Interplay between high-energy quenching and state transitions in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii : a single-cell approach

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Abstract

Studying cell-to-cell heterogeneity is essential to understand how unicellular organisms respond to stresses. Here, we combine single-cell measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence with machine learning to study light stress responses in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii . This framework allows us to score the extent of three high-light responses at the single cell level – state transitions, high-energy quenching, and photoinhibition – and reveals significant cell-to-cell response heterogeneity. The unexpectedly strong correlation between state transitions and high-energy quenching also indicates a cellular control over the relative extent of these processes that cannot be detected by bulk measurements. Accordingly, new models were derived for the coordinated functional response to light stress in Chlamydomonas . The improved phenotypic characterization allowed by this approach will facilitate the identification of genetic determinants of intercellular heterogeneity through single cell–omics and isolation of cells displaying traits of interest for biotechnology.

Teaser

Scoring of NPQ components in single cells algae unveils the general orchestration of high light photosynthetic responses.

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