The effects of water stress on leaf surface morphology (stomatal density, size, and trichome density of both adaxial and abaxial surfaces) and leaf ultrastructure (chloroplasts, mitochondria, and cell nuclei) of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) were investigated in this study. Higher stomata and trichome densities were observed on abaxial surface compared with the adaxial surface. Compared with well watered (WW) plants, the stomata and trichome density of the abaxial surface increased by 20.39% and 26.23% under water-stress condition, respectively. The number of chloroplasts per cell profile was lesser, the chloroplasts became round in a shape with more damaged structure of membranes, the number of osmiophilic granules increased, and the number of starch grains decreased. The cristae in mitochondria were disintegrated. The cell nuclei were smaller and the agglomerated nucleoli were bigger than those of WW plants. Our results indicated that the morphological and anatomical responses enhanced the capability of plants to survive and grow during stress periods., Q. S. Fu ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Sugar beets (Beta vulgaris L. cv. F58-554H1) were cultured hydroponically in growth chambers. Leaf orthophosphate levels were varied nutritionally. The effect of decreased leaf phosphate (low-P) status was determined on the rate of photosynthesis (PN) and on pool sizes of leaf ribulose-l,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA), triose phosphate (triose-P), fructose-1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), fructose-6-phosphate (F6P), glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), adenylates and nicotinamide nucleotides during photosynthetic induction (measured at 0, 1.5, 5 and 30 min from irradiation). p N reached 50 % of its final value in 4 min in control leaves and 10 min in low-P leaves. Hence the increase in the length of induction period in low-P leaves was most likely due to a slow build-up in RuBP: ATP, NADPH, PGA, and FBP all reached high levels in 5 min at which time RuBP was half and PN 16 % of their eventual values at 30 min. The slow-build-up of RuBP did not appear to be due to insufficient ATP and NADPH for the conversion of PGA to triose-P; rather, low-P seemed to limit photosynthetic induction somewhere in the sequence of reactions between triose-P and RuBP formation.
A comparative study of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence characteristics was made between a soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Chl-deficient mutant (light green leaf, LG, Eji^ii), and a nearly isogenic Chl normál biotype (dark green leaf, DG, EnEn) of cultivar Clark, LG had a lower light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (/^n), compared with DG at early stages of growth (before pod filling), but the difference in Ejsi between LG and DG became smaller at later stages of growth. The lower of LG may result from lower Chl content (Chl a and b), lower carboxylation efficiency, and lower photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2. Both LG and DG grown at low iradiance [about 200-300 pmol(photon) m'^ s"’] in a growth cabinet had similar photochemical effíciencies. However, the efficiency was lower in LG than in DG grown in field sunlight in mid summer, especially during the aftemoon on clear days, indicating that LG is more sensitive to photoinhibition.
When a terrestňal plant is subjected to a mild drought stress, the leaf net CO2 uptake declines as a result of the stomatal closure. In contrast to previous beliefs the photosynthetic apparatus is vety resistant to dehydration. Particularly the relations between photochemistry, its regulation and leaf CO2 assimilation (f) are identical when F is changed either by increasing leaf water deficit or by decreasing the ambient CO2 concentration. When the stomata close in a leaf under water deficit the CO2 concentration within the leaf declines. As a result photorespiration is favoured, the photochemical yield of open photosystem 2 (PS 2) centres and the activity of some enzymes dechne (sucrose-phosphate synthase, nitráte reductase). The dechne of photochemical yield of PS 2 is consequential to an increase in thermal dissipation of the excitons trapped by PS 2 units. The dechne in CO2 concentration occurring in a desiccating leaf may trigger an integrated response of leaf metabohsm which still remains to be explored.
In leaves of the mangrove species Avicennia germinans (L.) L. grown in salinities from 0 to 40 ‰, fluorescence, gas exchange, and δ13C analyses were done. Predawn values of Fv/Fm were about 0.75 in all the treatments suggesting that leaves did not suffer chronic photoinhibition. Conversely, midday Fv/Fm values decreased to about 0.55-0.60 which indicated strong down-regulation of photosynthesis in all treatments. Maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax) was 14.58 ± 0.22 µmol m-2 s-1 at 0 ‰ it decreased by 21 and 37 % in plants at salinities of 10 and 40 ‰, respectively. Stomatal conductance (gs) was profoundly responsive in comparison to Pmax which resulted in a high water use efficiency. This was further confirmed by δ13C values, which increased with salinity. From day 3, after salt was removed from the soil solution, Pmax and gs increased up to 13 and 30 %, respectively. However, the values were still considerably lower than those measured in plants grown without salt addition.
P. juliflora trees produce leaves during two growth periods. The first cohort of leaves is produced during spring in cool conditions, while the second cohort is produced during monsoon under warm conditions. I studied photosynthetic characteristics of young, mature, and old leaves of the previous season (monsoon) in the spring season. Maximum net photosynthetic rate of a young leaf was lower than that of the mature and old leaves. The total CO2 fixed per day by the young leaves was just 36 % of that in the mature leaves while the old leaves fixed 76 % of that of the mature leaf. The total transpiration rate and water use efficiency (WUE) were similar in the mature and old leaves, while they were much lower in the young leaves. Dark respiration rate was maximal in the young leaves as compared to the mature and old leaves. About 92 % of the total CO2 fixed per day were respired by the young leaves. The diurnal fluorescence characteristics (ΔF/Fm', qp, and qN) of the young, mature, and old leaves showed that photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 during midday decreased more in the young and old leaves than in the mature ones. However, the fluorescence characteristics showed that in all the three leaf types there was complete recovery of the photochemical efficiency at sunset from the midday depression. Fv/Fm in the young and mature leaves also confirmed this. Hence the young and old leaves were photosynthetically less efficient than mature leaves, but they were well adapted to withstand the harsh environmental conditions.
A comparison of photosynthetic nitrogen (N) use efficiency between C3 and C4 species within the genus Cyperus was made at a range of available nitráte levels. Net photosynthetic rates (P^) of both types increased with N content but CO2 assimilation on a leaf area basis was consistently higher in C4 species in comparison to the C3 species. C4 plants had a higher photosynthetic N use efficiency than C3 plants, and achieved higher Pn at lower N and protein levels. The higher leaf photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) in C4 plants is due to their high raťher than low N and protein contents. Because C^ leaves contain less N than C3 leaves for a given Py^, PNUE is significantly higher in C4 than C3 plants. Nitrogen supply had highly significant effect on the leaf N concentration, but had no significant influence on the CO2 compensation concentration. Carboxylation efficiency was significantly higher in C4 leaves than C3 leaves of Cyperus species, due to the CO2 concentrating mechanism of C4 photosynthesis.
We related leaf physiological traits of four grassland species (Poa pratensis, Lolium perenne, Festuca valida, and Taraxacum officinale), dominant in a Mediterranean grassland, to their origin and success at community level. From early May to mid-June 1999, four leaf samplings were done. Species originating from poor environments (P. pratensis, F. valida) had low carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf water and mineral contents, and net photosynthetic rate on mass basis (Pmass) but high chlorophyll content. The reverse traits were evident for the fast-growing species (L. perenne, T. officinale). Under the resource-limiting conditions (soil nitrogen and water) of the Mediterranean grassland, the physiological traits of P. pratensis and F. valida showed to be more adapted to these conditions leading to high species abundance and dominance. and J. T. Tsialtas, T. S. Pritsa, D. S. Veresoglou.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of the giant reed (Arundo donax L.) to drought stress at early stages, as well as to determine the effects of limited soil water availability on plant growth, gas exchange, and water-use efficiency. Plantlets of a commercial clone were grown in a greenhouse under two water treatments: at 100% of field capacity and progressive drought for 66 days (until 20% of field capacity). Soil water content, leaf elongation rate, plant water consumption, and gas-exchange parameters were measured throughout the experiment. Total plant biomass, leaf water, and osmotic potential were determined at the end of the experiment. Plant growth and leaf gas-exchange parameters were significantly affected by soil water availability, but only when it was below 40% of field capacity. At early stages, Arundo donax showed drought stress acclimation due to leaf plasticity, stomatal regulation, and osmotic adjustment., A. Romero-Munar, E. Baraza, J. Cifre, C. Achir, J. Gulías., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Photochemical efficiency of PSII of Ctenanthe setosa was investigated to understand the photosynthetic adaptation mechanism under drought stress causing leaf rolling. Stomatal conductance (gs), the levels of photosynthetic pigments and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters were determined in leaves that had four different visual leaf rolling scores from 1 to 4, opened after re-watering and mechanically opened at score 4. gs value gradually decreased in adaxial and abaxial surfaces in relation to scores of leaf rolling. Pigment contents decreased until score 3 but approached score 1 level at score 4. No significant variations in effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), and photochemical quenching (qp) were found until score 3, while they significantly decreased at score 4. Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) increased at score 2 but then decreased. After re-watering, the Chl fluorescence and other physiological parameters reached to approximately score 1 value, again. As for mechanically opened leaves, gs decreased during drought period. The decrease in adaxial surface was higher than that of the rolled leaves. NPQ was higher than that of the rolled leaves. ΦPSII and qp significantly declined and the decreases were more than those of the rolled leaves. In conclusion, the results indicate that leaf rolling protects PSII functionality from damage induced by drought stress. and H. Nar ... [et al.].