Characterisation of proteases degrading ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO, EC: 4.1.1.39) was studied in the cowpea leaf during monocarpic senescence 3 and 9 d after flowering (DAF), representing early and mid pod fill. The stage at 3 DAF coincided with decrease in the metabolic parameters characterising senescence, i.e., contents of total soluble proteins, RuBPCO, and leaf nitrogen. At 9 DAF, there was a decline in total soluble proteins and an appearance of a 48 kDa cysteine protease. Characterisation of the proteases was done using specific inhibitors. Subcellular localisation at 3 DAF was studied by following the degradation of RuBPCO large subunit (LSU) in the vacuole lysates using immunoblot analyses. Cysteine proteases played a predominant role in the degradation of RuBPCO LSU at the crude extract level. At 9 DAF, expression of cysteine protease isoforms was monitored using polyclonal antibodies against papain and two polypeptides of molecular masses 48 and 35 kDa were observed in the vacuole lysates. We confirmed thus the predominance of cysteine proteases in the vacuoles during different stages of pod development in cowpea leaf. and B. Srivalli, Sudhakar Bharti, Renu Khanna-Chopra.
Three genetically related Spathiphyllum cultivars, Claudia, Double Take, and Petite with similar initial sizes and biomass, were grown in a shaded greenhouse and fertilized with a constant supply of nitrogen at 200 g m-3 using an ebb-and-flow fertigation system. Seven months later, Claudia and Double Take had plant sizes and biomasses significantly greater than Petite. Stomatal conductances of Claudia and Double Take were 30 % greater, thus net photosynthetic rates (PN) were significantly higher than in Petite. In addition, the leaf areas (LA) of Claudia and Double Take were 60 % larger than of Petite. Since PN was expressed per leaf surface area, the greater the LA was, the more CO2 was fixed. Thus, the differences in plant size and biomass production of Claudia and Double Take compared to Petite are attributed to high PN and increased LA. and Qibing Wang, Jianjun Chen.
Giant rosettes are ones of the most striking features of the vegetation in the high tropical Andes, with Coespeletia moritziana reaching the highest altitudes up to 4,600 m a.s.l. Different from other giant rosettes, this species grows on rock outcrops with poorly developed soils and where water availability may be limited. Two questions are addressed in this study: How does this species respond in terms of water relations to maintain favorable gas-exchange conditions? Considering that adult plants rely on a water-reserving central pith, how do early stages respond to this environment’s extreme conditions? Water relations and gas-exchange studies were carried out on juveniles, intermediate and adult C. moritziana plants during wet and dry seasons in Páramo de Piedras Blancas at 4,200 m a.s.l. Adult plants maintained higher leaf water potentials (ΨL) during the wet season, however, no differences between stages were found for the dry season. Minimum dry season ΨL were never near the turgor loss point in any of the stages. Juveniles show a more strict stomatal control during the dry season to maintain a favorable water status. Net photosynthesis significantly decreased in intermediate and juvenile stages from wet to dry seasons. Our results suggest that
C. moritziana resists more extreme conditions compared to other Andean giant rosettes., F. Rada, A. Azócar, A. Rojas-Altuve., and Obsahuje bibliografii
We studied the seasonal changes in water relations, chlorophyll a fluorescence, and leaf saccharide contents of the tropical flood-tolerant trees Acosmium nitens, Campsiandra laurifolia, Eschweilera tenuifolia, Symmeria paniculata, and Psidium ovatifolium. Xylem water potential increased with flooding to a larger extent than leaf sap osmotic potential in all the species, and soluble sugars contributed up to 66 % of osmotic potential at maximum flooding. Starch was accumulated in leaves. Maximum quantum yield of photosystem 2 decreased in emerged leaves, values being always higher than 0.76. Daily maximum net photosynthetic rate and leaf conductance decreased in all the species. This reduction was associated in all the species but S. paniculata with the absence of a compensatory increase in non-photochemical quenching. and E. Rengifo, W. Tezara, A. Herrera.
The carbon dioxide concentrating system in C4 photosynthesis allows high net photosynthetic rates (PN) at low internal carbon dioxide concentrations (Ci), permitting higher PN relative to stomatal conductance (gs) than in C3 plants. This relation would be reflected in the ratio of Ci to external ambient (Ca) carbon dioxide concentration, which is often given as 0.3 or 0.4 for C4 plants. For a Ca of 360 µmol mol-1 that would mean a Ci about 110-140 µmol mol-1. Our field observations made near midday on three weedy C4 species, Amaranthus retroflexus, Echinochloa crus-galli, and Setaria faberi, and the C4 crop Sorghum bicolor indicated mean values of Ci of 183-212 µ mol mol-1 at Ca = 360 µmol mol-1. Measurements in two other C4 crop species grown with three levels of N fertilizer indicated that while midday values of Ci at high photon flux were higher at limiting N, even at high nitrogen Ci averaged 212 and 196 µmol mol-1 for Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Zea mays, respectively. In these two crops midday Ci decreased with increasing leaf to air water vapor pressure difference. Averaged over all measurement days, the mean Ci across all C4 species was 198 µmol mol-1, for a Ci/Ca ratio of 0.55. Prior measurements on four herbaceous C3 species using the same instrument indicated an average Ci/Ca ratio of 0.69. Hence midday Ci values in C4 species under field conditions may often be considerably higher and more similar to those of C3 species than expected from measurements made on plants in controlled environments. Reducing gs in C4 crops at low water vapor pressure differences could potentially improve their water use efficiency without decreasing PN.
Culturing geranium at different doses of Zn from 0-1.0 g m-3 (Zn0 to Zn1.000) revealed that Zn is an antioxidant promoter, apart from its micronutrient essentiality. Zn0.250 was the critical concentration for maximum content (0.21 %) of total essential monoterpene oil(s). At Zn0.005-Zn0.250, net photosynthetic rate, and contents of chlorophyll and essential monoterpene oil(s) were affected. The maximum peroxidase activity was obtained at Zn0.250, with the production of biomolecule geraniol. We found an oxido-reducible reaction of Zn in the formation of monoterpene essential oil(s) and possibly major constituents of geraniol. and A. Misra ... [et al.].