Salinity and photosynthesis in the halophytic plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

05 08 2025

Wioleta Wasilewska-Dębowska from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Warsaw has coauthored a study in the Journal of Plant Physiology on the effects of salinity on the photosynthetic apparatus of the halophytic plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, known for its remarkable adaptive capabilities. This species can alter its photosynthesis type depending on environmental conditions. Under saline stress, it switches to Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, a strategy typical of water-saving plants such as succulents. This makes it an excellent model for studying photosynthetic adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

Climate change is expected to increase soil salinity in regions that have not previously faced this problem, potentially leading to a decline in global food production. Understanding the mechanisms that enable plants to survive and develop under such conditions is therefore of crucial importance.

The study showed that acclimation of M. crystallinum to salinity is associated with increased phosphorylation of Lhcb1, Lhcb2, and D1 proteins, which are components of Photosystem II (PSII), as well as with reduced efficiency in the switching of LHCII antenna complexes between photosystems in thylakoid membranes. The findings suggest that changes in PSII/LHCII phosphorylation and in the organization of thylakoid protein complexes play a key role in the species’ adaptation to saline environments.

In the photo: common ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum).

Original article link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S017616172500149X