Dissecting and modeling zeaxanthin- and lutein-dependent nonphotochemical quenching in Arabidopsis thaliana

Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. Xanthophylls zeaxanthin and lutein are involved in the nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) pathway which is triggered in response to excess photons. The roles of zeaxanthin and lutein in NPQ are studied using mathematical models and Arabidopsis mutants. The authors hope that future refinement of the model will provide a prediction of the optimal xanthophyll content for quenching. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 10.1073/pnas.1704502114