PsbS contributes to photoprotection in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii independently of energy dissipation

Photosynthetic organisms are frequently exposed to excess light conditions and hence to photo-oxidative stress. To counteract photo-oxidative damage, land plants and most algae make use of non- photochemical quenching (NPQ) of excess light energy, in particular the rapidly inducible and relaxing qE-mechanism. In vascular plants, the constitutively active PsbS protein is the key regulator of qE. In the green algae C. reinhardtii, however, qE activation is only possible after initial high-light (HL) acclimation for several hours and requires the synthesis of LHCSR proteins which act as qE regulators. The precise function of PsbS, which is transiently expressed during HL acclimation in C. reinhardtii, is still unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of different PsbS amounts on HL acclimation characteristics of C. reinhardtii cells. We demonstrate that lower PsbS amounts negatively affect HL acclimation at different levels, including NPQ capacity, electron transport characteristics, antenna organization and morphological changes, resulting in an overall increased HL sensitivity and lower vitality of cells. Contrarily, higher PsbS amounts do not result in a higher NPQ capacity, but nevertheless provide higher fitness and tolerance towards HL stress. Strikingly, constitutively expressed PsbS protein was found to be degraded during HL acclimation. We propose that PsbS is transiently required during HL acclimation for the reorganization of thylakoid membranes and/or antenna proteins along with the activation of NPQ and adjustment of electron transfer characteristics, and that degradation of PsbS is essential in the fully HL acclimated state. •Reduced amount of PsbS negatively affects high light acclimation.•Increased amount of PsbS provides higher fitness and tolerance towards high light.•Increased amount of PsbS does not increase the maximum NPQ capacity.•Altered PsbS amounts retard the accumulation of LHCSR3.•Constitutively over-expressed PsbS protein is degraded upon high light acclimation.