Light stress and photoprotection in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Plants and algae require light for photosynthesis, but absorption of too much light can lead to photo-oxidative damage to the photosynthetic apparatus and sustained decreases in the efficiency and rate of photosynthesis (photoinhibition). Light stress can adversely affect growth and viability, necessitating that photosynthetic organisms acclimate to different environmental conditions in order to alleviate the detrimental effects of excess light. The model unicellular green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, employs diverse strategies of regulation and photoprotection to avoid, minimize, and repair photo-oxidative damage in stressful light conditions, allowing for acclimation to different and changing environments.