When Cold and Light Meet... How Do Plants Protect Their Leaves?

Japanese researchers have uncovered a mechanism that helps plants protect photosynthesis when low temperatures coincide with light, conditions that can lead to the accumulation of electrons and the formation of reactive oxygen species that damage plant cells.

According to a study by researchers from Kyoto University and Kobe University, the NDH complex, located within chloroplasts, acts like a “safety valve,” helping to dissipate excess electrons and protect Photosystem I from damage during cold stress.

Experiments showed that rice plants lacking this complex suffered greater damage to Photosystem I under cold conditions, whereas introducing the FLV protein, which provides an alternative electron pathway, significantly reduced this damage. In cucumber, the team found that exposure to cold and light destabilized the complex and weakened its activity, increasing the plant’s susceptibility to damage.

These findings may help clarify plants’ cold tolerance and provide a foundation for future research aimed at developing crops more resistant to cold stress, although the study does not imply the immediate development of a new agricultural variety.