Induction of cyclic electron flow around photosystem 1 and state transition are correlated with salt tolerance in soybean

We investigated the role of cyclic electron flow around photosystem 1 (CEF1) and state transition (ST) in two soybean cultivars that differed in salt tolerance. The CEF1 and maximum photochemical efficiency (F-v/F-m) were determined under control and NaCl (50 mM) stress and the NaCl-induced light-harvesting complex 2 (LHC2) phosphorylation in vitro was analysed in light and dark. NaCl induced the increase of CEF1 more greatly in wild soybean Glycine cyrtoloba (cv. ACC547) than in cultivated soybean Glycine max (cv. Melrose). The F-v/F-m was reduced less in G. cyrtoloba than in G. max after 10-d NaCl stress. In G. cyrtoloba, the increase of CEF1 was associated with enhancement of LHC2 phosphorylation in thylakoid membrane under both dark and light. However, in G. max the NaCl treatment decreased the LHC2 phosphorylation. Treatment with photosynthetic electron flow inhibitors (DCMU, DBMIB) inhibited LHC2 phosphorylation more in G. max than in G. cyrtoloba. Thus the NaCl-induced up-regulation in CEF1 and ST might contribute to salt resistance of G. cyrtoloba.