Study of an undershoot in chlorophyll fluorescence signal after a saturating pulse in PAM measurements

In 1989, Larcher and Neuner have reported the observation of a sudden reversible drop in modulated chlorophyll fluorescence measurements (PAM) immediately after a saturating pulse, and called it “low-wave”. 25 years later, whereas some papers reported this phenomenon as a trivial detail, scarcely two works have investigated the origin of this particular signal, in which a link with a low CO2 availability seems clear. Our work on Haematococcus pluvialis, a freshwater green microalga, provides a new point of view on this fluorescence undershoot, caused by a rapidly established non-photochemical quenching. We have demonstrated that in the light-adapted state, a low-wave after a saturating flash can be considered as a consequence of an induction process engaged in response to the brief light increase under low CO2 conditions. The non-photochemical quenching during low-waves was found to be dependent on electron transport to oxygen during the preceding flash. Moreover, in conditions in which low-waves were observed in the light-adapted state, the fluorescence induction kinetics in the first minute of lighting after dark-adaptation presented also a reversible strong drop. Nevertheless, at the stationary state, oxygen production and photochemical yield of photosystem II were not affected. Providing a better understanding of the processes underlying low-waves, our work also draws attention on the effect of CO2 concentration on the onset of photosynthesis.