Editorial

Helena Synková, Ivana Štětinová

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):1-2 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0011-8

Effect of partial shading on the photosynthetic apparatus and photosystem stoichiometry in sunflower leaves

J. Yamazaki, Y. Shinomiya

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):3-12 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0073-z

The partial shading effect on the photosynthetic apparatus of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was examined by monitoring oxygen evolution, maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry in dark-adapted leaves (F_v/F_m), the chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations and the Rubisco contents, and leaf mass per area (LMA) at the leaf level and by determining the concentrations of cytochrome (Cyt) f and the reaction centres of photosystem (PS) I and PSII at the thylakoid level. In this experiment, partial shading was defined as the shading of 2^nd leaves with shade cloths, and the whole treatment was defined as the...

Effects of temperature and irradiance on quantum yield of PSII photochemistry and xanthophyll cycle in a tropical and a temperate species

A. Dongsansuk, C. Lütz, G. Neuner

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):13-21 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0070-2

The effect of a wide range of temperatures (-15 and 60°C) in darkness or under strong irradiation [1,600 μmol(photon) m^-2 s^-1] on quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry and xanthophyll cycle pigments was investigated in a tropical fruit crop (Musa sp.) and a temperate spring flowering plant (Allium ursinum L.). In darkness within the nonlethal thermal window of A. ursinum (from -6.7 to 47.7°C; 54.5 K) and of Musa sp. (from -2.2°C to 49.5°C; 51.7 K) maximal quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (F_v/F_m) was fairly unaffected by temperature over more than 40 K. At low temperature...

Unintended effects of genetic transformation on photosynthetic gas exchange, leaf reflectance and plant growth properties in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

C. X. Sun, F. Yuan, Y. L. Zhang, Z. B. Cui, Z. H. Chen, L. J. Chen, Z. J. Wu

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):22-32 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0002-9

Characterization of different component processes of photosynthesis is useful to understand the growth status of plants and to discover possible unintended effects of genetic modification on photosynthesis in transgenic plants. We focused on the changes in photosynthetic gas-exchange properties, reflectance spectra, and plant growth traits among groups of different transgenic barley T1 (Tol_T1) and its isogenic controls (Tol_NT1), Tol_T1, and group of its own transgenic progenies T2 (Tol_T2), Tol_NT1 and its wild type (WT), respectively. Gas-exchange measurements showed that only the net photosynthetic...

The effects of enhanced UV-B radiation on photosynthetic and biochemical activities in super-high-yield hybrid rice Liangyoupeijiu at the reproductive stage

G. H. Yu, W. Li, Z. Y. Yuan, H. Y. Cui, C. G. Lv, Z. P. Gao, B. Han, Y. Z. Gong, G. X. Chen

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):33-44 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0081-z

We investigated the light reactions, CO₂ assimilation, but also the chloroplast ultrastructure in the upper three functional leaves (flag, 2^nd, and 3^rd leaves) of the Chinese super-high-yield hybrid rice (Oryza sativa L.) Liangyoupeijiu (LYPJ) with ultraviolet-B (UV-B) treatment during reproductive development. Photosynthetic parameters showed that the upper 3 functional leaves of LYPJ entered into senescence approximately 15 days after flag leaf emergence (DAE). Leaves in UV-B treatment exhibited greater efficiency in absorbing and utilizing light energy of photosystem II (PSII), characterized by higher chlorophyll...

Phenotypes of Alb3p and carotenoid synthesis mutants show similarities regarding light sensitivity, thylakoid structure and protein stability

M. Kugelmann, A. Fausser, F. Ossenbühl, A. Brennicke

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):45-54 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0078-7

Chloroplast proteins of the Alb3/YidC/Oxa1p family are necessary for assembly of photosynthetic complexes in the thylakoid membranes. Alb3p in Arabidopsis thaliana is essential for posttranslational LHCII-integration into thylakoid membranes and participates in cotranslational assembly of D1. However, the pleiotropic defects of an Alb3p mutant, albino3, suggest additional functions for Alb3p. To obtain an impression of such potential further Alb3p activities from phenotypic manifestations, properties of mutants disturbed in thylakoid membrane protein transport or carotenoid biosynthesis were compared with the albino3 mutant. Specific...

Juvenile tank-bromeliads lacking tanks: do they engage in CAM photosynthesis?

J. D. Beltrán, E. Lasso, S. Madriñán, A. Virgo, K. Winter

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):55-62 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0077-8

In the epiphytic tillandsioids, Guzmania monostachia, Werauhia sanguinolenta, and Guzmania lingulata (Bromeliaceae), juvenile plants exhibit an atmospheric habit, whereas in adult plants the leaf bases overlap and form water-holding tanks. CO₂ gas-exchange measurements of the whole, intact plants and δ¹³C values of mature leaves demonstrated that C₃ photosynthesis was the principal pathway of CO₂ assimilation in juveniles and adults of all three species. Nonetheless, irrespective of plant size, all three species were able to display features of facultative CAM when exposed to drought...

Annual and monthly carbon balance in an intensively managed Mediterranean olive orchard

M. Nardino, F. Pernice, F. Rossi, T. Georgiadis, O. Facini, A. Motisi, A. Drago

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):63-74 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0079-6

At present, research activities on the role of orchard systems in sequestering atmospheric CO₂ remain scarce. This paper aimed to contribute to assessing the carbon balance of a Mediterranean olive (Olea europea) orchard. The net ecosystem exchange, the ecosystem respiration and the gross primary production were computed for two consecutive years through eddy covariance, and the different biomass accumulation terms were also inferred in the same period through an inventorial method. The net carbon exchange ranged from 13.45 t(C) ha^-1 year^-1 to 11.60 t(C) ha^-1 year^-1. Very similar values...

Photosynthesis, energy partitioning, and metabolic adjustments of the endangered Cistaceae species Tuberaria major under high temperature and drought

M. L. Osório, J. Osório, A. Romano

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):75-84 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0080-0

In view of predicted climatic changes for the Mediterranean region, study of high temperature and drought impacts on physiological responses of endangered species regains relevance. In this context, micropropagated plants of Tuberaria major, a critically endangered species, endemic of Algarve, were transferred to a controlled-environment cabinet with day/night temperatures set at 25/18°C (Reference) or 32/21°C (HT). After 15 days of HT acclimation, some plants were subjected to progressive drought followed by rewatering. The enhancement of temperature alone did not affect water relations and photosynthetic rates (P _N) but the...

Study of the senescence process in primary leaves of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants under two different light intensities

L. De La Mata, P. Cabello, P. De La Haba, E. Agüera

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):85-94 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0001-x

Different parameters that vary during leaf development may be affected by light intensity. To study the influence of different light intensities on primary leaf senescence, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants were grown for 50 days under two photon flux density (PFD) conditions, namely high irradiance (HI) at 350 μmol(photon) m^-2 s^-1 and low irradiance (LI) at 125 μmol(photon) m^-2 s^-1. Plants grown under HI exhibited greater specific leaf mass referred to dry mass, leaf area and soluble protein at the beginning of the leaf development. This might have resulted from the increased CO₂...

Effect of sodium chloride on gas exchange, antioxidative defense mechanism and ion accumulation in different cultivars of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana L.)

R. Agrawal, S. Gupta, N. K. Gupta, S. K. Khandelwal, R. Bhargava

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):95-101 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0003-8

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of NaCl (electric conductivity of 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m^-1) on growth, gas exchange parameters, water status, membrane injury, chlorophyll stability index and oxidative defense mechanisms in two cultivars (Gola and Umran) of Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana). Results showed that the dry mass and leaf area reduced linearly with increasing levels of salinity. Net photosynthetic rate (P _N), transpiration (E), and stomatal conductance (g _s) were comparatively lower in Umran which further declined with salinity. Leaf relative water content, chlorophyll...

Exogenous glycine betaine modulates ascorbate peroxidase and catalase activities and prevent lipid peroxidation in mild water-stressed Carapa guianensis plants

F. J. R. Cruz, G. L. S. Castro, D. D. Silva Júnior, R. A. Festucci-Buselli, H. A. Pinheiro

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):102-108 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0004-7

The hypothesis that application of exogenous glycine betaine (GB_EX) may attenuate the effects of mild water deficit in leaf gas exchange and lipid peroxidation in Carapa guianensis was examined. For this reason, 110-d old plants were sprayed with 0, 25, and 50 mM GB_EX and then subjected to two watering regimes. In the first, irrigation was continuously performed to maintain the soil near to field capacity (watered plants). In the second, irrigation was withheld and water deficit resulted from progressive evapotranspiration (water-stressed plants). Treatment comparisons were assessed when predawn leaflet water potential...

Leaf morphological and ultrastructural performance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in response to water stress

Q. S. Fu, R. C. Yang, H. S. Wang, B. Zhao, C. L. Zhou, S. X. Ren, Y. D. Guo

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):109-114 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0005-6

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...

Effect of inland salt-alkaline stress on C₄ enzymes, pigments, antioxidant enzymes, and photosynthesis in leaf, bark, and branch chlorenchyma of poplars

H. M. Wang, W. J. Wang, H. Z. Wang, Y. Wang, H. N. Xu, Y. G. Zu

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):115-126 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0008-3

The effects of soil salt-alkaline (SA) stress on leaf physiological processes are well studied in the laboratory, but less is known about their effect on leaf, bark and branch chlorenchyma and no reports exist on their effect on C₄ enzymes in field conditions. Our results demonstrated that activities of C₄ enzymes, such as phospholenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), and NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH), could also be regulated by soil salinity/alkalinity in poplar (Populus alba × P. berolinensis) trees, similarly as the already...

Interactive effects of temperature and light intensity on photosynthesis and antioxidant enzyme activity in Zizania latifolia Turcz. plants

N. Yan, X. F. Xu, Z. D. Wang, J. Z. Huang, D. P. Guo

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):127-138 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0009-2

We compared the interactive effects of temperature and light intensity on growth, photosynthetic performance, and antioxidant enzyme activity in Zizania latifolia Turcz. plants in this study. Plants were grown under field (average air temperature 9.6-25°C and average light intensity 177-375 W m^-2) or greenhouse (20-32°C and 106-225 W m^-2) conditions from the spring to the early summer. The results indicated that greenhouse-grown plants (GGP) had significantly higher plant height, leaf length, and leaf width, but lower leaf thickness and total shoot mass per cluster compared with field-grown plants (FGP). Tiller emergence...

Responses of photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidative metabolism in winter wheat to post-anthesis shading

C. Xu, Y. Yin, R. Cai, P. Wang, Y. Ni, J. Guo, E. Chen, T. Cai, Z. Cui, T. Liu, D. Yang, Z. Wang

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):139-150 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0010-9

In a field experiment, two winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, Tainong 18 (a large-spike cultivar) and Jinan 17 (a multiple-spike cultivar), were treated with 78% (S1), 50% (S2), and 10% (S3) of full sunshine (S0, control) from anthesis to maturity to determine the responses of photosynthetic characteristics and antioxidative enzyme activities in a flag leaf. Compared with S0 treatment, the chlorophyll (Chl) content and maximal efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry (F_v/F_m) of flag leaves were enhanced in treatments S1 and S2. From 0 to 7 d post flowering, the Chl content and F_v/F_m...

Chlorophyll content and photosystem II efficiency in soybean exposed to supplemental ultraviolet-B radiation

Z. Hu, H. Li, S. Chen, Y. Yang

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):151-157 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0007-4

Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence parameters and rapid light curves of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] were measured by pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry. Measurements were taken during different stages of soybean growth under field conditions with 20% enhancement in ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation. Results showed that supplemental UV-B radiation decreased Chl contents by 5.5% (P=0.048), 8.7% (P=0.046), and 10.5% (P=0.005) in seedling, in branching-flowering, and in pod-setting stages, respectively. In the branching-flowering and pod-setting stages, maximum quantum yield of photosystem (PS) II photochemistry...

Photosynthetic limitation of similar-height Cryptomeria japonica trees growing at different rates

T. Tange, M. Someya, M. Norisada, M. Masumori

Photosynthetica 2013, 51(1):158-160 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-013-0006-5

We compared light-saturated photosynthetic rates and their stomatal limitations among Cryptomeria japonica trees with a similar height but different current growth rates. Although slow-growing trees had a lower stomatal conductance and a higher carbon isotope ratio in shoots, the stomatal limitations in photosynthesis were not different. Large mesophyll CO₂ diffusion resistance contributed to the low photosynthetic rate of the slow-growing trees.