Growth condition-dependent sensitivity, photodamage and stress response of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii exposed to high light conditions

Different substrate conditions, such as varying CO2 concentrations or the presence of acetate, strongly influence the efficiency of photosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Altered photosynthetic efficiencies affect the susceptibility of algae to the deleterious effects of high light stress, such as the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and PSII photodamage. In this study, we investigated the effect of high light on C. reinhardtii grown under photomixotrophy, i.e. in the presence of acetate, as well as under photoautotrophic growth conditions with either low or high CO2 concentrations. Different parameters such as growth rate, chlorophyll bleaching, singlet oxygen generation, PSII photodamage and the total genomic stress response were analyzed. Although showing a similar degree of PSII photodamage, a much stronger singlet oxygen-specific response and a broader general stress response was observed in acetate and high CO2-supplemented cells compared with CO2-limited cells. These different photooxidative stress responses were correlated with the individual cellular PSII content and probably directly influenced the ROS production during exposure to high light. In addition, growth of high CO2-supplemented cells was more susceptible to high light stress compared with cells grown under CO2 limitation. The growth of acetate-supplemented cultures, on the other hand, was less affected by high light treatment than cultures grown under high CO2 concentrations, despite the similar cellular stress. This suggests that the production of ATP by mitochondrial acetate respiration protects the cells from the deleterious effects of high light stress, presumably by providing energy for an effective defense.