Sustained photoprotection involves enhanced fluorescence intermittency in a subpopulation of LHCII

Abstract

Photoprotection against excess energy is essential for the survival of photosynthetic organisms under adverse conditions. In plants, excess energy can be dissipated as heat through non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence, involving the trimeric light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the major antenna of photosystem II. How NPQ affects antenna proteins remains debated, especially as most studies focus on shortlived components artificially induced in vitro. Here, we characterize the effects of qH, a long-lived NPQ component, on the fluorescence properties of natively quenched LHCII.

Single-molecule fluorescence measurements, combined with biochemical and biophysical ensemble approaches, reveal a larger and more quenched subpopulation of LHCII trimers exhibiting fluorescence intermittency in samples with qH compared to those without. This behavior is linked to a small conformational change that stabilizes a quenched state, enhancing photoprotection at the antenna level. These findings provide new insights into sustained NPQ and its role in regulating energy dissipation under natural light conditions.

TeaserEnhancement of a quenched, blinking state in a subpopulation of LHCII trimers characterizes sustained photoprotection in plants.

Nitric Oxide Signaling in Photosynthetic Resilience: Linking Photoprotection and Carbon Gain in Tropical Crops
Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, Nusrat Jahan Methela, Young B. Cho +2
International journal of molecular sciences25 Sep 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral biochemistryEurope PMC
Thylakoid plasticity primes photoprotection in diatoms
D. Perez Compte, D. Tolleter, C. Uwizeye +15
bioRxiv27 Oct 2026PreprintCC BY-NCFull textGeneral biochemistrybioRxiv
Extensive monolayer formation after transplantation depends on an RPE subpopulation derived from human iPSCs
Karen Tessmer, Juliane Hammer, Sylvia J. Gasparini +20
iScience7 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationCell PressCrossrefEurope PMC
Multi-gene biomarkers reveal spatial organization and subpopulation-specific damage response in biliary epithelial cells
Kendall G. Kanakanui, Fransky Hantelys, Hannah R. Hrncir +2
Development (Cambridge, England)12 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full text2 citedMolecular biology & gene regulationPMC
HOG pathway-dependent protection against impaired complex sphingolipid biosynthesis involves Fmp48-mediated suppression of mitochondria-dependent ROS accumulation
Takatoshi Sudo, Risa Sakamoto, Kensei Yamanaka +2
Molecular Biology of the Cell26 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-SA 4.0Full textMolecular biology & gene regulationPMC

Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{crepin2026sustained,
  title = {{Sustained photoprotection involves enhanced fluorescence intermittency in a subpopulation of LHCII}},
  author = {Aurélie Crepin and Madeline P Hoffmann and Cristian Ilioaia and Edel Cunill-Semanat and Andrew Pascal and Bruno Robert and Elisabet Romero and Gabriela S Schlau-Cohen and Alizée Malnoë},
  howpublished = {HAL},
  year = {2026},
  month = aug,
  doi = {10.64898/2026.08.24.746725},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05783557v1},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Sustained photoprotection involves enhanced fluorescence intermittency in a subpopulation of LHCII
AU  - Aurélie Crepin
AU  - Madeline P Hoffmann
AU  - Cristian Ilioaia
AU  - Edel Cunill-Semanat
AU  - Andrew Pascal
AU  - Bruno Robert
AU  - Elisabet Romero
AU  - Gabriela S Schlau-Cohen
AU  - Alizée Malnoë
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/25
PB  - HAL
DO  - 10.64898/2026.08.24.746725
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05783557v1
AB  - Photoprotection against excess energy is essential for the survival of photosynthetic organisms under adverse conditions. In plants, excess energy can be dissipated as heat through non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence, involving the trimeric light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), the major antenna of photosystem II. How NPQ affects antenna proteins remains debated, especially as most studies focus on shortlived components artificially induced in vitro. Here, we characterize the effects of qH, a long-lived NPQ component, on the fluorescence properties of natively quenched LHCII.  Single-molecule fluorescence measurements, combined with biochemical and biophysical ensemble approaches, reveal a larger and more quenched subpopulation of LHCII trimers exhibiting fluorescence intermittency in samples with qH compared to those without. This behavior is linked to a small conformational change that stabilizes a quenched state, enhancing photoprotection at the antenna level. These findings provide new insights into sustained NPQ and its role in regulating energy dissipation under natural light conditions.  TeaserEnhancement of a quenched, blinking state in a subpopulation of LHCII trimers characterizes sustained photoprotection in plants.
ER  -

Abstract

Related

Cite