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DOE OSTI2025

Tropical Forest Soil Microbiome Modulates Leaf Heat Tolerance More Strongly Under Warming Than Ambient Conditions

ABSTRACT It is unclear how plants respond to increasing temperatures. Leaf heat tolerance (LHT) is often at its upper limit in tropical forests, suggesting that climate change might negatively impact these forests. We hypothesized that intraspecific variation in LHT might be associated with changes in the soil microbiome, which might also respond to climate. We hypothesized that warming would increase LHT through changes in the soil microbiome: we combined an in situ tropical warming experiment with a shade house experiment in Puerto Rico. The shade house experiment consisted of growing seedlings of Guarea guidonia , a dominant forest species, under different soil microbiome treatments (reduced arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, reduced plant pathogens, reduced microbes, and unaltered) and soil inoculum from the field experiment. Heat tolerance was determined using chlorophyll fluorescence ( F V /F m ) on individual seedlings in the field and on groups of seedlings (per pot) in the shade house. We sequenced soil fungal DNA to analyze the impacts of the treatments on the soil microbiome. In the field, seedlings from ambient temperature plots showed higher F V /F m values under high temperatures (0.648 at 46°C and 0.067 at 52°C) than seedlings from the warming plots (0.535 at 46°C and 0.031 at 52°C). In the shade house, the soil microbiome treatments significantly influenced the fungal community composition and LHT ( T crit and F V /F m ). Reduction in fungal pathogen abundance and diversity altered F V /F m before T 50 for seedlings grown with soil inoculum from the warming plots but after T 50 for seedlings grown with soil inoculum from the ambient plots. Our findings emphasize that the soil microbiome plays an important role in modulating the impacts of climate change on plants. Understanding and harnessing this relationship might be vital for mitigating the effects of warming on forests, emphasizing the need for further research on microbial responses to climate change.

Hernandes Villani, Gabriela [Department of Plant B↗

DOE OSTI2025

Clarifying the trophic state concept to advance macroscale freshwater science and management

For over a century, ecologists have used the concept of trophic state (TS) to characterize an aquatic ecosystem's biological productivity. However, multiple TS classification schemes, each relying on a variety of measurable parameters as proxies for productivity, have emerged to meet use‐specific needs. Frequently, chlorophyll a, phosphorus, and Secchi depth are used to classify TS based on autotrophic production, whereas phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, and true color are used to classify TS based on both autotrophic and heterotrophic production. Both classification approaches aim to characterize an ecosystem's function broadly, but with varying degrees of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes considered in those characterizations. Moreover, differing classification schemes can create inconsistent interpretations of ecosystem integrity. For example, the US Clean Water Act focuses exclusively on algal threats to water quality, framed in terms of eutrophication in response to nutrient loading. This usage lacks information about non‐algal threats to water quality, such as dystrophication in response to dissolved organic carbon loading. Consequently, the TS classification schemes used to identify eutrophication and dystrophication may refer to ecosystems similarly (e.g., oligotrophic and eutrophic), yet these categories are derived from different proxies. These inconsistencies in TS classification schemes may be compounded when interdisciplinary projects employ varied TS frameworks. Even with these shortcomings, TS can still be used to distill information on complex aquatic ecosystem function into a set of generalizable expectations. The usefulness of distilling complex information into a TS index is substantial such that usage inconsistencies should be explicitly addressed and resolved. To emphasize the consequences of diverging TS classification schemes, we present three case studies for which an improved understanding of the TS concept advances freshwater research, management efforts, and interdisciplinary collaboration. To increase clarity in TS, the aquatic sciences could benefit from including information about the proxy variables, ecosystem type, as well as the spatiotemporal domains used to classify TS. As the field of aquatic sciences expands and climatic irregularity increases, we highlight the importance of re‐evaluating fundamental concepts, such as TS, to ensure their compatibility with evolving science.

classification↗

DOE OSTI2025

Morphophysiological Plant Phenotyping for the Development of Plant Breeding Under Drought and Heat Conditions: A Practical Approach

ABSTRACT Currently, the breeding programs focus their efforts on identifying and developing tolerant genotypes to adverse conditions, such as drought and high temperatures. In this context, the physiological approach, which involves phenotyping several traits, is useful for breeding programs. Leaf photosynthetic traits have become one of the main objectives to be evaluated for breeders due to their relationship with improving grain yield and biomass production. Gas exchange ( Ge ) and chlorophyll “a” fluorescence ( Chf ) are the main tools to characterize the photosynthetic activity in real time at the leaf level. Consequently, several association studies using proximal and nonproximal sensing (e.g., RGB, thermography) have been developed. However, for the correct application of this breeding approach, it is essential to have a basic knowledge of both the physiological principles involved in the readings and the limitations of phenotyping due to the characteristics of the devices available on the market. This revision also covers other traits, such as the morphological and anatomical characteristics of leaves and roots, and the use of isotopes complementing Ge and Chf measurements.

Estrada, Félix [Instituto de Investigaciones Agrop↗

DOE OSTI2022

Genetic variation in nitrogen‐use efficiency and its associated traits in dryland winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars released from the 1940s to the 2010s in Shaanxi Province, China

Abstract BACKGROUND Improving the nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE) of wheat can help mitigate the problems of poor soil fertility under dryland conditions. We conducted field experiments using three nitrogen (N) fertilization levels (0, 120, and 180 kg ha −1 ) applied to eight dryland wheat cultivars to assess NUE and its associated traits. RESULTS The grain yield significantly increased with the improvement in variety, mainly as a result of a substantial increase in 1000‐grain weight and harvest index. Modern wheat varieties have stabilized at an optimal plant height and exhibited improved performance in terms of NUE, partial N productivity, N harvest index, and grain protein content compared to older varieties. The NUE of wheat gradually increased with variety replacement. The net photosynthesis rate of the flag leaves in the filling stage improved with the year of cultivar release; Increasing soil–plant analysis development (SPAD) values of flag leaves in the flowering and filling stages were observed over time, with the flag leaves of modern varieties showing a high chlorophyll content in the filling stage. Additionally, the principal component analysis showed that the SPAD value, grain number per unit area, transpiration rate, leaf area, and grain protein content positively contributed to the clustering of the N180 and modern cultivars (from the 2000s to 2010s). CONCLUSION Overall, high levels of N application did not significantly improve the NUE of wheat. However, modern wheat varieties can optimize N distribution, increase flag leaf photosynthetic capacity, and improve photosynthesis ability, thus enhancing NUE to achieve high yields under a suitable level of N supply. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lian, Huida↗

DOE OSTI2024

Data driven discovery and quantification of hyperspectral leaf reflectance phenotypes across a maize diversity panel

Abstract Estimates of plant traits derived from hyperspectral reflectance data have the potential to efficiently substitute for traits, which are time or labor intensive to manually score. Typical workflows for estimating plant traits from hyperspectral reflectance data employ supervised classification models that can require substantial ground truth datasets for training. We explore the potential of an unsupervised approach, autoencoders, to extract meaningful traits from plant hyperspectral reflectance data using measurements of the reflectance of 2151 individual wavelengths of light from the leaves of maize ( Zea mays ) plants harvested from 1658 field plots in a replicated field trial. A subset of autoencoder‐derived variables exhibited significant repeatability, indicating that a substantial proportion of the total variance in these variables was explained by difference between maize genotypes, while other autoencoder variables appear to capture variation resulting from changes in leaf reflectance between different batches of data collection. Several of the repeatable latent variables were significantly correlated with other traits scored from the same maize field experiment, including one autoencoder‐derived latent variable (LV8) that predicted plant chlorophyll content modestly better than a supervised model trained on the same data. In at least one case, genome‐wide association study hits for variation in autoencoder‐derived variables were proximal to genes with known or plausible links to leaf phenotypes expected to alter hyperspectral reflectance. In aggregate, these results suggest that an unsupervised, autoencoder‐based approach can identify meaningful and genetically controlled variation in high‐dimensional, high‐throughput phenotyping data and link identified variables back to known plant traits of interest.

Tross, Michael C.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Molecular structures reveal the origin of spectral variation in cryptophyte light harvesting antenna proteins

In addition to their membrane-bound chlorophyll a/c light-harvesting antenna, the cryptophyte algae have evolved a unique phycobiliprotein antenna system located in the thylakoid lumen. The basic unit of this antenna consists of two copies of an αβ protomer where the α and β subunits scaffold different combinations of a limited number of linear tetrapyrrole chromophores. While the β subunit is highly conserved, encoded by a single plastid gene, the nuclear-encoded α subunits have evolved diversified multigene families. It is still unclear how this sequence diversity results in the spectral diversity of the mature proteins. By careful examination of three newly determined crystal structures in comparison with three previously obtained, we show how the α subunit amino acid sequences control chromophore conformations and hence spectral properties even when the chromophores are identical. Previously we have shown that α subunits control the quaternary structure of the mature αβ.αβ complex (either open or closed), however, each species appeared to only harbor a single quaternary form. Here we show that species of the Hemiselmis genus contain expressed α subunit genes that encode both distinct quaternary structures. Finally, we have discovered a common single-copy gene (expressed into protein) consisting of tandem copies of a small α subunit that could potentially scaffold pairs of light harvesting units. Together, our results show how the diversity of the multigene α subunit family produces a range of mature cryptophyte antenna proteins with differing spectral properties, and the potential for minor forms that could contribute to acclimation to varying light regimes.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Root and Leaf Traits of Alfalfa Exhibit Distinct Responses to Soil Microbial Communities and Environmental Stresses

Ongoing climate change is negatively impacting crop productivity globally. Past research has highlighted that a diverse soil microbial community and variation in plant traits for resource acquisition can mitigate the negative impacts of climate change factors on crop productivity. This study investigates the effects of two major environmental stressors—drought and salinity stress, on plant productivity, biomass allocation, and root and leaf trait responses under distinct soil microbial diversities. Our results showed that salinity stress had stronger negative impacts on plant productivity than drought stress. Shoot biomass decreased by 30% and 32.5% under drought and salinity stress, respectively, whereas the root biomass decreased by 32% only under salinity stress. Soil microbial diversity did not affect plant productivity. Next, root traits were mainly impacted by drought and salinity stress, whereas leaf traits were impacted by both environmental stresses and soil microbial diversity. Specific root length and specific root area decreased under drought, and root tissue density was minimal under salinity stress. Root traits were not affected by soil microbial communities. In contrast, the leaf nitrogen content increased, whereas pheophytin content (a breakdown product of chlorophyll) decreased when plants were grown in diverse microbial communities under environmental stresses, especially drought. These results highlight the importance of soil microbial diversity in impacting plant traits in response to environmental stresses. We showed that the soil microbial diversity influences both aboveground and belowground plant traits, indicating the need for better management practices to conserve and promote soil microbial diversity.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2020

Dynamic changes in dissolved organic matter composition in a Mountain Lake under ice cover and relationships to changes in nutrient cycling and phytoplankton community composition

We studied Bear Lake, a sub-alpine oligotrophic lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado U.S.A, during the winter ice cover period of 2018. Our goal was to understand relationships between biogeochemical processes and the chemical quality of the dissolved organic matter, a major pool of organic carbon in all lakes. The lake exhibited a highly stratified environment with limited light availability, a consistent oxycline at 7 meters, and dilute hydrochemistry. Nutrient concentrations were low and depletion of nitrogen, particularly for NH4 to a lesser extent NO3, were related to increasing phytoplankton abundance. The deep chlorophyll maxima that developed above the oxycline was dominated by a potentially mixotrophic dinoflagellate. DOM chemical quality as measured through high-resolution mass spectrometry was related to these shifts in aquatic ecosystem structure. However, CDOM spectroscopy of the whole water was a poor indicator of biogeochemical changes in the DOM pool. The spectrometry data highlighted an evolving and contrasting reservoir of phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing organic compounds sensitive to nutrient cycling and redox conditions. We also observed reduced chemodiversity between the surface and bottom water DOM molecular formulas over time. Homogeneity increased in the surface and more unique compounds were produced in the bottom waters, where an overall increase occurred in the favorability of carbon to support microbial respiration. Our results show dynamic chemical changes in the DOM pool reflect dynamic nutrient cycling under ice cover, potentially driven by mixotrophic growth of the dinoflagellate Gymnodinium sp.

Rue, Garrett↗

DOE OSTI2021

D-Band EPR and ENDOR Spectroscopy of 15 N-Labeled Photosystem I

For billions of years, nature has optimized the photosynthetic machinery that converts light energy into chemical energy. Key primary reactions of photosynthesis occur in large membrane protein-cofactor complexes. The light-induced sequential electron transfer reactions occur through a chain of donor/acceptor cofactors embedded in the protein matrix resulting in a long-lived transmembrane charge-separated state. EPR is the method of choice to study electron transfer and the interaction of protein environment with redox-active cofactors. However, the spectra of organic cofactor radicals typically are not fully resolved and severely overlap at conventional X-band EPR. Even at Q-band EPR, this overlap is present and often a serious problem. As a result, there is a large variation of the reported EPR data and limited understanding of electronic structures of several redox-active cofactors. These serious problems can often be overcome by the excellent spectral resolution provided by high-frequency EPR (HF EPR). In this work, we study the electronic structure of the primary electron donor P 700 and the secondary electron acceptor A 1 of Photosystem I (PSI) using 130 GHz (D-band) EPR and Electron-Nuclear-Double-Resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy. PSI was isotopically labeled with 15 N (I = $\frac{1/2}$) to avoid quadrupolar interactions in the most abundant nitrogen isotope 14 N (I = 1) and simplify the ENDOR spectra. ENDOR spectroscopy is central for determining the hyperfine coupling of nitrogen atoms of the two chlorophyll molecules comprising oxidized P 700 and the involvement of protein nitrogen atoms with reduced A 1 . While HF ENDOR of A 1 - allows identification of two nitrogen atoms, HF ENDOR of P 700 + still does not permit unique assignment of the recorded hyperfine couplings.

15N↗

DOE OSTI2022

Psb27, a photosystem II assembly protein, enables quenching of excess light energy during its participation in the PSII lifecycle

Photosystem II (PSII), the enzyme responsible for oxidizing water into molecular oxygen, undergoes a complex lifecycle during which multiple assembly proteins transiently bind to and depart from PSII assembly intermediate complexes. Psb27 is one such protein. It associates with the CP43 chlorophyll-binding subunit of PSII to form a Psb27-PSII sub-complex that constitutes 7–10% of the total PSII pool. Psb27 remains bound to PSII assembly intermediates and dissociates prior to the formation of fully functional PSII. In this study, we compared a series of Psb27 mutant strains in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with varied expression levels of Psb27: wild type (WT); psb27 genetic deletion (Del27), genetically complemented psb27 (Com27); and over-expressed Psb27 (OE27). The Del27 strain demonstrated decreased non-photochemical fluorescence quenching, while the OE27 strain showed increased non-photochemical quenching and tolerance to fluctuating light conditions. Multiple flashes and fluorescence decay analysis indicated that OE27 has the least affected maximum PSII quantum yield of the mutants. OE27 also displayed a minimal impact on the half-life of the fast component of QA – reoxidation over multiple flashes, indicating robust PSII function. Further, we propose that the close association between Psb27 and CP43, and the absence of a fully functional manganese cluster in the Psb27-PSII complex create a PSII sub-population that dissipates excitation energy prior to its recruitment into the functional PSII pool. Efficient energy dissipation prevents damage to this pre-PSII pool and allows for efficient PSII repair and maturation. Participation of Psb27 in the PSII life cycle ensures high-quality PSII assembly.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Chlamydomonas cells transition through distinct Fe nutrition stages within 48 h of transfer to Fe-free medium

Low iron (Fe) bioavailability can limit the biosynthesis of Fe-containing proteins, which are especially abundant in photosynthetic organisms, thus negatively affecting global primary productivity. Understanding cellular coping mechanisms under Fe limitation is therefore of great interest. For this paper, we surveyed the temporal responses of Chlamydomonas ( Chlamydomonas reinhardtii ) cells transitioning from an Fe-rich to an Fe-free medium to document their short and long-term adjustments. While slower growth, chlorosis and lower photosynthetic parameters are evident only after one or more days in Fe-free medium, the abundance of some transcripts, such as those for genes encoding transporters and enzymes involved in Fe assimilation, change within minutes, before changes in intracellular Fe content are noticeable, suggestive of a sensitive mechanism for sensing Fe. Promoter reporter constructs indicate a transcriptional component to this immediate primary response. With acetate provided as a source of reduced carbon, transcripts encoding respiratory components are maintained relative to transcripts encoding components of photosynthesis and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, indicating metabolic prioritization of respiration over photosynthesis. In contrast to the loss of chlorophyll, carotenoid content is maintained under Fe limitation despite a decrease in the transcripts for carotenoid biosynthesis genes, indicating carotenoid stability. These changes occur more slowly, only after the intracellular Fe quota responds, indicating a phased response in Chlamydomonas, involving both primary and secondary responses during acclimation to poor Fe nutrition.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2024

Tribute to Kenneth Sauer (1931–2022): a mentor, a role-model, and an inspiration to all in the field of photosynthesis

Abstract Kenneth (Ken) Sauer was a mainstay of research in photosynthesis at the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) for more than 50 years. Ken will be remembered by his colleagues, and other workers in the field of photosynthesis as well, for his pioneering work that introduced the physical techniques whose application have enriched our understanding of the basic reactions of oxygenic photosynthesis. His laboratory was a training ground for many students and postdocs who went on to success in the field of photosynthesis and many others. Trained as a physical chemist, he always brought that quantitative approach to research questions and used several spectroscopic methods in his research. His broad scientific interests concerned the role of manganese in oxygen evolution, electronic properties of chlorophylls, energy transport in antenna complexes, and electron transport reactions. He was also an enthusiastic teacher, an enormously successful mentor who leaves behind a legion of scientists as his abiding legacy, a lover of music and the outdoors with many interests beyond science, and a dedicated family man with a great sense of humility. In this tribute, we summarize some aspects of Ken Sauer’s life and career, illustrated with selected research achievements, and describe his approach to research and life as we perceived it, which is complemented by reminiscences of several current researchers in photosynthesis and other fields. The supporting material includes Ken Sauers’s CV and publication list, as well as a list of the graduate students and postdocs he trained and of researchers that spent a sabbatical in his lab.

Plant Sciences↗

DOE OSTI2020

Genetic architecture of leaf morphological and physiological traits in a Populus deltoides ‘Danhong’ × P. simonii ‘Tongliao1’ pedigree revealed by quantitative trait locus analysis

Understanding the genetic architecture of leaf morphological and physiological traits will help plant breeders develop high biomass poplar genotypes. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies combining next-generation sequencing techniques can advance our understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits. In this study, we measured 13 leaf morphological and physiological traits and identified quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in a Populus deltoides ‘Danhong’ × P. simonii ‘Tongliao1’ F1 population (500 progenies) using a high-density genetic map constructed by whole genome re-sequencing. This linkage map consisted of 5796 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers assigned to 19 linkage groups (LGs), spanning 2683.80 centimorgans (cM) of genetic length, with an average marker density of 0.46 cM. We identified 109 QTLs on 18 LGs for leaf morphological traits and 55 QTLs on 14 LGs for leaf physiological traits. One-hundred eight putative candidate genes were identified within the candidate genomic region. Co-expression network and gene ontology enrichment analyses suggested that these candidate genes were involved in the photosynthetic process. The differential expression patterns of the CYCLIN (Potri.015G112200) and RED CHLOROPHYLL REDUCTASE (Potri.007G043600) genes between two parents indicated their potential roles in leaf morphological and physiological traits. These findings decipher the genetic architecture of leaf morphological and physiological traits in the P. deltoides ‘Danhong’ × P. simonii ‘Tongliao1’ pedigree and provide candidate genes for future poplar genetic improvement.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Effect of glutathione-coated Mn-doped ZnS quantum dots on nutrient delivery in basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) plants

Ensuring efficient nutrient delivery while minimizing environmental impacts remains a significant challenge for modern agriculture. Nanotechnology-based fertilizers offer promising strategies to improve nutrient uptake and bioavailability in plants. This research aims to evaluate the use of Glutathione-coated Manganese-doped Zinc Sulfide quantum dots (GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs) as a potential nano fertilizer for basil (Ocimum basilicum). QDs' physicochemical properties were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, photoluminescence, FTIR, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, confirming successful Mn doping and glutathione surface functionalization. Basil plants were exposed to different concentrations of GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs under soil and hydroponic conditions. Plant growth parameters, oxidative stress responses, photosynthetic pigments, and macro- and micronutrient uptake were assessed using biochemical assays and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Elemental uptake, spatial distribution, and zinc speciation were further investigated using synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) imaging and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Results show that exposure to GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs resulted in a concentration-dependent increase in leaf and stem biomass, accompanied by enhanced Zn accumulation in plant tissues. Catalase activity decreased across all tested concentrations, suggesting a shift toward glutathione-dependent antioxidant pathways rather than oxidative damage. Chlorophyll levels exhibited moderate reductions at higher concentrations. The higher increase in macronutrient (K, Ca, and Mg) uptake was reported in plants exposed to 200 ppm of QDs. μ-XRF imaging indicated a selective accumulation of Zn in roots and stems, with partial translocation to leaves. XANES analyses revealed that Zn from QDs was mainly converted into organic Zn species, such as Zn-phytate, Zn-acetate, and Zn-cysteine, indicating transformation and complexation within the plant. The findings demonstrate that a glutathione coating on GSH-ZnS-Mn QDs improves biocompatibility and nutrient delivery efficiency. These results highlight the relevance of surface functionalization in regulating nanoparticle fate, transformation, and nutrient bioavailability, supporting the potential application of GSH–ZnS–Mn QDs as modern nano fertilizers.

Basil↗

DOE OSTI2023

SIF-based GPP modeling for evergreen forests considering the seasonal variation in maximum photochemical efficiency

Solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) has shown great potential in estimating gross primary production (GPP). However, their quantitative relationship is not invariant, which undermines the reliability of empirical SIF-based GPP estimation at fine spatiotemporal scales, especially under extreme conditions. In this study, we developed a parsimonious mechanistic model for SIF-based GPP estimation in evergreen needle forests (ENF) by employing the Mechanistic Light Response framework and Eco-Evolutionary theory to describe the light and dark reactions during photosynthesis, respectively. Specifically, we found that considering the seasonal variation in a key parameter of the MLR framework, the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Φ PSIImax ), can avoid the GPP overestimation in winter and early spring due to the relatively low environmental sensitivity of SIF. Compared to the estimates from other benchmark models, our GPP estimates were closer to the 1: 1 line and had higher accuracy (average R 2 = 0.86, RMSE=1.99 μmol m -2 s -1 ) across sites. Furthermore, the changes in the relationship between SIF and J (refers to the electron transport rate) contribute a lot to the dynamic SIF–GPP relationship in this study, while the J–GPP relationship is less variant when the temperature drops. Further, the seasonal variation in the SIF–J relationship, especially the reduction in its slope at low temperatures, is found largely explained by the Φ PSIImax . These results indicate the importance of the uncertainty caused by the variation in the SIF–J relationship for SIF-based GPP estimation, and the consideration of changes in Φ PSIImax under extreme conditions (such as severe winter in this study) is crucial for the improvement of GPP estimation via SIF.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2026

Impact of vertical and seasonal variation in leaf traits on simulating soybean canopy photosynthesis via 1D and 3D modeling

Accurate modeling of photosynthesis is crucial for predicting crop productivity and quantifying the carbon cycle in agroecosystems. Leaf traits are essential inputs for modeling canopy photosynthesis. Yet, many existing models still use fixed plant functional type (PTF)-based values to parameterize leaf traits under a big-leaf or two-big-leaf assumption, neglecting their vertical profiles and seasonal changes. This simplification may introduce significant uncertainties in estimating gross primary productivity (GPP). In this study, we simulated soybean GPP and tested the effects of vertical and seasonal variation in three key leaf photosynthetic traits: the maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C (Vcmax 25 ), leaf chlorophyll content (LCC), and leaf mass per area (LMA) in the 1D-SCOPE and 3D-Helios models. Weekly field measurements were conducted during the growing season of 2024 to support the simulation. We designed ten leaf trait parameterization schemes by incorporating different combinations of vertical profiles and seasonal changes, while assuming homogeneous canopy architecture in both models. Our results revealed that Vcmax 25 vertical and seasonal variation had the strongest influence on simulated GPP in both 1D and 3D models, while LCC and LMA effects were minimal. Particularly, the scheme with an empirically parameterized Vcmax 25 profile achieved comparable performance to the scheme with the measured Vcmax 25 profile. Both 1D-SCOPE and 3D-Helios accurately modeled GPP (SCOPE: R 2 = 0.87, Bias = 0.55 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹; Helios: R 2 = 0.9, Bias = 0.22 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹) under the most complex scheme, and their responses to vertical and seasonal variation in leaf traits were consistent, demonstrating the robustness of our findings. Based on our findings, we propose a scalable framework for parameterizing leaf traits to improve GPP simulations. This study contributes to improving the representation of leaf trait dynamics in canopy-level photosynthesis models, potentially enhancing our ability to predict crop productivity and understand agroecosystem carbon dynamics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Impact of salinity on morphology, growth, and pigment profiles of Scenedesmus obliquus HTB1 under ambient air and elevated CO 2 (10 %) conditions

Certain microalgal species, such as Scenedesmus obliquus strain HTB1, thrive under high CO 2 concentrations, making them promising for carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Isolated from the Baltimore Inner Harbor, HTB1 grows faster with 10 % CO 2 than with ambient air. To investigate its responses to salinity and elevated CO 2 , two experiments were conducted. In the first, HTB1 was cultured at seven different salinities (0, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, and 30 ppt) (parts per thousand) under ambient air. Higher salinity caused cell shrinkage, color changes from green to pale white, reduced pigments like zeaxanthin, lutein, and chlorophyll b, but increased canthaxanthin. Growth declined significantly above 22.5 ppt. The second experiment compared HTB1's response to salinity (0, 10, 20 ppt) under air and 10 % CO 2 . Cultures under 10 % CO 2 showed minimal color changes, while those under air shifted from green to brown, with salinity having less inhibitory effects on growth under elevated CO 2 . Interestingly, lutein and canthaxanthin levels rose with salinity in 10 % CO 2 . These findings indicate that elevated CO 2 mitigates salt stress in HTB1, reducing its impact on growth and promoting adaptive pigment changes. This study sheds light on how salinity and CO 2 interact to influence HTB1's morphology, growth, and pigment composition, enhancing our understanding of its resilience and potential applications.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Mass spectrometry and spectroscopic characterization of a tetrameric photosystem I supercomplex from Leptolyngbya ohadii , a desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium

Cyanobacteria inhabiting desert biological soil crusts face the harsh conditions of the desert. They evolved a suite of strategies toward desiccation-hydration cycles mixed with high light irradiations, etc. In this study we purified and characterized the structure and function of Photosystem I (PSI) from Leptolyngbya ohadii, a desiccation-tolerant desert cyanobacterium. We discovered that PSI forms tetrameric (PSI-Tet) aggregate. We investigated it by using sucrose density gradient centrifugation, clear native PAGE, high performance liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry (MS), time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) and time-resolved transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy. MS analysis identified the presence of two PsaB and two PsaL proteins in PSI-Tet and uniquely revealed that PsaLs are N-terminally acetylated in contrast to non-modified PsaL in the trimeric PSI from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence decay profiles of the PSI-Tet performed at 77 K revealed two emission bands at ∼690 nm and 725 nm with the former appearing only at early delay time. The main fluorescence emission peak, associated with emission from the low energy Chls a, decays within a few nanoseconds. TA studies demonstrated that the 725 nm emission band is associated with low energy Chls a with absorption band clearly resolved at ∼710 nm at 77 K. As a result, our work suggests that the heterogenous composition of PsaBs and PsaL in PSI-Tet is related with the adaptation mechanisms needed to cope with stressful conditions under which this bacterium naturally grows.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗