Does silicon really matter for the photosynthetic machinery in plants…?

Silicon (Si) is known to alleviate the adverse impact of different abiotic and biotic stresses by different mechanisms including morphological, physiological, and genetic changes. Photosynthesis, one of the most important physiological processes in the plant is sensitive to different stress factors. Several studies have shown that Si ameliorates the stress effects on photosynthesis by protecting photosynthetic machinery and its function. In stressed plants, several photosynthesis-related processes including PSII maximum photochemical quantum yield (Fv/Fm), the yield of photosystem II (φPSII), electron transport rates (ETR), and photochemical quenching (qP) were observed to be regulated when supplemented with Si, which indicates that Si effectively protects the photosynthetic machinery. In addition, studies also suggested that Si is capable enough to maintain the uneven swelling, disintegrated, and missing thylakoid membranes caused during stress. Furthermore, several photosynthesis-related genes were also regulated by Si supplementation. Taking into account the key impact of Si on the evolutionarily conserved process of photosynthesis in plants, this review article is focused on the aspects of silicon and photosynthesis interrelationships during stress and signaling pathways. The assemblages of this discussion shall fulfill the lack of constructive literature related to the influence of Si on one of the most dynamic and important processes of plant life i.e. photosynthesis.

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