Potassium deficiency impairs photosynthetic induction via disrupted electron transport and photochemistry in Phaseolus vulgaris
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Our previous study revealed that potassium (K) deficiency depressed carbon assimilation during photosynthetic induction in Phaseolus vulgaris . Building on this work, the current study presents a re-analysis of previously collected gas exchange and fluorescence measurements to further explore the contribution of electron transport and its components in regulating carbon assimilation under K deficiency, specifically examining electron transport rate ( J ), the fraction of open PSII reaction centers (q L ), and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Our re-analysis revealed that plants supplied with deficient potassium demonstrated pronounced delay in electron transport activation, with c.430 s to achieve steady-state conditions compared to potassium sufficient plants (c. 215 s), which the delay was primarily attributed to slower q L increment and the sustained NPQ elevation. Normal K supplied plants maintained higher q L and J values throughout the induction, while NPQ levels eventually converged between treatments. Increased q L led to higher photosynthesis, highlighting q L as a key limiting factor in early photosynthesis induction. Taken together, under potassium deficiency, the delayed activation of electron transport reduces photosynthetic rates during induction, suggesting that improving q L could enhance photosynthesis under K-deficient conditions.
Source: Frontiers in Plant Science
Authors: Liling Wu, Qi Luo, Ting Zhu, Yunmin Wei
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7128799640