Fig. 2: Consensus GRN for light and acetate responses pinpoints LCR1 as regulator of qE-related genes.

a Dot plot of the relative regulatory strength of the top 10 regulators of qE-related genes in the consensus GRN (see Methods). TFs are marked in green if qE transcript levels were affected in the respective knock-out strain and this effect was reversed by complementation with the missing gene. TFs for which no effect was observed are marked in red. TFs for which no mutant lines were available are plotted in gray. b WT, lcr1, and lcr1-C cells were acclimated for 16 h in LL (15 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹). After sampling for the LL conditions, light intensity was increased to 300 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ (HL); samples were taken 1 h (RNA) or 4 h (protein and photosynthetic measurements) after exposure to HL. Shown are relative expression levels of qE-related genes at the indicated conditions normalized to WT LL (n = 3 biological samples, mean ± sd). c Immunoblot analyses of LHCSR1, LHCSR3, PSBS, and ATPB (loading control) of one of the three biological replicates, under the indicated conditions. d Quantification of immunoblot data of all replicates in c after normalization to ATPB. Shown are the HL-treated samples; WT protein levels were set as 1. e NPQ and calculated qE (as an inset) 4 h after exposure to HL (n = 3 biological samples, mean ± s.d). b, d, e. The two-sided p values for the comparisons are based on ANOVA Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test and as indicated in the graphs (*P < 0.005, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001). Statistical analyses for b and d were applied on log10- transformed values. The exact p-values are shown in the Source Data file.