Interacting short-term regulatory mechanisms enable the conversion of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a complex sequence of physical, electrochemical, biochemical, and physiological processes that convert light energy and carbon dioxide into sugars. These sugars then provide the energy and carbon backbone for all metabolic pathways involved in plant growth and development. However, if light energy is not managed effectively within the thylakoid membrane, it can destroy the photosynthetic apparatus in an oxygenic environment generated by photosynthesis itself. Effective photoprotection requires a variety of partially overlapping regulatory mechanisms that control energy and electron and proton transport, and induce changes in the molecular, structural, and functional features of the photosynthetic apparatus and the thylakoid architecture. This review focuses on vital regulatory mechanisms and how they cooperate to maintain effective photosynthesis and to protect the thylakoid-embedded photosystems (photosystems I and II) against fatal light-induced damage under fluctuating light conditions. The current understanding of plant light regulation is primarily based on studies conducted under stable laboratory conditions, which limits the physiological relevance of the findings. The need for light regulation is further amplified by its complex interactions with other environmental variables. To bridge the gap between laboratory insights and real-world applicability, new technologies are needed for multi-environmental plant growth and experimentation that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning.