Photosynthetic coral reef structures extend from the shallow sundrenched waters to the dimly lit, "twilight" mesophotic depths. For their resident endosymbiotic dinoflagellates, primarily from the genus Symbiodinium spp., this represents a photic environment that varies ∼15-fold in intensity and also differs in spectral composition. We examined photosynthesis in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata in shallow (3 m) and mesophotic settings (65 m) in the northern Red Sea. Symbiodinium spp. in corals originating from the mesophotic environment consistently performed below their photosynthetic compensation point and also exhibited distinct light harvesting antenna organization. In addition, the non-photochemical quenching activity of Symbiodinium spp. from mesophotic corals was shown to be considerably lower than those found in shallow corals, showing they have fewer defenses to high-light settings. Over a period of almost 4 years, we extensively utilized closed circuit Trimix rebreather diving to perform the study. Phylogenetic analysis showed that shallow corals (3 m) transplanted to a deep reef environment (65 m) maintained their initial Symbiodinium spp. community (clade A), rather than taking on deep low-light clades (clade C), demonstrating that shallow S. pistillata acclimate to low-light mesophotic environments while maintaining their shallow photosynthetic traits. Mesophotic corals exhibited static depth-related chlorophyll content per cell, a decrease in PSI activity and enhanced sigmoidal fluorescence rise kinetics. The sigmoidal fluorescence rise kinetics we observed in mesophotic corals is an indication of energy transfer between photosynthetic units. We postulate that at mesophotic depths, a community of adapted Symbiodinium spp. utilize a unique adaptation to lower light conditions by shifting their light harvesting to a PSII based system, where PSII is structured near PSI, with additional PCP soluble Einbinder et al.Novel Photosynthetic Characteristics of Mesophotic Photosymbionts antenna also trapping light that is funneled to the PSI reaction center. In this study, we provide evidence that mesophotic Symbiodinium spp. have developed novel adaptive low-light characteristics consisting of a cooperative system for excitation energy transfer between photosynthetic units that maximizes light utilization.

Manganese (Mn) ions are essential for oxygen evolution activity in photoautotrophs. In this paper, we demonstrate the dynamic response of the photosynthetic apparatus to changes in Mn bioavailability in cyanobacteria. Cultures of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis PCC 6803 could grow on Mn concentrations as low as 100 nM without any observable effect on their physiology. Below this threshold, a decline in the photochemical activity of photosystem II (PSII) occurred, as evident by lower oxygen evolution rates, lower maximal photosynthetic yield of PSII values, and faster Q A reoxidation rates. In 77 K chlorophyll fluorescence spectroscopy, a peak at 682 nm was observed. After ruling out the contribution of phycobilisome and iron stress-induced IsiA proteins, this band was attributed to the accumulation of partially assembled PSII. Surprisingly, the increase in the 682-nm peak was paralleled by a decrease in the 720-nm peak, dominated by PSI fluorescence. The effect on PSI was confirmed by measurements of the P 700 photochemical activity. The loss of activity was the result of two processes: loss of PSI core proteins and changes in the organization of PSI complexes. Blue native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed a Mn limitation-dependent dissociation of PSI trimers into monomers. The sensitive range for changes in the organization of the photosynthetic apparatus overlaps with the range of Mn concentrations measured in natural environments. We suggest that the ability to manipulate PSI content and organization allows cyanobacteria to balance electron transport rates between the photosystems. At naturally occurring Mn concentrations, such a mechanism will provide important protection against light-induced damage.

Production of cyanide through biological and environmental processes requires the detoxification of this metabolic poison. In the 1960s, discovery of the β-cyanoalanine synthase (β-CAS) pathway in cyanogenic plants provided the first insight on cyanide detoxification in nature. Fifty years of investigations firmly established the protective role of the β-CAS pathway in cyanogenic plants and its role in the removal of cyanide produced from ethylene synthesis in plants, but also revealed the importance of this pathway for plant growth and development and the integration of nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. This review describes the β-CAS pathway, its distribution across and within higher plants, and the diverse biological functions of the pathway in cyanide assimilation, plant growth and development, stress tolerance, regulation of cyanide and sulfide signalling, and nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. The collective roles of the β-CAS pathway highlight its potential evolutionary and ecological importance in plants.

Published under the PNAS license.Data deposition: Coordinates and structure factors for the UGT76G1(SeMet) • UDP complex (PDB ID code 6O86), the UGT76G1 • UDP complex (PDB ID code 6O87), and the UGT76G1 • UDP • rebaudioside A complex (PDB ID code 6O88) were deposited in the Protein Data Bank, https://www.rcsb.org.