The energy cost of repairing photoinactivated photosystem II: an experimental determination in cotton leaf discs

Photosystem II (PSII), which splits water molecules at minimal excess photochemical potential, is inevitably photoinactivated during photosynthesis, resulting in compromised photosynthetic efficiency unless it is repaired. The energy cost of PSII repair is currently uncertain, despite attempts to calculate it. We experimentally determined the energy cost of repairing each photoinactivated PSII in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) leaves, which are capable of repairing PSII in darkness. As an upper limit, 24 000 adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules (including any guanosine triphosphate synthesized at the expense of ATP) were required to repair one entire PSII complex. Further, over a 7‐h illumination period at 526–1953 μmol photons m(−2) s(−1), the ATP requirement for PSII repair was on average up to 4.6% of the ATP required for the gross carbon assimilation. Each of these two measures of ATP requirement for PSII repair is two‐ to three‐fold greater than the respective reported calculated value. Possible additional energy sinks in the PSII repair cycle are discussed.