| Abstract: | Acute toxicity of excess Cu on the photosynthetic performance of Chlorella pyrenoidosa was examined by using chlorophyll a fluorescence transients and JIP-test after exposure to elevated Cu concentrations for a short period of time.High Cu concentration resulted in a significant suppression in photosynthesis and respiration.The absorption flux (ABS/RC) per PSⅡ reaction center increased with increasing Cu concentration,but the electron transport flux (ET_0/RC) decreased.Excess Cu had an insignificant effect on the trapping flux (TR_0/RC).The decline in the efficiency with which a trapped exciton can move an electron into the electron transport chain further than QA- (ψ_o),the maximal quantum yield of primary photochemistry (φP_o),and the quantum yield of electron transport (φE_o) were also observed.The amount of active PSⅡ reaction centers per excited cross section (RC/CS) was also in consistency with the change of photosynthesis when cells were exposed to excess Cu concentration.JIP-test parameters had a good linear relationship with photosynthetic O_2 evolution.These results suggested that the decrease of photosynthesis in exposure to excess Cu may be a result of the inactivation of PSⅡ reaction centers and inhibition of electron transport in the acceptor side. |
