Function of Photosynthetic Apparatus of Intact Wheat Leaves under High Light and Heat Stress and Its Relationship with Peroxidation of Thylakoid Lipids

Effects of high light and temperature stress on the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus of wheat (Triticum aestivum) were studied. There was a decrease in the electron transport activity of chloroplasts isolated from photoinhibited and heat-stressed leaves. Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured in photoinhibited and heat-stressed leaves and the decrease in variable fluorescence and variable to maximum fluorescence ratio of the stressed leaves indicated a loss in the quantum yield of photosynthesis. The decrease in electron transport activity was accompanied by an increase in peroxidation of thylakoid lipids. Lipid peroxidation indicated the oxidative degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acyl residues of the thylakoid lipids. A negative correlation was observed between electron transport activity and lipid peroxidation. The electron transport activity was completely lost as the peroxidation level reached a threshold equivalent to 0.6 micromoles malondialdehyde. The threshold of lipid peroxidation for complete loss of activity was the same for both photoinhibition and heat treatment, suggesting that the nature of the environmental stress may be less important with respect to the relationship between electron transport and lipid peroxidation. Thus, it seems likely that lipids are required for sustaining the photosynthetic activity under environmental stress, and a loss in activity is observed as the lipids are degraded either by high light or high temperature stress.