Photosynthetica, 2012 (vol. 50), issue 4
Original Papers
Modelling photosynthesis in shallow algal production ponds
R. J. Ritchie, A. W. D. Larkum
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):481-500 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0076-9 
Shallow ponds with rapidly photosynthesising cyanobacteria or eukaryotic algae are used for growing biotechnology feedstock and have been proposed for biofuel production but a credible model to predict the productivity of a column of phytoplankton in such ponds is lacking. Oxygen electrodes and Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) fluorometer technology were used to measure gross photosynthesis (P G) vs. irradiance (E) curves (P G vs. E curves) in Chlorella (chlorophyta), Dunaliella salina (chlorophyta) and Phaeodactylum (bacillariophyta). P G vs. E curves were...
Responses of young 'Pink lady' apple to alternate deficit irrigation following long-term drought: growth, photosynthetic capacity, water-use efficiency, and sap flow
X. P. Sun, H. L. Yan, P. Ma, B. H. Liu, Y. J. Zou, D. Liang, F. W. Ma, P. M. Li
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):501-507 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0058-y
We studied photosynthetic capacity, growth, sap flow, and water-use efficiency in young trees of 'Pink Lady' apple (Malus domestica) that were exposed to 60 d of moisture stress. Three irrigation schemes were tested in the greenhouse: well-watered control; drought; or alternate deficit irrigation (ADI). Compared with the drought-stressed plants, those treated via ADI showed better height growth, larger scion diameters, and greater total leaf area, as well as significantly increased gains in dry biomass and rootstock diameters. However, their performance was still significantly lower than that demonstrated by continuously well-watered...
Comparison of photosynthesis and antioxidative protection in Sedum album and Sedum stoloniferum (Crassulaceae) under water stress
G. Habibi, R. Hajiboland
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):508-518 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0066-y
Photosynthetic gas exchange, dry mass production, water relations and inducibility of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) pathway as well as antioxidative protection during the C3-CAM shift were investigated in Sedum album and Sedum stoloniferum from Crassulaceae under water stress for 20 days. Leaf relative water content (RWC), leaf osmotic and water potential decreased with increasing water stress in both studied species. Significant reduction in dry matter production and leaf thickness was detected only in S. stoloniferum after 20-d water stress. Δtitratable acidity and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase...
Gas exchange, growth, and antioxidant activity in sugarcane under biological nitrogen fixation
C. D. Medeiros, M. T. Oliveira, R. Rivas, J. I. Baldani, E. A. Kido, M. G. Santos
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):519-528 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0059-x
The aim of this study was to characterize the key physiological aspects of three sugarcane cultivars (RB92579, RB867515 and RB872552) under biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Plants were generated in tubes containing aseptic substrates and these plants were transferred to pots containing washed sand, but watered with a mineral fertilizer, and inoculated with a mixture of five diazotrophic bacteria three times at seven-day intervals. Under BNF, all of the cultivars contained half of their total leaf nitrogen content and 50% less shoot dry mass. The leaves of plants under BNF showed approximately 65% less of the total protein content (TP). The gas-exchange...
Light-dependent and light-independent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductases share similar sequence motifs -in silico studies
M. Gabruk, J. Grzyb, J. Kruk, B. Mysliwa-Kurdziel
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):529-540 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0057-z
In the present studies, we have found a fragment of amino acid sequence, called TFT motif, both in light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (LPOR) and in the L subunit of dark-operative (light-independent) protochlorophyllide oxidoreductases (DPOR). Amino acid residues of this motif shared similar physicochemical properties in both types of the enzymes. In the present paper, physicochemical properties of amino acid residues of this common motif, its spatial arrangement and a possible physiological role are being discussed. This is the first report when similarity between LPOR and DPOR, phylogenetically unrelated, but functionally redundant...
Ecophysiological responses of Caragana korshinskii Kom. under extreme drought stress: Leaf abscission and stem survives
D. H. Xu, X. W. Fang, P. X. Su, G. Wang
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):541-548 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0060-4
Caragana korshinskii Kom. is a perennial xerophytic shrub, well known for its ability to resist drought. In order to study ecophysiological responses of C. korshinskii under extreme drought stress and subsequent rehydration, diurnal patterns of gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters of photosystem II as well as Chl content were analyzed. Plant responses to extreme drought included (1) leaf abscission and using stem for photosynthesis, (2) improved instantaneous water-use efficiency, (3) decreased photosynthetic rate and partly closed stomata owing to leaf abscission and low water status, (4)...
Changes in photosynthetic activity in five common hybrids of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) seedlings under water deficit
K. Suresh, C. Nagamani, D. L. Kantha, M. K. Kumar
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):549-556 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0062-2
The leaf water potential, gas-exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence were evaluated in five common oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) tenera hybrids 913X1988, 1425X2277, 748X1988, 7418X1988, and 690X1988 under water deficit with an aim to identify hybrids which can cope up better under such conditions and understand possible differences among hybrids in relation to the physiological mechanisms triggered by water deficit. Our findings indicate oil palm hybrids 913X1988, 1425X2277, and 7418X1988 maintained higher leaf water potentials than the other hybrids. Hybrids 7418X1988 and 1425X2277 recorded lower stomatal conductance after...
Physiological and morphological short-term responses to light and temperature in two Nothofagus species of Patagonia, South America
S. A. Varela, M. E. Fernández, J. E. Gyenge, A. Aparicio, O. Bruzzone, T. M. Schlichter
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):557-569 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0064-0
The study of plant responses to environmental stress factors is essential for management of plant systems and for anticipating their response to climate change. The main goal of this study was to determine morphological and physiological responses of Nothofagus obliqua and N. nervosa seedlings to light and temperature, two of the main stress factors acting in their current natural distribution in NW Patagonia. Responses to light were evaluated analyzing growth and survival, as well as morphological and physiological traits related to them, in seedlings subjected to three contrasting light conditions (full-sun conditions, 50% of sunlight...
Comparison of the photosynthetic characteristics of four Lycoris species with leaf appearing in autumn under field conditions
K. Liu, C. F. Tang, S. B. Zhou, Y. P. Wang, D. Zhang, G. W. Wu, L. L. Chang
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):570-576 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0067-x
The diurnal trends of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in four Lycoris species (L. houdyshelii, L. aurea, L. radiata var. pumila and L. albiflora) were determined and compared with a portable photosynthesis analysis system. Our study revealed that L. houdyshelii had the lowest light compensation point (LCP), while the other three species had higher LCP (12.37-14.99 μmol m-2 s-1); L. aurea had the highest light saturation point (LSP) (1,189 μmol m-2 s-1), and L. houdyshelii and L. albiflora had lower LSP with the values being...
Nitrogen enhanced photosynthesis of Miscanthus by increasing stomatal conductance and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase concentration
X. P. Feng, Y. Chen, Y. H. Qi, C. L. Yu, Bing-Song Zheng, M. Brancourt-Hulmel, De-An Jiang
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):577-586 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0061-3
Miscanthus is one of the most promising bioenergy crops with high photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE). It is unclear how nitrogen (N) influences the photosynthesis in Miscanthus. Among three Miscanthus genotypes, the net photosynthetic rate (P N) under the different light intensity and CO2 concentration was measured at three levels of N: 0, 100, and 200 kg ha-1. The concentrations of chlorophyll, soluble protein, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) large subunit, leaf anatomy and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ)...
Effect of bicarbonate treatment on photosynthetic assimilation of inorganic carbon in two plant species of Moraceae
Y. Y. Wu, D. K. Xing
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):587-594 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0065-z
Excessive levels of bicarbonate adversely affect the growth and metabolism of plants. Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent. and Morus alba L., belonging to family Moraceae, possess the favorable characteristics of rapid growth and adaptability to adverse environments. We examined the response of these two plant species to bicarbonate stress in terms of photosynthetic assimilation of inorganic carbon. They were exposed to 10 mM sodium bicarbonate in the culture solution for 20 days. The photosynthetic response was determined by measuring the net photosynthetic rate of the leaf, water-use efficiency, and chlorophyll fluorescence on days 10...
Modulated increased UV-B radiation affects crop growth and grain yield and quality of maize in the field
L. N. Yin, S. W. Wang
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):595-601 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0068-9
Current research on the effect of increased UV-B radiation on crop production has been limited to exposing plants to improbable UV-B dose or growth condition. The objective of this study was to test the effects of short-term modulated increased UV-B radiation on maize (Zea mays L.) growth, grain yield, and quality under field conditions for three years. A modulated irradiance system was used to maintain UV-B radiation at 30% above the ambient level and was applied daily between the elongation and silking stages of maize. The result indicated that increased UV-B radiation adversely affected maize growth and yield, especially on plant height when...
Ascorbate plays a key role in alleviating low temperature-induced oxidative stress in Arabidopsis
L. Y. Wang, Q. Y. Zhang, F. Wang, X. Meng, Q. W. Meng
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):602-612 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0072-0
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...
Assessing the role of vertical leaves within the photosynthetic function of Styrax camporum under drought conditions
A. M. Feistler, G. Habermann
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):613-622 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0069-8
Previous evidence has demonstrated that vertical leaves of Styrax camporum, a woody shrub from the Brazilian savanna, have a higher net photosynthetic rate (P N) compared with horizontal leaves, and that it is detected only if gas exchange is measured with light interception by both leaf surfaces. In the present study, leaf temperature (T leaf), gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence with light interception on adaxial and also on abaxial surfaces of vertical and horizontal mature fully-expanded leaves subjected to water deficit (WD) were measured. Similar gas-exchange and fluorescence values...
High-light-like photosynthetic responses of Cucumis sativus leaves acclimated to fluorescent illumination with a high red:far-red ratio: interaction between light quality and quantity
T. Shibuya, R. Endo, N. Hayashi, Y. Kitaya
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):623-629 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0071-1
This study evaluated the photosynthetic responses of Cucumis sativus leaves acclimated to illumination from three-band white fluorescent lamps with a high red:far-red (R:FR) ratio (R:FR = 10.5) and the photosynthetic responses of leaves acclimated to metal-halide lamps that provided a spectrum similar to that of natural light (R:FR = 1.2) at acclimation photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of 100 to 700 μmol m-2 s-1. The maximum gross photosynthetic rate (P G) of the fluorescent-acclimated leaves was approximately 1.4 times that of the metal-halide-acclimated leaves at all acclimation PPFDs. The...
Brief Communications
Dimethoate-induced slow S to M chlorophyll a fluorescence transient in wheat plants
J. K. Pandey, R. Gopal
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):630-634 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0075-x
In eukaryotic oxygenic photosynthetic organisms (both plants and algae), the maximum fluorescence is at peak P, with peak M lying much lower, or being even absent. Thus, the PSMT phase, where S is semisteady state, and T is terminal state, is replaced by a monotonous P→T fluorescence decay. In the present study, we found that dimethoate-treated wheat plant leaves showed SM transient, whereas in the case of control plants monotonous P→T fluorescence decay occured. We suggest that this was partly due to quenching of fluorescence due to [H+], responsible for P to S (T) decay in control plants (Briantais et al. 1979) being replaced...
Changes in stomatal characteristics and photochemical efficiency during leaf development in six species of Sorbus
I. Čaňová, J. Ďurkovič, D. Hladká, I. Lukáčik
Photosynthetica 2012, 50(4):635-640 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-012-0063-1
Measurements of Sorbus stomata size and density, maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), variable-to-initial fluorescence ratio (Fv/F0) and potential electron acceptor capacity ('area') were performed during leaf development in four parental diploid species, S. aria, S. aucuparia, S. chamaemespilus, S. torminalis, and two hybrid species, S. hazslinszkyana and S. intermedia. In fully expanded mature leaves, stomata lengths and densities were significantly larger in the shrub S. chamaemespilus than in the five tree species. The best...