Migration or photoacclimation to prevent photoinhibition and UV-B damage in marine microphytobenthic communities.
Résumé
Microphytobenthos (MPB) on intertidal mudflats is a major component of primary pro-
ducers in some estuarine ecosystems. To sustain photosynthesis, MPB migrate through the upper sed-
iment layer and form transient biofilms during emersion periods, and thus may be exposed to high
irradiance and ultraviolet radiation (UV-R), possibly resulting in photodamage to the photosynthetic
apparatus. In contrast, downard migration could allow cells to optimize position in the photic zone,
avoiding photoinhibitory light levels. Engineered biofilms with inhibited migratory capacity were
used to distinguish between possible strategies (photoacclimation or migration) evolved by MPB to
cope with photoinhibitory irradiances, when a series of UV filters with different cut-off wavelengths
was used to estimate the respective contribution of visible light and UV-R. Engineered biofilms with
full migratory capacity maintained a high relative electron transport rate (rETR), in contrast to engi-
neered non-migratory biofilms, which showed a decrease in rETR under high irradiance, with a
greater decrease under UV-B radiation. Migration thus appeared to be the principal short-term
mechanism allowing MPB to avoid or minimize UV-R and high PAR photodamage in situ. Neverthe-
less, physiological acclimation processes to different light levels (‘light-shade’ patterns) seem to occur
in the long term, and probably superimpose on migratory capacity, making light history an important
component of MPB photoacclimation strategies.
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