Decreased photosystem II activity facilitates acclimation to fluctuating light in the understory plant Paris polyphylla

In forests, understory plants are usually exposed to sunflecks on timescales of seconds or minutes. However, it is unclear how understory plants acclimate to fluctuating light. In this study, we compared chlorophyll fluorescence, PSI redox state and the electrochromic shift signal under fluctuating light between an understory plant Paris polyphylla (Liliaceae) and a light-demanding plant Bletilla striata (Orchidaceae). Within the first seconds after transition from low to high light, PSI was highly oxidized in P. polyphylla but was highly reduced in B. striata, although both species could not generate a sufficient trans-thylakoid proton gradient (Delta pH). Furthermore, the outflow of electrons from PSI to O-2 was not significant in P. polyphylla, as indicated by the P700 redox kinetics upon dark-to-light transition. Therefore, the different responses of PSI to fluctuating light between P. polyphylla and B. striata could not be explained by Delta pH formation or alternative electron transport. In contrast, upon a sudden transition from low to high light, electron flow from PSII was much lower in P. polyphylla than in B. striata, suggesting that the rapid oxidation of PSI in P. polyphylla was largely attributed to the lower PSII activity. We propose, for the first time, that down-regulation of PSII activity is an important strategy used by some understory angiosperms to cope with sunflecks.