Changes in carbohydrates triggered by low temperature waterlogging modify photosynthetic acclimation to cold in Festuca pratensis

• Carbohydrate changes due to cold waterlogging corresponds to Rubisco activity.
• Carbohydrate crisis limits dissipation of excess energy.
• Low carbohydrates due to waterlogging avoid sugar repression of RcaA gene.

Increased precipitation expected during autumn and winter at higher latitudes in the northern hemisphere may lead to low temperature short-term waterlogging. The temperature of waterlogging was shown to be an important factor controlling plant reaction to this stress. Photosynthetic apparatus response to water excess in the soil at low temperature was examined in Festuca pratensis genotypes with contrasting freezing tolerance. The study was aimed to test the hypothesis whether changes in leaf water-soluble carbohydrate concentration brought about alterations in Rubisco activity may affect the photoacclimation to cold under water excess in the soil. The study investigated the effects of waterlogging during cold acclimation process on a set of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, water-soluble carbohydrates, expression of Rubisco activase gene, and Rubisco activity. It was shown that carbohydrate status affected by Rubisco activity might be crucial for the activation of non-photochemical mechanism of photoacclimation to cold under waterlogging. Altered Rubisco activity was only partially attributed to the expression of Rubisco activase gene. Additionally, low carbohydrate concentration in the leaves of waterlogged plants was the condition preventing sugar repression of photosynthesis, including RcaA expression. This indicates that sugar de-repression of photosynthetic genes may be considered a component of photosynthetic acclimation to cold under waterlogging.