Deriving fluorometer-specific values of relative PSI fluorescence intensity from quenching of F(0) fluorescence in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana and Zea mays.

The effect of stepwise increments of red light intensities on pulse-amplitude modulated (PAM) chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence from leaves of A. thaliana and Z. mays was investigated. Minimum and maximum fluorescence were measured before illumination (F(0) and F(M), respectively) and at the end of each light step (F'(0) and F'(M), respectively). Calculated F'(0) values derived from F(0), F(M) and F'(M) fluorescence according to Oxborough and Baker (1997) were lower than the corresponding measured F'(0) values. Based on the concept that calculated F'(0) values are under-estimated because the underlying theory ignores PSI fluorescence, a method was devised to gain relative PSI fluorescence intensities from differences between calculated and measured F'(0). This method yields fluorometer-specific PSI data as its input data (F(0), F(M), F'(0) and F'(M)) depend solely on the spectral properties of the fluorometer used. Under the present conditions, the PSI contribution to F (0) fluorescence was 0.24 in A. thaliana and it was independent on the light acclimation status; the corresponding value was 0.50 in Z. mays. Correction for PSI fluorescence affected Z. mays most: the linear relationship between PSI and PSII photochemical yields was clearly shifted toward the one-to-one proportionality line and maximum electron transport was increased by 50 %. Further, correction for PSI fluorescence increased the PSII reaction center-specific parameter, 1/F(0) - 1/F(M), up to 50 % in A. thaliana and up to 400 % in Z. mays.