Response of photosynthetic systems to salinity stress in the desert cyanobacterium Scytonema javanicum

The present study investigated the physiological and biochemical characteristics of Scytonema javanicum, a pioneer species isolated from desert biological crusts, under salinity stress. Pigment analysis showed that salinity decreased chlorophyll a and phycocyanin content, while low salinity increased carotenoid concentration and high salinity decreased carotenoid concentration. Salinity also inhibited CO₂ assimilation rate and photosynthetic oxygen evolution in this cyanobacterium. Chlorophyll a fluorescence transient parameters (φPo, φEo, ψO, RC/ABS, RC/CS, PI_ABS, and PI_CS) were decreased under salt stress, while dVo/dto(Mo), Vj and φDo were increased. The decrease of ETRmax and Yield and the change of chlorophyll a fluorescence transients showed that salt stress had an important influence on photosynthesis. These results indicated that the effects of salinity stress on photosynthesis in S. javanicum may depend on the inhibition of electron transport and the inactivation of the reaction centers, but this inhibition may occur in the electron transport pathway at the PSII donor and acceptor sites.