When dark-acclimated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Coker 312) leaves, pre-treated with lincomycin to inhibit chloroplast protein repair processes, were exposed to 10 °C and a PPFD of 500 μmol m-2 s-1, the proportion of excitation energy entering photochemistry (P) increased, but only to 5 % of the total energy absorbed at steady state levels of P, which were reached at 40 min of irradiation. Thermal dissipation (D) of absorbed energy increased throughout the 360 min irradiation period and accounted for the greatest portion of absorbed energy at 10 °C. When D was partitioned into constitutive (DCON), regulated (DREG), and photoinhibitory (DPI) components, it was primarily composed of DREG, the readily reversible portion of D. However, the induction of D was slow at 10 °C. Sixty minutes were required for D to reach 70 % of the energy absorbed. Considerable absorption of energy in excess of that utilized in photochemistry or dissipated thermally (designated as E) occurred, especially during induction of P and D. Over the irradiation period, the time-dependent averaged E exhibited an inverse, linear relationship with the ratio of variable (Fv) to maximum (Fm) fluorescence (PS2 efficiency) and a linear relationship with DPI. We propose that time-dependent averaged E may be useful for estimating the potential for damage to PS2 under stressful environmental conditions. and D. Kornyeyev, B. A. Logan, A. S. Holaday.
Yellow-green foliage cultivars of four vegetables grown outdoors, i.e., Chinese mustard (Brassica rapa), Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and Chinese amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor), had lower chlorophyll (Chl) (a+b) (29-36% of green cultivars of the same species), total carotenoids (46-62%) and ascorbate (72-90%) contents per leaf area. Furthermore, yellow-green cultivars had smaller photosystem II (PSII) antenna size (65-70%) and lower photosynthetic capacity (52-63%), but higher Chl a/b (107-156%) and from low (60%) to high (129%) ratios of de-epoxidized xanthophyll cycle pigments per Chl a content. Potential quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) of all overnight dark-adapted leaves was ca. 0.8, with no significant difference between yellow-green and green cultivars of the same species. However, yellow-green cultivars displayed a higher degree of photoinhibition (lower Fv/Fm after illumination) when they were exposed to high irradiance. Although vegetables used in this study are of either temperate or tropical origin and include both C3 and C4 plants, data from all cultivars combined revealed that Fv/Fm after illumination still showed a significant positive linear regression with xanthophyll cycledependent energy quenching (qE) and a negative linear regression with photoinhibitory quenching (qI). Fv/Fm was, however, not correlated with nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Yet, a higher degree of photoinhibition in yellow-green cultivars could recover during the night darkness period, suggesting that the repair of PSII in yellow-green cultivars would allow them to grow normally in the field. and J.-H. Weng ... [et al.].
In CO2-free air, the CO2 postirradiation burst (PIB) in wheat leaves was measured with an IRGA in an open gas exchange system to ascertain its potential role in alleviating photoinhibition of photorespiratory carbon oxidation (PCO) under a CO2 deficiency. A pre-photosynthesized leaf having been transferred into CO2-free air exhibited a typical CO2 PIB following darkening which could last, with a rate substantially higher than that of dark respiration, over a long time period (at least more than 2 h) of continuously alternate irradiation (2 min)-dark (2 min)-light transitions. The rate and the time of PIB maintenance, although unaffected by the exogenous dark respiration inhibitor iodoacetic acid, were stimulated largely by increasing irradiance and O2 level, and suppressed by DCMU and N-ethyl-maleimide (NEM). They also showed a large photosynthates-loading dependence. In a darkened leaf, the irradiation-induced PIB in the CO2-free air was clearly revealed and it was characterized by an initial net uptake of respiratory CO2. The light-induced PIB was accelerated by increasing irradiance, and delayed by prolonging the period of darkening the leaves. Hence, the origin of carbon needed for a long-term CO2 evolution in the CO2-free air might not only be derived directly from the pool of intermediates in the Calvin cycle, but it might also arise indirectly from a remotely fixed reserve of photosynthates in the leaf via a PCO-mediated, yet to be further clarified, mobilization process. Such mobilization of photosynthates probably exerted an important role in coordination of photochemical reactions and carbon assimilation during photosynthesis in C3 plants under the photoinhibitory conditions. and Fusheng Xiong, Yuzhu Gao, Ping Song.
The effects of NaCl treatment on the photosynthetic machinery in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars differing in salt tolerance were investigated by comparison with iso-osmotic PEG treatment. Both cultivars similarly reduced the photosystem 2 (PS2) energy conversion efficiency (ΦPS2) rapidly when plants were exposed to a 100 mM NaCl solution, though no decline was detected under the iso-osmotic PEG treatment. There was no correlation between the reduction of the leaf relative water content (RWC) and the ΦPS2 in the two iso-osmotic stress treatments. In contrast, a decline of ΦPS2 along with the increase of the leaf sodium content above 4 % dry matter was detected under the NaCl treatment, while no such correlation was detected with other cations. The recovery of ΦPS2 after photoinhibitory irradiation was repressed by the NaCl treatment as the increase of the duration of the treatment. Norin 61 subjected to the 100 mM NaCl treatment for 10 d showed a decline of the ΦPS2 after 1 h moderate irradiation of 400 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD. Thus the concentrated Na+ within a leaf under salinity treatments may decrease the stability of PS2 functions and lead to photochemical inactivation. and S. Muranaka, K. Shimizu, M. Kato.
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.].
We investigated the acclimation of seedlings of three tropical rain forest sub-canopy Garcinia species (G. xanthochymus, G. cowa, and G. bracteata) after transfer from 4.5 (LI) to 40 % (HI) sunlight and 12.5 (MI) sunlight to HI (LH1 and LH2 denoting transfer from LI to HI and MI to HI transfer, respectively). The changes of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence, net photosynthetic rate (PN), dark respiration rate (RD), Chl content per unit area (Chlarea), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), and seedling mortality were monitored over two months after transfer. These parameters together with leaf anatomy of transferred and control seedlings (kept in LI, MI, and HI) were also examined after two months. No seedlings died during the two months. Fv/Fm, PN, and Chlarea of the transferred seedlings decreased in the first 3 to 12 d. LH1 leaves showed larger reduction in Fv/Fm (>23 % vs. <16 %) and slower recovery of Fv/Fm than LH2 leaves. PN started to recover after about one week of I transfer and approached higher values in all G. cowa seedlings and G. xanthochymus LH1 seedlings than those before the transfer. However, PN of G. bracteata seedlings approached the values before transfer. The final PN values in leaves of transferred G. xanthochymus and G. cowa seedlings approached that of leaves kept in HI, while the final PN values of transferred leaves of G. bracteata were significantly lower than that of leaves grown under HI (p<0.05). RD of G. xanthochymus LH1 seedlings and all G. cowa seedlings increased and approached the value of the seedlings in HI. The final Chlarea of both G. xanthochymus and G. cowa approached the values before transfer, but that of G. bracteata did not recover to the level before transfer. The final Chlarea of all transferred seedlings was not significantly different from that of seedlings in HI except that G. cowa LH1 seedlings had higher Chlarea than that in HI. LMA decreased within 2 d and then increased continuously until about 30 d and approached the value under HI. Spongy/palisade mesophyll ratio decreased after transfer because of the increase in palisade thickness. Leaf thickness did not change, so LMA increase of transferred seedlings was mainly due to the increase of leaf density. Thus the mature leaves under LI and MI of G. xanthochymus and G. cowa are able to acclimate to HI by leaf physiological and anatomical adjustment, while G. bracteata had limited ability to acclimate to HI. and X. R. Guo, K. F. Cao, Z. F. Xu.
Elevated CO2 concentration (700 cm3 m-3, EC) inhibited chill-dependent (7 °C) depression of net photosynthetic rate of two maize hybrids with different sensitivity to low temperature. The rate of superoxide radical formation in leaves, leaf membrane injury, and the decrease in maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem 2 were successfully diminished by the treatment. The protective effect of EC toward stress conditions was prolonged at the recovery phase (20 °C). The genotypic impact on studied parameters was also notable. and R. Bączek-Kwinta, J. Kościelniak.
A tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) zeaxanthin epoxidase gene (LeZE) was isolated and antisense transgenic tomato plants were produced. Northern, southern, and western blot analyses demonstrated that antisense LeZE was transferred into the tomato genome and the expression of LeZE was inhibited. The ratio of (A+Z)/(V+A+Z) in antisense transgenic plants was maintained at a higher level than in the wild type (WT) plants under high light and chilling stress with low irradiance. The value of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) in WT and transgenic plants was not affected during the stresses. The oxidizable P700 and the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) in transgenic plants decreased more slowly at chilling temperature under low irradiance. These results suggested that suppression of LeZE caused zeaxanthin accumulation, which was helpful in alleviating photoinhibition of PSI and PSII in tomato plants under chilling stress. and N. Wang ... [et al.].
Low temperature has a negative impact on plant cells and results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In order to study the role of ascorbate under chilling stress, the response of an ascorbate-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutant vtc2-1 to low temperature (2°C) was investigated. After chilling stress, vtc2-1 mutants exhibited oxidative damage. An increase in the H2O2 generation and the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and a decrease in chlorophyll content, the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and oxidizable P700 were also noted. The ratio of ascorbate/dehydroascorbate and reduced glutathione/oxidzed glutathione in the vtc2-1 mutants were reduced, compared with the wild type (WT) plants. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and soluble antioxidants were lower in the vtc2-1 mutants than those in WT plants. These results suggested that the ascorbate-deficient mutant vtc2-1 was more sensitive to chilling treatment than WT plants. The low temperature-induced oxidative stress was the major cause of the decrease of PSII and PSI function in the vtc2-1 mutants. Ascorbate plays a critical role of defense without which the rest of the ROS defense network is unable to react effectively., L. Y. Wang ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In the seasonally flooded forest of the Mapire River, a tributary of the Orinoco, seedlings remain totally covered by flood water for over six months. In order to characterize the physiological response to flooding and submergence, seedlings of the tree Pouteria orinocoensis, an important component of the forest vegetation, were subjected experimentally to flooding. Flooding was imposed gradually, the maximum level of flood including submerged and emerged leaves. After 45 d a severe reduction of net photosynthetic rate (PN) and stomatal conductance (g s) was observed in emerged leaves, whereas leaf water potential remained constant. The decrease in PN of emerged leaves was associated to an increase in both relative stomatal and non-stomatal limitations, and the maintenance of the internal/air CO2 concentration (C i/C a) for at least 20 d of flooding. After this time, both PN and gs became almost zero. The decrease in photosynthetic capacity of emerged leaves with flooding was also evidenced by a decrease in carboxylation efficiency; photon-saturated photosynthetic rate, and apparent quantum yield of CO2 fixation. Oxygen evolution rate of submerged leaves measured after three days of treatment was 7 % of the photosynthetic rate of emerged leaves. Submersion determined a chronic photoinhibition of leaves, viewed as a reduction in maximum quantum yield in dark-adapted leaves, whereas the chlorophyll fluorescence analysis of emerged leaves pointed out at the occurrence of dynamic, rather than chronic, photoinhibition. This was evidenced by the absence of photochemical damage, i.e. the maintenance of maximum quantum yield in dark-adapted leaves. Nevertheless, the observed lack of complementarity between photochemical and non-photochemical quenching after 12 d of flooding implies that the capacity for photochemical quenching decreased in a non-co-ordinate manner with the increase in non-photochemical quenching.