Abstract
Mercury-induced changes in Chl a fluorescence induction kinetics of scratched barley leaf segments were dependent on the presence of light. By the treatment of 50$\mu$M HgCl2 under light condition, Fm and Fp were decreased. However, they were not significantly reduced under dark condition even after 2 h of mercury treatment. Under dark condition the decrease in variable fluorescence (Fv) after P transient was blocked within 20 min of the treatment. The analysis of fast fluorescence rise curve suggests that the inhibitory site of mercury under both light and dark conditions is not at QB binding site and the inhibition does not involve the increase in inactive PSII centers. Under light condition the decrease in Fp was partially recovered by addition of 50 $\mu$M NH2OH. These results suggest that a major inhibitory site of mercury under dark condition is at the reducing side of PSII and the site under light condition is at the oxidizing side of PSII possibly in addition to the one under dark condition. Under both light and dark conditions, energy-dependent quenching(qE) was alomost completely repressed within 20 min of mercury treatment and noticible change in Fo was not observed. The qE repression is probably due to the blockage of transthylakoid ΔpH formation.