Growth and photosynthetic responses of Fraxinus mandshurica seedlings to various light environments

To determine light requirement and adaptability of Fraxinus mandshurica seedlings, the seasonal variations of photosynthetic variables were measured in 3-year-old seedlings grown under four light levels （100%, 60%, 30%, and 15% of full sunlight） with a LI-6400 portable photosynthesis system. The leaf chlorophyll content, special leaf weight, annual height and basal diameter increment of seedlings were also observed. The maximum and minimum values of net photosynthetic rate, maximum rate of carboxylation, and maximum rate of electron transport of F. mandshurica seedlings were detected with 60% and 15% of full sunlight treatments, respectively. With the decrease of light level, both light saturation point and special leaf weight significantly declined （p 0.05）, but leaf chlorophyll content significantly increased （p 0.05）. Annual height and basal diameter increments of seedlings grown under 60% of full sunlight treatment were significantly greater than those of seedlings under other treatments （p 0.05）. It was concluded that F. mandshurica seedlings can adapt to a wide range of light environments from 15% to 100% of full sunlight by adjusting light saturation point, leaf chlorophyll content and special leaf weight. According to the maximum of relative growth, 60% of full sunlight treatment is the optimum light level for the growth of 3-year-old F. mandshurica seedlings.

Differences in leaf physiological and morphological traits between Camellia japonica and Camellia reticulata

Plants of the genus Camellia are widely cultivated throughout the world as ornamentals because of their bright and large flowers.The widely cultivated varieties are mainly derived from the mutant lines and hybrid progenies of Camellia japonica Linn.and Camellia reticulata Lindl.While their geographical distributions and environmental adaptabilities are significantly different,no systematic comparison has been conducted between these two species.To investigate differences in how these plants have adapted to their environments,we measured photosynthesis and 20 leaf functional traits of C.japonica and C.reticulata grown under the same conditions.Compared with C.japonica,C.reticulata showed higher values for light saturation point,light-saturated photo synthetic rate,leaf dry mass per unit area and stomatal area,but lower values for apparent quantum efficiency,leaf size,stomatal density and leaf nitrogen content per unit mass.Stomatal area was positively correlated with light-saturated photosynthetic rate and light saturation point,but negatively correlated with stomatal density.The differences between C.reticulata and C.japonica were mainly reflected in their adaptations to light intensity and leaf morphological traits.C.reticulata is better adapted to high light intensity than C.japonica.This difference is related to the two species’ differing life fo rms.Thus,leaf morphological traits have played an important role in the light adaptation of C.reticulata and C.japonica,and might be first noticed and selected during the breeding process.These findings will contribute to the cultivation of camellia plants.

First light on an adaptive optics system using a non-modulation pyramid wavefront sensor for a 1.8 m telescope

Our adaptive optics system based on a non-modulation pyramid wavefront sensor is integrated into a 1.8 m astronomical telescope installed at the Yunnan Observatory in LiJiang, and the first light with high-resolution imaging of an astronomical star is successfully achieved. In this Letter, the structure and performance of this system are introduced briefly, and then the observation results of star imaging are reported to show that the angular resolution of an adaptive optics system using a non-modulation pyramid wavefront sensor can approach the diffraction limit quality of a 1.8 m telescope.

Single-cell profiling reveals Müller glia coordinate retinal intercellular communication during light/dark adaptation via thyroid hormone signaling

Light adaptation enables the vertebrate visual system to operate over a wide range of ambient illumination.Regulation of phototransduction in photoreceptors is considered a major mechanism underlying light adaptation.However,various types of neurons and glial cells exist in the retina,and whether and how all retinal cells interact to adapt to light/dark conditions at the cellular and molecular levels requires systematic investigation.Therefore,we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect retinal cell-type-specific transcriptomes during light/dark adaptation in mice.The results demonstrated that,in addition to photoreceptors,other retinal cell types also showed dynamic molecular changes and specifically enriched signaling pathways under light/dark adaptation.Importantly,Müller glial cells(MGs)were identified as hub cells for intercellular interactions,displaying complex cell‒cell communication with other retinal cells.Furthermore,light increased the transcription of the deiodinase Dio2 in MGs,which converted thyroxine(T4)to active triiodothyronine(T3).Subsequently,light increased T3 levels and regulated mitochondrial respiration in retinal cells in response to light conditions.As cones specifically express the thyroid hormone receptor Thrb,they responded to the increase in T3 by adjusting light responsiveness.Loss of the expression of Dio2 specifically in MGs decreased the light responsive ability of cones.These results suggest that retinal cells display global transcriptional changes under light/dark adaptation and that MGs coordinate intercellular communication during light/dark adaptation via thyroid hormone signaling.

Cryo-EM structure of a tetrameric photosystem I from Chroococcidiopsis TS-821, a thermophilic, unicellular, non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium

Photosystem I(PSI)is one of two photosystems involved in oxygenic photosynthesis.PSI of cyanobacteria exists in monomeric,trimeric,and tetrameric forms,in contrast to the strictly monomeric form of PSI in plants and algae.The tetrameric organization raises questions about its structural,physiological,and evolutionary significance.Here we report the3.72 A˚resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of tetrameric PSI from the thermophilic,unicellular cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp.TS-821.The structure resolves 44 subunits and 448 cofactor molecules.We conclude that the tetramer is arranged via two different interfaces resulting from a dimer-of-dimers organization.The localization of chlorophyll molecules permits an excitation energy pathway within and between adjacent monomers.Bioinformatics analysis reveals conserved regions in the PsaL subunit that correlate with the oligomeric state.Tetrameric PSI may function as a key evolutionary step between the trimeric and monomeric forms of PSI organization in photosynthetic organisms.