Cadmium inhibits photosynthetic capacity of plants by disturbing protein conformations, whereas phytocystatins prevent degradation of target proteins and are involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Two mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars, Ro Agro 4001 and Amruta, were grown with Cd (50 µM) in order to study physiological and biochemical basis of differences in Cd tolerance. Amruta accumulated higher Cd and H2O2 concentrations in leaves than that of Ro Agro 4001. Cd significantly decreased photosynthesis and growth of plants in both cultivars by reducing a chlorophyll content, gas exchange parameters, and activity of Rubisco; the effects were more prominent in Amruta than those in Ro Agro 4001. The greater photosynthesis and growth of Ro Agro 4001 under Cd stress might be attributed to its higher phytocystatin activity together with greater ascorbate peroxidase activity, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency, sulphur assimilation (ATP-sulphurylase activity and S content), and contents of cysteine and reduced glutathione compared to Amruta. In contrast, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was higher in Amruta than that of Ro Agro 4001 under control conditions, whereas the Cd treatment increased significantly the SOD activity in both cultivars with the greater increase in Ro Agro 4001. The fluorescence spectra of phytocystatin showed a lesser change in Ro Agro 4001 under Cd stress than that in Amruta suggesting higher resistance of Ro Agro 4001 to Cd. The higher phytocystatin activity under Cd stress in Ro Agro 4001 compared to Amruta enabled the plants to protect their proteins more efficiently. This resulted in a greater increase of photosynthetic capacity in Ro Agro 4001 than that of Amruta. Thus, the phytocystatin activity may be considered as a physiological parameter for augmenting photosynthesis and growth of mustard under Cd stress., T. S. Per, S. Khan, M. Asgher, B. Bano, N. A. Khan., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Two foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) varieties were subjected to different shading intensity treatments during a grain-filling stage in a field experiment in order to clarify physiological mechanisms of low-light effects on the yield. Our results showed that the grain fresh mass per panicle, yield, photosynthetic pigment contents, net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry, and electron transport rate decreased with the increase of shading intensity, whereas the intercellular CO2 concentration increased in both varieties. In addition, shading changed a double-peak diurnal variation of photosynthesis to a one-peak curve. In conclusion, the lower yield of foxtail millet was caused mainly by a reduction of grain mass assimilated, a decline in chlorophyll content, and the low photosynthetic rate due to low light during the grain-filling stage. Reduced light energy absorption and conversion, restricted electron transfer, and reduced stomatal conductance might cause the decrease in photosynthesis., X. Y. Yuan, L. G. Zhang, L. Huang, X. Qi, Y. Y. Wen, S. Q. Dong, X. E. Song, H. F. Wang, P. Y. Guo., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Xerophytic stomatal traits may help plants maintain photosynthetic rates under water deficit; however, such adaptations are not well understood. A pot experiment was conducted with two winter wheat cultivars (Pubing 143, Zhengyin 1) during the grain-filling period. Net photosynthetic rate (PN) and chlorophyll (Chl) content were significantly less affected by water deficit in Pubing 143 than that in Zhengyin 1, and the variation in both PN and Chl content were more stable in spikes compared to flag leaves. At 18 days after anthesis, stomatal conductance of spikes in Pubing 143 were 28% lower than that of the control, while transpiration rate was 34% lower in Zhengyin 1 under water deficit. We provided the first evidence of amphistomatous stomata on the lemma of winter wheat spikes through scanning electron microscopic observations. The finding of the amphistomatous stomata is an important contribution to stomatal distribution and may help explain how wheat spikes can maintain high photosynthetic rates even under drought conditions., H. Ding, D. Liu, X. Liu, Y. Li, J. Kang, J. Lv, G. Wang., and Obsahuje bibliografii
An experiment was performed to study gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence responses of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to various regimes, such as flooding-midseason drying-flooding (FDF), flooding-midseason drying-saturation (FDS), and flooding-rain-fed (FR) regimes. Compared to FDF, FR resulted in an obvious decrease in net photosynthetic rate (PN), due to the decrease in stomatal conductance and the increase in stomatal limitation. In contrast, FDS plants did not suffer stomatal limitation and had comparable PN with FDF plants. For diurnal light-saturated electron transport rate and saturation irradiance, FDF performed the best, which was followed by FDS and FR successively. FR and FDS plants tended to suffer from midday depression. FDS reduced irrigated water by 17.2% compared to FDF for comparable yields. The results suggested that FDS can be an effective irrigation regime to save water., X. H. Wu, W. Wang, X. L. Xie, C. M. Yin, K. J. Xie., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Cell wall-bound phenolics (CWP) play an important role in the mechanisms of plant acclimation to soil drought. The study involved CWP analyses in 50 strains and 50 doubled haploid (DH) lines of winter triticale exposed to drought at their vegetative and generative stages. CWP in the plants experiencing drought at the generative stage positively correlated with their leaf water contents. The strains and DH lines characterized by high content of CWP showed higher leaf water content and higher activity of photosynthetic apparatus when exposed to drought at the generative stage compared to the strains and DH lines with the low CWP content. Furthermore, when drought subsided at the generative stage, the strains and DH lines richer in CWP demonstrated higher regeneration potential and their grain yield loss was smaller., K. Hura, A. Ostrowska, K. Dziurka, T. Hura., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The southernmost presence of Rhizophora mangle in the western Atlantic coast occurs in coastal wetlands between 27 and 28°S in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We selected mangrove communities at the estuary of the River Tavares, Florianopolis, and the Sonho Beach, Palhosa, for measurement of photosynthetic performance and intrinsic water-use efficiency of R. mangle and coexisting individuals of Avicennia schaueriana and Laguncularia racemosa, during the spring season. We used gas-exchange techniques and isotopic signatures of C and N to estimate instantaneous water-use and carboxylation efficiency (CE), long-term water-use efficiency, and potential N limitation. Results showed that R. mangle had significantly lower photosynthetic rates but similar conductance values as the other two species resulting in lower intrinsic water use (WUEi) and CE. WUEi and CE were positively correlated in L. racemosa and A. schaueriana, but not in R. mangle. At each site, δ13C values of A. schaueriana were consistently higher than those for the other species, indicating that these species are subjected to contrasting water stress conditions. Leaf concentrations of C were lower, whilst those of N were always higher in A. schaueriana, indicating accumulation of salts and nonprotein N-compounds in leaves. Nitrogen concentrations and moderate positive δ15N values indicated that plant growth at the study sites was not inhibited by nutrient deficiency, and was not influenced by urban residual waters. Lower photosynthetic rates and values of CE of R. mangle compared to the other two species may constitute constraining factors preventing this species from establishing at higher latitudes., M. L. Gomes Soares, M. M. Pereira Tognella, E. Cuevas, E. Medina., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
We investigated the photosynthetic characteristics of Chorispora bungeana under conditions of drought stress caused by different concentrations of polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG; 0, 5, 20, and 40%) and various concentrations of exogenous glycine (0, 5, 10, and 20 mM) with 20% PEG. We showed that moderate and severe drought stress of PEG reduced the chlorophyll (Chl) content (both Chl a and b), maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), actual photochemical efficiency of PSII in light (YII), and quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (YNPQ), while Chl a/b and quantum yield of nonregulated energy dissipation (YNO) increased. The low and moderate drought stress increased Mg2+ and Fe3+ contents, while a decrease in Mg2+ and Fe3+ was found under severe drought stress. Compared to sole PEG stress, the addition of exogenous 10 mM glycine increased Chl, Mg2+ and Fe3+ contents, Fv/Fm, YII, and YNPQ, and reduced YNO. On the contrary, 20 mM glycine showed an opposite effect, except for YNO. Our results proved that Chl contents and fluorescence parameters are reliable indicators for drought tolerance of C. bungeana. We suggest that a proper glycine content can relieve the effect of drought stress on C. bungeana., N. Yang, C.-L. Wang, W.-P. He, Y.-Z. Qu, Y.-S. Li., and Seznam literatury
Photosynthesis is amongst the plant cell functions that are highly sensitive to any type of changes. Sun and shade conditions are prevalent in fields as well as dense forests. Dense forests face extreme sun and shade conditions, and plants adapt themselves accordingly. Sun flecks cause changes in plant metabolic processes. In the field, plants have to face high light intensity and survive under such conditions. Sun and shade type of plants develops a respective type of chloroplasts which help plants to survive and perform photosynthesis under adverse conditions. PSII and Rubisco behave differently under different sun and shade conditions. In this review, morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes under conditions of sun (high light) and shade (low light) on the process of photosynthesis, as well as the tolerance and adaptive mechanisms involved for the same, were summarized., S. Mathur, L. Jain, A. Jajoo., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Limitations in photosystem function and photosynthetic electron flow were investigated during leaf senescence in two field-grown plants, i.e., Euphorbia dendroides L. and Morus alba L., a summer- and winter-deciduous, shrub and tree, respectively. Analysis of fast chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transients and post-illumination fluorescence yield increase were used to assess photosynthetic properties at various stages of senescence, the latter judged from the extent of Chl loss. In both plants, the yield of primary photochemistry of PSII and the content of PSI remained quite stable up to the last stages of senescence, when leaves were almost yellow. However, the potential for linear electron flow along PSII was limited much earlier, especially in E. dendroides, by an apparent inactivation of the oxygen-evolving complex and a lower efficiency of electron transfer to intermediate carriers. On the contrary, the corresponding efficiency of electron transfer from intermediate carriers to final acceptors of PSI was increased. In addition, cyclic electron flow around PSI was accelerated with the progress of senescence in E. dendroides, while a corresponding trend in M. alba was not statistically significant. However, there was no decrease in PSI activity even at the last stages of senescence. We argue that a switch to cyclic electron flow around PSI during leaf senescence may have the dual role of replenishing the ATP and maintaining a satisfactory nonphotochemical energy quenching, since both are limited by hindered linear electron transfer., C. Kotakis, A. Kyzeridou, Y. Manetas., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Vochysia divergens Pohl is considered to be a flood-adapted, light-demanding pioneer species that has been invading grasslands of the Brazilian Pantanal. In these areas, a successful invasion requires an ability to tolerate physiologically wide fluctuations in surface hydrology and shading induced by a dense cover of grasses and other vegetation. We evaluated how flooding and shading affected the photosynthetic performance of V. divergens saplings by measuring light-saturated gas exchange (net photosynthetic rate, PN; stomatal conductance, gs), and intercellular CO2 (PN/Ci) and photosynthetic photon flux density
(PN/PPFD) response curves over a 61-d field experiment. Shading and flooding reduced significantly light-saturated PN and gs and affected multiple aspects of the leaf gas exchange response of V. divergens to variations in PPFD and CO2. Flooding influenced the physiology of this species more than shading. Given the success of V. divergens at invading and expanding in seasonally flooded areas of the Pantanal, the results were surprising and highlighted the physiological ability of this species to tolerate suboptimal conditions. However, the consistently higher light-saturated PN and gs under nonflooded conditions suggested that the invasive success of V. divergens might not be related to its physiological potential during flooding, but to situations, when flooding recedes during the dry season and soil water availability is adequate. and A. C. Dalmolin ... [et al.].