Relationships between D1 protein, xanthophyll cycle and photodamage-resistant capacity in rice (Orysa sativa L.)

Relationships between D1 protein, xanthophyll cycle and subspecific difference of photodamage-resistant capacity have been studied inO. japonica rice varieties 02428 and 029 (photoinhibition-tolerance) andO. indica rice varieties 3037 and Palghar (photoinhibition-sensitivity) and their reciprocal cross F₁ hybrids after photoinhibitory treatment. It was shown that PS II photochemical efficiency (F _v /F _m) decreased, and xanthophyll cycle from violaxanthin (V), via anaxanthin (A), to zeaxanthin (Z) was enhanced and non-photochemical quenching (qN) increased accordingly in SM-pretreated leaves of rice when the synthesis of D1 protein was inhibited, and that there was a decrease inqN and, as a result, more loss of D1 protein and a big decrease inF _v/F _m in DTT-pretreated leaves when xanthophyll cycle was inhibited.O. japonica subspecies had a higher maintaining capacity of D1 protein and a decrease ofF _v/F _m in a more narrow range, and exhibited more resistance against photodamage, as compared withO. indica subspecies. The above physiological indexes in reciprocal cross F₁ hybrids, though between the values of their parents, were closer to maternal lines than to paternal lines. Experimental results support the concept that the turnover capacity for D1 protein is an important physiological basis of photoinhibition-tolerance, and will provide the physiological basis for selection of the photoinhibition-tolerant parents and develop a new approach to breed hybrids with high photosynthetic efficiency.