How state transitions balance photosynthetic electron transport in plants – a quantitative study

TL;DR

This study shows how plants balance energy between two photosystems by redistributing light-harvesting complexes, ensuring efficient electron transport.

Contribution

Quantitative evidence of chlorophyll redistribution during state transitions and its role in synchronizing electron transport rates.

Findings

12% of phosphorylated LHCII moves from stacked to unstacked thylakoids during state transitions.

Chlorophyll redistribution balances electron transport rates between PSII and PSI.

Regulation involves reversible phosphorylation and optimizes linear electron transport.

Abstract

In plants, the process of state transition regulates the allocation of sunlight energy between Photosystem II (PSII) and PSI. However, the implications of state transitions for harmonizing electron transport rates between photosystems, and a full quantitative picture of this process, remain underexplored.We integrated quantitative biology (biochemical and biophysical approaches) with in vivo spectroscopy on wild‐type Arabidopsis and protein phosphorylation mutants. This combination facilitated monitoring of Chl redistribution and its functional implications for light harvesting and electron transport.Our findings demonstrate the reallocation of 12% of highly phosphorylated ‘extra’ light‐harvesting complex II under state 2 from stacked to unstacked thylakoids. This reduces the number of Chls per PSII from 216 to 182, while increasing the number in PSI from 187 to 223. Such Chl redistribution compensates for differences in photosystem stoichiometry and photochemical quantum efficiencies, thereby precisely synchronizing electron transport rates in both photosystems. Mutant analyses corroborate that this regulatory mechanism involves reversible phosphorylation.We inferred that state transitions optimize linear electron transport, leaving no additional capacity for cyclic electron transport. Furthermore, the results suggest that the controversies about long‐range migration of LHCII from stacked to unstacked thylakoid domains arise from differences in phosphorylation levels.

In plants, the process of state transition regulates the allocation of sunlight energy between Photosystem II (PSII) and PSI. However, the implications of state transitions for harmonizing electron transport rates between photosystems, and a full quantitative picture of this process, remain underexplored.

We integrated quantitative biology (biochemical and biophysical approaches) with in vivo spectroscopy on wild‐type Arabidopsis and protein phosphorylation mutants. This combination facilitated monitoring of Chl redistribution and its functional implications for light harvesting and electron transport.

Our findings demonstrate the reallocation of 12% of highly phosphorylated ‘extra’ light‐harvesting complex II under state 2 from stacked to unstacked thylakoids. This reduces the number of Chls per PSII from 216 to 182, while increasing the number in PSI from 187 to 223. Such Chl redistribution compensates for differences in photosystem stoichiometry and photochemical quantum efficiencies, thereby precisely synchronizing electron transport rates in both photosystems. Mutant analyses corroborate that this regulatory mechanism involves reversible phosphorylation.

We inferred that state transitions optimize linear electron transport, leaving no additional capacity for cyclic electron transport. Furthermore, the results suggest that the controversies about long‐range migration of LHCII from stacked to unstacked thylakoid domains arise from differences in phosphorylation levels.

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