increased NPQ under low nitrogen also showed greater reductions in dry biomass and photosynthesis than genotypes with stable NPQ when exposed to low nitrogen conditions. Maize genotypes where an increase in NPQ was observed under low nitrogen also exhibited a reduction in the ratio of chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b. Our results underline that since thermal dissipation of excess excitation energy measured via NPQ helps to balance the energy absorbed with energy utilized, the NPQ changes are the reflection of broader molecular and biochemical changes which occur under the stresses such as low soil fertility. Here, we have demonstrated that variation in NPQ kinetics resulted from genetic and environmental factors, are not independent of each other. Natural genetic variation controlling plastic responses of NPQ kinetics to environmental perturbation increases the likelihood it will be possible to optimize NPQ kinetics in crop plants for different environments.

Keywords: Maize; Natural variation; Nitrogen; Non-photochemical quenching; Phenotypic plasticity.

MeSH terms

Chlorophyll A* / metabolism
Chlorophyll* / metabolism
Genotype*
Nitrogen* / deficiency
Nitrogen* / metabolism
Photosynthesis
Zea mays* / genetics
Zea mays* / metabolism
Zea mays* / physiology

Substances

chlorophyll b