Growth and Photosynthetic Efficiency of Microalgae and Plants with Different Levels of Complexity Exposed to a Simulated M-Dwarf Starlight

Author:

Battistuzzi Mariano123ORCID,Cocola Lorenzo1ORCID,Liistro Elisabetta2,Claudi Riccardo45ORCID,Poletto Luca1,La Rocca Nicoletta23ORCID

Affiliation:

1. National Council of Research of Italy, Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN), 35131 Padua, Italy

2. Department of Biology, University of Padua, 35121 Padua, Italy

3. Center for Space Studies and Activities (CISAS), University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy

4. National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), Astronomical Observatory of Padua, 35122 Padua, Italy

5. Department of Mathematics and Physics, University Roma Tre, 00146 Rome, Italy

Abstract

Oxygenic photosynthetic organisms (OPOs) are primary producers on Earth and generate surface and atmospheric biosignatures, making them ideal targets to search for life from remote on Earth-like exoplanets orbiting stars different from the Sun, such as M-dwarfs. These stars emit very low light in the visible and most light in the far-red, an issue for OPOs, which mostly utilize visible light to photosynthesize and grow. After successfully testing procaryotic OPOs (cyanobacteria) under a simulated M-dwarf star spectrum (M7, 365–850 nm) generated through a custom-made lamp, we tested several eukaryotic OPOs: microalgae (Dixoniella giordanoi, Microchloropsis gaditana, Chromera velia, Chlorella vulgaris), a non-vascular plant (Physcomitrium patens), and a vascular plant (Arabidopsis thaliana). We assessed their growth and photosynthetic efficiency under three light conditions: M7, solar (SOL) simulated spectra, and far-red light (FR). Microalgae grew similarly in SOL and M7, while the moss P. patens showed slower growth in M7 with respect to SOL. A. thaliana grew similarly in SOL and M7, showing traits typical of shade-avoidance syndrome. Overall, the synergistic effect of visible and far-red light, also known as the Emerson enhancing effect, could explain the growth in M7 for all organisms. These results lead to reconsidering the possibility and capability of the growth of OPOs and are promising for finding biosignatures on exoplanets orbiting the habitable zone of distant stars.

Funder

Italian Space Agency

Department of Biology of the University of Padova

Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies of CNR

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Paleontology,Space and Planetary Science,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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