Negative feedback regulation is responsible for the non-linear modulation of photosynthetic activity in plants and cyanobacteria exposed to a dynamic light environment.

Photosynthetic organisms exposed to a dynamic light environment exhibit complex transients of photosynthetic activities that are strongly dependent on the temporal pattern of the incident irradiance. In a harmonically modulated light of intensity I approximately const.+sin(omegat), chlorophyll fluorescence response consists of a steady-state component, a component modulated with the angular frequency of the irradiance omega and several upper harmonic components (2omega, 3omega and higher). Our earlier reverse engineering analysis suggests that the non-linear response can be caused by a negative feedback regulation of photosynthesis. Here, we present experimental evidence that the negative feedback regulation of the energetic coupling between phycobilisome and Photosystem II (PSII) in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 indeed results in the appearance of upper harmonic modes in the chlorophyll fluorescence emission. Dynamic changes in the coupling of the phycobilisome to PSII are not accompanied by corresponding antiparallel changes in the Photosystem I (PSI) excitation, suggesting a regulation limited to PSII. Strong upper harmonic modes were also found in the kinetics of the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence, of the P700 redox state and of the CO(2) assimilation in tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum) exposed to harmonically modulated light. They are ascribed to negative feedback regulation of the reactions of the Calvin-Benson cycle limiting the photosynthetic electron transport. We propose that the observed non-linear response of photosynthesis may also be relevant in a natural light environment that is modulated, e.g., by ocean waves, moving canopy or by varying cloud cover. Under controlled laboratory conditions, the non-linear photosynthetic response provides a new insight into dynamics of the regulatory processes.