Formation of singlet oxygen and protection against its oxidative damage in Photosystem II under abiotic stress

Photosystem II (PSII) is exposed to various abiotic stresses associated with adverse environmental conditions such as high light, heat, heavy metals or mechanical injury. Distinctive functional response to adverse environmental conditions is formation of singlet oxygen ((1)O2). In this review, recent progress on mechanistic principles on (1)O2 formation under abiotic stresses is summarized. Under high light, (1)O2 is formed by excitation energy transfer from triplet chlorophylls to molecular oxygen formed by the spin conversion via photosensitization Type II reaction in the PSII antenna complex or by the recombination of (1)[P680(+)Pheo(-)] radical pair in the PSII reaction center. Apart from well-described (1)O2 formation by excitation energy transfer, (1)O2 formation by decomposition of dioxetane and tetroxide is summarized as a potential source of (1)O2 in PSII under heat, heavy metals and mechanical stress. The description of mechanistic principles on (1)O2 formation under abiotic stress allows us to understand how plants respond to adverse environmental conditions in vivo.