Oxidative stress responses in two lichen phycobionts

Oxidative stress responses in two lichen phycobionts

The epiphytic lichen Ramalina farinacea contains two genetically distinct Trebouxia phycobionts. Del Hoyo et al.  analyse the effects of oxidative stress on the photosynthetic behaviour in each isolated alga and observe a better physiological response to stress in one of them, which may reflect its greater capacity to increase non-photochemical quenching and antioxidant protection, and to induce repair mechanisms. The relative abundance of each phycobiont may vary among different populations of R farinacea depending upon environmental conditions.