Temperature-dependent changes in Photosystem II heterogeneity support a cycle of Photosystem II during photoinhibition.

High light treatments were given to attached leaves of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) at room temperature and at 1°C where the diffusion- and enzyme-dependent repair processes of Photosystem II are at a minimum. After treatments, electron transfer activities and fluorescence induction were measured from thylakoids isolated from the treated leaves. When the photoinhibition treatment was given at 1°C, the Photosystem II electron transfer assays that were designed to require electron transfer to the plastoquinone pool showed greater inhibition than electron transfer from H2O to paraphenyl-benzoquinone, which measures all PS II centers. When the light treatment was given at room temperature, electron transfer from H2O to paraphenyl-benzoquinone was inhibited more than whole-chain electron transfer. Variable fluorescence measured in the presence of ferricyanide decreased only during room-temperature treatments. These results suggest that reaction centers of one pool of Photosystem II, non-QB-PS II, replace photoinhibited reaction centers at room temperature, while no replacement occurs at 1°C. A simulation of photoinhibition at 1°C supports this conclusion.