The ability of P700 oxidation in photosystem I reflects chilling stress tolerance in cucumber

Low temperature inhibits photosynthesis and negatively affects plant growth. Cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) is a chilling-sensitive plant, and its greenhouse production requires considerable energy during the winter. Therefore, a useful stress marker for selecting chilling-tolerant cucumber cultivars is desirable. In this study, we evaluated chilling-stress damage in different cucumber cultivars by measuring photosynthetic parameters. The majority of cultivars showed decreases in the quantum yield of photosystem (PS) II [Fv/Fm and Y(II)] and the quantity of active PS I (Pm) after chilling stress. In contrast, Y(ND)—the ratio of the oxidized state of PSI reaction center chlorophyll P700 (P700 + )—differed among cultivars and was perfectly inversely correlated with Y(NA)—the ratio of the non-photooxidizable P700. It has been known that P700 + accumulates under stress conditions and protects plants to suppress the generation of reactive oxygen species. In fact, cultivars unable to induce Y(ND) after chilling stress showed growth retardation with reductions in chlorophyll content and leaf area. Therefore, Y(ND) can be a useful marker to evaluate chilling-stress tolerance in cucumber.