Protecting cotton photosynthesis during moderate chilling at high light intensity by increasing chloroplastic antioxidant enzyme activity

This study examined the effect of increasing chloroplastic superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), or glutathione reductase (GR) activity via plant transformation of cotton on the initial recovery of photosynthesis following exposures to 10 °C and high photon flux density (PFD). Growing wild‐type or non‐expressing segregate plants (controls) and transformants at two PFDs (600 μmol m−2 s−1 and full sun) resulted in a range of total antioxidant enzyme activities. Total SOD activities above that for control leaves grown in full sun did not substantially improve the recoveries of CO2‐saturated photosynthesis, especially for stress treatments lasting more than 1 h, while elevated APX or GR activity did improve recoveries after 1–3 h of the chilling treatment. No synergistic effects were noted when the activities of more than one antioxidant enzyme were elevated in transgenic hybrids. Although these results suggest that the protection of photosynthesis can be realized by reducing either superoxide or H2O2 levels, thereby reducing the possibility of hydroxyl radical formation, the situation is complicated, since elevated APX or GR activity can improve recoveries even when additional SOD activity has no effect. In conclusion, to enhance the protection of photosynthesis using stroma‐targeted antioxidant enzymes, enhancing metabolism associated with H2O2 is more effective than enhancing the capacity for superoxide scavenging. Although small, the improvement in the protection of photosynthetic capacity may be sufficient to improve cotton yield in temperate regions with large diurnal temperature fluctuations.