PSI Mehler reaction is the main alternative photosynthetic electron pathway in Symbiodinium sp., symbiotic dinoflagellates of cnidarians

• Photosynthetic organisms have evolved various photoprotective and regulatory mechanisms to cope with changing and high light intensities. The nature and relative amplitude of these mechanisms is matter of debate in dinoflagellates that live in symbiosis with cnidarians. In this work, the amplitude of photosynthetic alternative electron flows to oxygen (chlororespiration, Mehler reaction, mitochondrial respiration) and PSI cyclic electron flow were investigated in Symbiodinium clades A1, B1 and F1.
• Cultured Symbiodinium strains were maintained semi-continuously under identical environmental conditions. Joint measurements of oxygen evolution, fluorescence emission, and absorption changes at specific wavelengths were used to evaluate PSI and PSII electron transfer rates (ETR).
• A light-dependent and O2-dependent ETR was observed in all strains. This ETR involved PSII and PSI and was insensitive to addition of mitochondrial and carbon fixation inhibitors.
• These results demonstrate that photoreduction of oxygen downstream of PSI by the so-called Mehler reaction is the main alternative electron sink at the onset and steady state of photosynthesis in all strains. This mechanism in Symbiodinium sustains significant levels of photosynthetic electron flux under high light, thus acting as a photoprotective mechanism and increasing the ATP/NADPH ratio by the electron transfer chain.