Desiccation intensity shapes PSII recovery in the liverwort Porella platyphylla (L.) Pfeiff.: the effects of ABA hardening and xanthophyll cycle inhibition under light and dark conditions
Abstract
The photosynthetic responses of the poikilohydric Porella platyphylla (L.) Pfeiff. to desiccation are fundamental for understanding the species’ survival strategy. The aim of our study was to determine (i) the extent to which one-week desiccation at different relative humidities (RH) affects the post-rehydration recovery of photosystem II (PSII) function under light and dark conditions, and (ii) the timescale on which abscisic acid (ABA) contributes to the stabilization of early photoprotection. Recovery was monitored at 1, 24 and 48 hours after rehydration using chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and the role of zeaxanthin-dependent energy dissipation was examined by applying dithiothreitol (DTT). Our results identified three distinct recovery regimes. Samples that survived moderate desiccation (32–76% RH) and natural desiccation (rapid water loss in laboratory air, ~35% RH) almost fully restored their optimal quantum efficiency (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum efficiency (ΦPSII) values within 24–48 hours under both light and dark conditions. Desiccation at 5% RH, however, caused irreversible PSII damage, with no recovery in either light or dark. DTT markedly reduced non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), confirming the central role of zeaxanthin-dependent energy-dependent quenching (qE) in photoprotection, while also demonstrating the persistence of a DTT-insensitive NPQ fraction. A key finding of our study is that ABA hardening significantly stabilized PSII function already within 1 hour, under both light and dark conditions, resulting in higher Fv/Fm and ΦPSII values compared to untreated samples. This effect was long-lasting and remained evident throughout the 24–48-hour recovery phase, aligning with the recovery regime of the moderately desiccated samples. These results provide a new, integrated perspective on the recovery mechanisms operating during the desiccation–rehydration cycles of P. platyphylla, highlighting the decisive role of early ABA signalling and qE-dominated NPQ in PSII recovery following moderate dehydration.
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