Light harvesting is finetuned through two main strategies controlling energy transfer to the reaction centers of photosystems: i) regulating the amount of light energy at the absorption level, ii) regulating the amount of the absorbed energy at the utilization level. The first strategy is ensured by changes in the cross-section, i.e., the size of the photosynthetic antenna. These changes can occur in a short-term (state transitions) or long-term way (changes in antenna protein biosynthesis) depending on the light conditions. The interrelation of these two ways is still underexplored. Regulating light absorption through the long-term modulation of photosystem II antenna size has been mostly considered as an acclimatory mechanism to light conditions. The present review highlights that this mechanism represents one of the most versatile mechanisms of higher plant acclimation to various conditions including drought, salinity, temperature changes, and even biotic factors. We suggest that H2O2 is the universal signaling agent providing the switch from the short-term to long-term modulation of photosystem II antenna size under these factors. The second strategy of light harvesting is represented by redirecting energy to waste mainly via thermal energy dissipation in the photosystem II antenna in high light through PsbS protein and xanthophyll cycle. In the latter case, H2O2 also plays a considerable role. This circumstance may explain the maintenance of the appropriate level of zeaxanthin not only upon high light but also upon other stress factors. Thus, the review emphasizes the significance of both strategies for ensuring plant sustainability under various environmental conditions.
Keywords: Acclimation; Higher plants; Hydrogen peroxide; Light harvesting; PsbS; STN7 kinase; Stress.
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