Nonphotochemical Chlorophyll Fluorescence Quenching: Mechanism and Effectiveness in Protecting Plants from Photodamage

We review the mechanism underlying nonphotochemical chlorophyll fluorescence quenching (NPQ) and its role in protecting plants against photoinhibition. This review includes an introduction to this phenomenon, a brief history of major milestones in our understanding of NPQ, definitions, and a discussion of quantitative measurements of NPQ. We discuss the current knowledge and unknown aspects in the NPQ scenario, including the following: Delta pH, the proton gradient (trigger); light-harvesting complex II (LHCII), PSII light harvesting antenna (site); and changes in the antenna induced by Delta pH (change), which lead to the creation of the quencher. We conclude that the minimum requirements for NPQ in vivo are Delta pH, LHCII complexes, and the PsbS protein. We highlight the most important unknown in the NPQ scenario, the mechanism by which PsbS acts upon the LHCII antenna. Finally, we describe a novel, emerging technology for assessing the photoprotective power of NPQ and the important findings obtained through this technology.