Photosynthesis, chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence, and nitrogen metabolism of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.), subjected to exogenous L-glutamic acid (GLA) (200 mg l-1, 400 mg l-1, and 800 mg l-1) that possibly affect secondary metabolic regulation, were measured. The results indicated that photosynthetic and fluorescence characteristics of hawthorn exhibited positive responses to the application of GLA. Different concentrations of GLA caused an increase in Chl content, net photosynthetic rate
(PN) and stomatal conductance (g s) as well as transpiration rate (E), and improved the carboxylation efficiency (CE), apparent quantum yield (AQY) and maximum carboxylation velocity of Rubisco (Vcmax). Application of GLA could also enhance the maximum ratio of quantum yields of photochemical and concurrent non-photochemical processes in PSII (Fv/F0), the maximal quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm), the probability that an absorbed photon will move an electron into the electron transport chain beyond QA (ΦEo) as well as the performance index on absorption basis (PIABS), but decreased the intercellular CO2 concentration
(Ci) and the minimal fluorescence (F0). Application of GLA also induced an increase in nitrate reductase (NR; EC 1.6.6.1) and glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2) activities, and increased the soluble protein content, leaf nitrogen (N) content and N accumulation in leaves as well as the plant biomass. However, the effects were different among different concentrations of GLA, and 800 mg l-1 GLA was better. This finding suggested that application of GLA is recommended to improve the photosynthetic capacity by increasing the light energy conversion and CO2 transfer as well as the photochemical efficiency of PSII, and enhanced the nitrogen metabolism and growth and development of plants. and C. YU ... [et al.].
The effects of Mn-deficiency on CO2 assimilation and excitation energy distribution were studied using Mn-starved maize leaves. Mn-deficiency caused about 70 % loss in the photon-saturated net photosynthetic rate (PN) compared to control leaves. The loss of PN was associated with a strong decrease in the activity of oxygen evolution complex (OEC) and the linear electron transport driven by photosystem 2 (PS2) in Mn-deficienct leaves. The photochemical quenching of PS2 (qP) and the maximum efficiency of PS2 photochemistry (Fv/Fm) decreased significantly in Mn-starved leaves under high irradiance, implicating that serious photoinhibition took place. However, the 'high-energy' fluorescence quenching (qE) decreased, which was associated with xanthophyll cycle. The results showed that the pool of de-epoxidation components of the xanthophyll cycle was lowered markedly owing to Mn deficiency. Linear electron transport driven by PS2 de-creased significantly and was approximately 70 % lower in Mn-deficient leaves than that in control, indicating less trans-thylakoid pH gradient was built in Mn deficient leaves. We suggest that the decrease of non-radiative dissipation depending on xanthophyll cycle in Mn-starved leaves is a result of the deficiency of trans-thylakoid pH gradient. and C. D. Jiang, H. Y. Gao, Q. Zou.
The chilling and light stresses were experimentally created to explore photosynthesis of Fraxinus mandshurica seedlings in northeast China. Net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate decreased significantly with the decline of temperature and light. Significant interaction effects of light and chilling were observed on gas exchange of photosynthesis. The minimal fluorescence yield of the dark-adapted state (F0) increased with increasing light and decreasing temperature. Both high and low light stresses induced the decreases of the maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), and electron transport rate. Decline of Fv/Fm and increased F0 were observed under decreasing temperatures. Decreased NPQ and qP at frost temperature suggest that F. mandschurica failed to dissipate excess light energy. No interactive effects of chilling and light on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters suggests that F. mandschurica seedlings might be adapted to combined stresses of light and chilling., X. F. Li, L. Jin, C. Y. Zhu, Y. J. Wen, Y. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The effects of potassium (K) deficiency on chlorophyll (Chl) content, photosynthetic gas exchange, and photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry during the seedling stage were investigated in two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivars, low-K sensitive Tiefeng31 and low-K tolerant Shennong6. The cultivars were grown hydroponically in K-sufficient (KS) and K-deficient (KD) solutions. Photosynthetic gas exchange and Chl content in Tiefeng31 were severely affected by the low K condition, but were almost unaffected in Shennong6. This difference is in accordance with the PSII photochemistry in the plants, indicating that the photosynthetic apparatus of Shennong6 is more tolerant to low-K stress than that of Tiefeng31. and X.-T. Li ... [et al.].
To probe the role of xanthophylls in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the compensatory acclimated photoprotection mechanisms, a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig) Xa mutant with deficit in lutein (L) and neoxanthin (N) contents was used. The Xa mutant showed lowered NPQ, an increased degree of de-epoxidation state [(A+Z)/(V+A+Z)], and decreases of photosystem 2 (PS2) antenna size. Although the Xa mutant had a CO2 assimilation rate similar to that of Ailsa Craig, it exhibited a much larger stomatal conductance (gs) than Ailsa Craig. Decreased electron flux in PS2 (J PS2) for the Xa mutant was associated with electron flux for photorespiratory carbon oxidation (Jo) and alternative electron flux in PS2 (Ja) while electron flux for photosynthetic carbon reduction (Jc) was not different from Ailsa Craig. Moreover, the Xa mutant also exhibited higher activities of antioxidant enzymes, higher contents of ascorbate and glutathione, and lower contents of reactive oxygen species. Hence some compensatory acclimated mechanisms of photoprotection operated properly in the lack of NPQ and xanthophylls. and Y. J. Wang ... [et al.].
Growth, net photosynthetic rate (PN), chlorophyll fluorescence induction kinetics, and stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (sFBPase) in annual legumes native to the Mediterranean region, two clovers (Trifolium subterraneum L. ssp. oxaloides Nyman cv. Clare and T. michelianum Savi cv. Giorgia) and two Medicago species (M. polymorpha L. cv. Anglona and M. truncatula Gaertn. cv. Paraggio), shifted from 20 to 10 °C for 1 d or developed at 10 °C were compared with controls kept at 20 °C. Cold development produced a larger stimulation of growth in the clover cv. Giorgia and the Medicago cv. Paraggio. Transferring plants to low temperatures affected PN relatively less in clovers than in Medicago plants. Development at 10 °C relieved the inhibition of photosynthesis in Giorgia and Paraggio, but not in Clare and Anglona, which correlated with increases in the maximum rate of carboxylation by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, RuBPCO (Vcmax), and the photon-saturated rate of electron transport (Jmax). In Medicago, transfer from high to low temperature inhibited photosynthesis in a lesser extent in Anglona than in Paraggio, which showed severe limitations at level of Vcmax and Jmax. Development at 10 °C in Paraggio produced an efficient photosynthetic cold acclimation, this being associated with a two-fold increase of quantum yield of photosystem 2 electron transport (ΔF/F'm) and with the activity of sFBPase. By contrast, Anglona showed an irreversible inhibition of PN coupled with the reduction of carbon metabolism by impairment of Calvin cycle enzyme activities such as RuBPCO and sFBPase, resulting in a poor cold acclimation of photosynthesis in this cultivar. and M. C. Antolín, M. Hekneby, M. Sánchez-Díaz.
The epiphytic fern Platycerium bifurcatum grows in different habitats characterized by drought and high irradiance stress. The plant shows diurnal malate oscillations, indicative for CAM expression only in cover leaves, but not in sporotrophophyll. In P. bifurcatum cover leaves exposed to high irradiance and desiccation, the decrease in both CO2 assimilation (PN) and stomatal conductance (gs) was accompanied with occurrence of diurnal malate oscillations. Exogenously applied abscisic acid (ABA) induced the decrease in PN and gs, but no clear change in malate oscillations. The measurements of the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 (Fv/Fm) under high irradiance showed distinct photoinhibition, but no clear changes in Fv/Fm due to desiccation and ABA-treatment were found. and G. Rut ... [et al.].
Gas exchange and fluorescence parameters were measured simultaneously in two Zea mays L. cultivars (Liri and 121C D8) to assess the relationship between the quantum yield of electron transport (ΦPS2) and the quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (ΦCO2) in response to photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). The cv. Liri was grown under controlled environmental conditions in a climate chamber (CC) while cv. 121C D8 was grown in CC as well as outdoors (OT). By exposing the two maize cultivars grown in CC to an increasing PPFD, higher photosynthetic and photochemical rates were evidenced in cv. Liri than in cv. 121C D8. In Liri plants the ΦPS2/ΦCO2 ratio increased progressively up to 27 with increasing PPFD. This suggests that the reductive power was more utilised in non-assimilatory processes than in CO2 assimilation at high PPFD. On the contrary, by exposing 121C D8 plants to increasing PPFD, ΦPS2/ΦCO2 was fairly constant (around 11-13), indicating that the electron transport rate was tightly down regulated by CO2 assimilation. Although no significant differences were found between ΦPS2/ΦCO2 of the 121C D8 maize grown under CC and OT by exposing them to high PPFD, the photosynthetic rate and photochemical rates were higher in OT maize plants. and N. D'Ambrosio, C. Arena, A. Virzo de Santo.
By measurement of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, the effects of salt shock on photosynthesis and the mechanisms to protect photosynthetic machinery against photodamage during salt shock were investigated in leaves of Rumex seedlings. Salt shock induced significant decrease in photosynthesis both in 21 and 2 % O2. In 21 % O2, quantum yield of photosystem 2 (PS2) electron transport (ΦPS2) decreased slightly and qP remained constant, suggesting that the excitation pressure on PS2 did not increase during salt shock. In 2 % O2, however, both ΦPS2 and qP decreased significantly, suggesting that the excitation pressure on PS2 increased during salt shock. NPQ increased slightly in 21 % O2 whereas it increased significantly in 2 % O2. The data demonstrated that during salt shock a considerable electron flow was allocated to oxygen reduction in the Mehler-peroxidase reaction (MPR). Under high irradiance and in the presence of saturating CO2, the susceptibility of PS2 to photoinhibition in salt-shocked leaves was increased when the electron flow to oxygen in MPR was inhibited in 2 % O2. Hence, MPR is important in photoprotection of Rumex seedlings during salt shock. and H.-X. Chen ... [et al.].
We investigated the strategies of four co-occurring evergreen woody species Quercus ilex, Quercus coccifera, Pinus halepensis, and Juniperus phoenicea to cope with Mediterranean field conditions. For that purpose, stem water potential, gas exchange, chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, and Chl and carotenoid (Car) contents were examined. We recognized two stress periods along the year, winter with low precipitation and low temperatures that led to chronic photoinhibition, and summer, when drought coincided with high radiation, leading to an increase of dynamic photoinhibition and a decrease of pigment content. Summer photoprotection was related to non-photochemical energy dissipation, electron flow to alternative sinks other than photosynthesis, decrease of Chl content, and proportional increase of Car content. Water potential of trees with deep vertical roots (Q. coccifera, Q. ilex, and P. halepensis) mainly depended on precipitation, whereas water potential of trees with shallow roots (J. phoenicea) depended not only on precipitation but also on ambient temperature. and F. J. Baquedano, F. J. Castillo.