Photosynthesis in the Biomass Model Species Lemna minor Displays Plant-Conserved and Species-Specific Features

are small freshwater plants with extraordinary high growth rates. We aimed to test whether this correlates with a more efficient photosynthesis, the primary energy source for growth. To this end, we compared photosynthesis properties of the duckweed and the terrestrial model plant . Chlorophyll fluorescence analyses revealed high similarity in principle photosynthesis characteristics; however, exhibited a more effective light energy transfer into photochemistry and more stable photosynthesis parameters especially under high light intensities. Western immunoblot analyses of representative photosynthesis proteins suggested potential post-translational modifications in proteins that are possibly connected to this. Phospho-threonine phosphorylation patterns of thylakoid membrane proteins displayed a few differences between the two species. However, phosphorylation-dependent processes in such as photosystem II antenna association and the recovery from high-light-induced photoinhibition were not different from responses known from terrestrial plants. We thus hypothesize that molecular differences in photosynthesis proteins are associated with yet unidentified mechanisms that improve photosynthesis and growth efficiencies. We also developed a high-magnification video imaging approach for multiplication which is useful to assess the impact of external factors on photosynthesis and growth.