Similar Photosynthetic Performance in Low Light-Grown Isonuclear Triazine-Resistant and -Susceptible Brassica napus L.

Triazine-resistant plants grown under moderate to high photon flux density (PFD) conditions exhibit decreased photon yield, decreased light-saturated O(2) evolution and slower growth than triazine-susceptible plants. In this study we tested the hypothesis that the comparable growth previously observed in resistant and susceptible Brassica napus L. lines grown under low PFD was accompanied by comparable photon yield and light-saturated O(2) evolution. We measured photon yield, O(2) flash yield, fluorescence decay kinetics, fluorescence transient kinetics, and quenching components, F(v)/F(m) and light saturated O(2) evolution in leaf disks of low PFD-grown triazine-resistant and susceptible B. napus isogenic lines. Results indicated that slow electron transfer from the primary to secondary quinone electron acceptors of photosystem II was still present in the resistant line but photon yield and light-saturated O(2) evolution were similar in the two B. napus lines. We conclude that the alteration in the D1 protein that confers resistance does not necessarily cause decreased photosynthetic performance. Decreased photon yield in resistant plants grown at high PFD is not a direct consequence of the alteration in D1, but represents secondary damage.