Quantification of electron transport-related oxidative signals by time and wavelength-resolved redox biosensors and chlorophyll fluorescence

Abstract

Reductive and oxidative signals transmitted from the photosynthetic electron chain to target proteins through the redox signaling network are key regulators of carbon assimilation and downstream metabolism. However, despite their crucial role in activating and inhibiting photosynthetic activity, their relation to photosynthetic efficiency is hardly quantified due to the methodological gap between traditional spectroscopic approaches for investigating photosynthesis and biochemical analyses used in the redox regulation field. Here, we simultaneously quantified redox signals and photosynthetic activity by exploring time and wavelength-resolved fluorescence spectra that capture biosensor and chlorophyll fluorescence signals. Using a set of potato plants expressing genetically encoded redox biosensors capable of discerning between oxidized and reduced signals, we demonstrated how reductive and oxidative signals are amplified with elevated light intensities and revealed the tight connection between electron transport rate and the generation of oxidative signals. These results demonstrate how full spectrum analysis can pave the way for the integration of genetically encoded biosensors in photosynthesis research and demonstrate light-dependent activation of inhibitory oxidative signals in major crop plants.