Comparison of Photosynthetic Performance in Triazine-Resistant and Susceptible Biotypes of Amaranthus hybridus.

The rate of CO(2) reduction in the S-triazine-resistant biotype of smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.) was lower at all levels of irradiance than the rate of CO(2) reduction in the susceptible biotype. The intent of this study was to determine whether or not the lower rates of CO(2) reduction are a direct consequence of the same factors which confer triazine resistance. The quantum yield of CO(2) reduction was 23 +/- 2% lower in the resistant biotype of pigweed and the resistant biotype of pigweed had about 25% fewer active photosystem II centers on both a chlorophyll and leaf area basis. This quantum inefficiency of the resistant biotype can be accounted for by a decrease in the equilibrium constant between the primary and secondary quinone acceptors of the photosystem II reaction centers which in turn would lead to a higher average level of reduced primary quinone acceptor in the resistant biotype. Thus, the photosystem II quantum inefficiency of the resistant biotype appears to be a direct consequence of those factors responsible for triazine resistance but a caveat to this conclusion is discussed. The effects of the quantum inefficiency of photosystem II on CO(2) reduction should be overcome at high light and therefore cannot account for the lower light-saturated rate of CO(2) reduction in the resistant biotype. Chloroplast lamellar membranes isolated from both triazine-resistant and triazine-susceptible pigweed support equivalent rates of whole chain electron transfer and these rates are sufficient to account for the rate of light-saturated CO(2) reduction. This observation shows that the slower transfer of electrons from the primary to the secondary quinone acceptor of photosystem II, a trait which is characteristic of the resistant biotype, is nevertheless still more rapid than subsequent reactions of photosynthetic CO(2) reduction. Thus, it appears that the lower rate of light-saturated CO(2) reduction of the resistant biotype is not limited by electron transfer capacity and therefore is not a direct consequence of those factors which confer triazine resistance.