Winter wheat is a grass species widely planted in northern and central China, where the increase of aerosols, air pollutants and population density are causing significant reduction in solar irradiance. In order to investigate the adaptation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Yangmai 13) to low irradiance conditions occurring in the downstream plain of the Yangtze River (China), plants were subjected to four solar irradiance treatments (100%, 60%, 40%, and 20% of environmental incident solar irradiance). Significant increases in chlorophyll (Chl) and xanthophyll (Xan) pigments, and decreases in Chl a/b and Xan/Chl ratios were observed in plants under low light. Light-response curves showed higher net photosynthetic rates (PN) in fully irradiated plants, that also showed a higher light-compensation point. Shaded plants maintained high values of minimal fluorescence of dark-adapted state (F0) and maximum quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) that assess a lower degree of photoinhibition under low light. Reduced irradiance caused decreases in effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), electron transport rate (ETR), and nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (qN), and the promotion of excitation pressure of PSII (1 - qP). The activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were high under reduced light whereas no light-dependent changes in catalase activity were observed. Thiobarbituric acid reactive species content and electrolyte leakage decreased under shaded plants that showed a lower photooxidative damage. The results suggest that winter wheat cv. Yangmai 13 is able to maintain a high photosynthetic efficiency under reduced solar irradiance and acclimates well to shading tolerance. The photosynthetic and antioxidant responses of winter wheat to low light levels could be important for winter wheat cultivation and productivity. and Y. Zheng ... [et al.].
Soil water and salinity conditions of the riparian zones along the Tarim River, northwest China, have been undergoing alterations due to water use by human or climate change, which is expected to influence the riparian forest dominated by an old poplar, Populus euphratica. To evaluate the effects of such habitat alterations, we examined photosynthetic and growth performances of P. euphratica seedlings across experimental soil water and salinity gradients. Results indicated that seedlings were limited in their physiological performance, as evidenced by decreases in their height and biomass, and the maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (Fv/Fm), the effective quantum-use efficiency of PSII (Fv′/Fm′), and photochemical quenching (qP) under mild (18% soil water content, SWC; 18.3 g kg-1 soil salt content, SSC) and moderate (13% SWC, 22.5 g kg-1 SSC) water or salinity stress. However, seedlings had higher root/shoot ratio (R/S), increased nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), and water-use efficiency (WUE) relative to control under such conditions. Under severe (8% SWC, 27.9 g kg-1 SSC) water or salinity stress, P. euphratica seedlings had only a fifth of biomass of those under control conditions. It was also associated with damaged PSII and decreases in WUE, the maximal net photosynthetic rate (P Nmax), light-saturation point (LSP), and apparent quantum yield (α). Our results suggested that the soil conditions, where P. euphratica seedlings could grow normally, were higher than ∼13% for SWC, and lower than ∼22.5 g kg-1 for SSC, the values, within the seedlings could acclimate to water or salinity stress by adjusting their R/S ratio, improving WUE to limit water loss, and rising NPQ to dissipate excessive excitation energy. Once SWC was lower than 8% or SCC higher than ∼28 g kg-1, the seedlings suffered from the severe stress. and J. Y. Li ... [et al.].
The riparian forests along the Tarim River, habitats for Populus euphratica establishment, are subjected to frequent flooding. To elucidate adaptive strategies that enable this species to occupy the riparian ecosystem subjected to seasonal or permanent water-logging, we examined functional characteristics of plant growth, xylem water relations, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) content and fluorescence, soluble sugar and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in P. euphratica seedlings flooded for 50 d. Although flooded seedlings kept absorbing carbon throughout the experiment, their shoot and root growth rates were lower than in non-flooded seedlings. The reduced leaf gas exchange and quantum efficiency of PSII of flooded seedlings resulted possibly from the reduction in total Chl content. Content of soluble sugar and malondialdehyde in leaves were higher in flooded than in control seedlings. Soil flooding induced hypertrophy of lenticels and increased a stem diameter. These responses were responsible for species survival as well as its success in this seasonally flooded riparian zone. Our results indicate that P. euphratica is relatively flood-tolerant due to a combination of morphological, physiological, and biochemical adjustments, which may support its dominance in the Tarim riparian forest., B. Yu, C. Y. Zhao, J. Li, J. Y. Li, G. Peng., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The relationship between the activity of xanthophyll cycle and chlorophyll (Chl) metabolism was investigated using two cultivars, Helan No. 3 (seawater-tolerant cultivar) and Yuanye (seawater-sensitive cultivar), of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) plants cultured in Hoagland's nutrient solution, with or without seawater (40%). The results showed that, in plants of two cultivars with seawater, the xanthophyll cycle seems to show a principal protection mechanism against photoinhibition under seawater stress. Furthermore, accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chloroplasts of two cultivars was enhanced by seawater to lower the activity of porphobilinogen deaminase. Namely, the conversion of porphobilinogen into uroporphyrinogen III involved in Chl biosynthetic processes was inhibited by seawater. In Helan No. 3 spinach plants with seawater, higher activity of xanthophyll cycle in the leaves dissipated more excess light energy, which appeared to lower the levels of ROS in chloroplasts. As a consequence, the Chl biosynthesis in Helan No. 3 leaves with seawater showed only a weak inhibition and the activity of chlorophyllase (Chlase) was not affected by seawater stress. In contrast, a more pronounced accumulation of ROS in chloroplasts of Yuanye leaves, which possess lower xanthophyll cycle activity, severely inhibited Chl biosynthesis and remarkably enhanced the activity of Chlase, which aggravates the decomposition of Chl. These results suggest that higher activity of xanthophyll cycle in seawater-tolerant spinach plays a role in maintaining Chl metabolic processes, probably by decreasing the levels of ROS, when the plants are cultured in the nutrient solution with seawater (40%). and J. Sun ... [et al.].