CO2 (40, 200, 400 loM) was added to the root systém of 10-d-old pea plants (Pisum sativum L. cv. Ran). The Co2'''-excess caused a reduction in the plant fresh and diy masses and water and chlorophyll contents. The rates of photosynthesis and transpiration decreased, while proline content and stomata resistance increased. The dramatic effect of Co2+-toxicity was expressed both in an inhibition of ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase activity and a stimulation of RuBP-oxygenase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities on the 4‘h day of cnltivation of plants in a solution of 400 pM C6^*.
Ten day old pea plants {Pisum sativum L., cv. Ran) were ušed to analýze the effects of Cu2+ ions on the dry mass, chlorophyll, carotenoid and proline contents, rates of photosynthesis (En) and transpiration {E), stomatal resistance {r^, carboxylation enzymes activities (RuBPC, PEPC), RNA and protein syntheses and changes in chloroplast structure. Cu^^ treated plants showed lower chlorophyll a and carotenoids contents, and higher than Controls. Pii, E and protein synthesis were significantly reduced. Four days after metal treatment P^ was 5-7 % at 500 and 1000 pM Cu2+ from the Controls, was reduced and E was increased by all ušed metal concentrations. The lower RuBPC activity after the 4 d treatment by 1000 pM Cu2+ could be due to the inhibition of de novo protein synthesis. The higher proline content was probably due to the same reason. Cu2+ ions did not change RNA synthesis in pea leaves. We foímd complete disintegration of chloroplast lamellar systém 4 d after 1000 pM Cu2+ treatment, which confirmed the observed ftmctional changes.
Strong inhibition of rates of CO2 assimilation and transpiration, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency as well as photosystem 2 (PS2) photochemical activity were related to the severity of reddening. The inhibition of photosynthesis in red cotton leaves was due to both decreased photochemical activity and stomatal limitation. Lowered photosynthetic capacity could be one of the main factors of reduced yield in reddening cotton. and V. Velikova ... [et al.].
Effects of high-temperature stress (HTS) and PEG-induced water stress (WS), applied separately or in combination, on the functional activity and ultrastructure of the photosynthetic apparatus (PSA) of maize (Zea mays L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) plants were investigated. In maize plant tissues WS provoked the decrease in RWC by 10.9 %, HTS by 7.0 %, and after simultaneous application of the both treatments the decrease was 32.7 % in comparison with control plants. Similar but more expressed changes were observed in sunflower plants. Sunflower was more sensitive to these stresses. Net photosynthetic rate decreased significantly after all treatments, more in sunflower. In mesophyll chloroplasts after separately applied WS and HTS the number of grana and thylakoids was reduced and electron-transparent spaces appeared. At combined stress (WS+HTS) granal and stromal thylakoids were considerably affected and chloroplast envelope in many of them was partially disrupted. and I. Dekov, T. Tsonev, I. Yordanov.
The temperature dependence of the induction kinetics parameters of chiorophyll (Chl) fluorescence in leaves and isolated chloroplasts of young plants of PhaseoliLt vulgaris L. was studied. Theoretical prerequisites for the influence of fluorescence measuring temperature as well as 3 min pretreatment of leaf discs cn both the photophysical and dark processes in the photosynthetic appaiatus were evaluated. The registration manner of fluorescence kinetics detennined the pattem of temperature dependence curve. The characteristic temperature of sharp changes of induction kinetics parameters, maximal and initial fluorescence and Fq, were in ranges of 45-47 and 55-60 °C, respectively. The fitting of experimental data from thermograms registered at weak exciting iiradiance in thermoinactivated leaf discs allowed to estimate the activation energy (FJ of the intemal energy conversion process in excited Chl molecule as 51.2±0.15 kJ moTT The theoretical analysis of /'q measured by a PAM fluorometer showed that Fq registered even at low inadiances markedly exceeded its ideál dark value. The Fq measured at 25 °C was increased by 125±5.3 % by the herbicide DCMU and diminished by -23.8±1.6 % by the elechon acceptor DCBQ. At the experimental conditions ušed there were about 25 % of 1\ from dosed Qg non-reducing reaction centres in the measured Fq value. Thus the thermoinduced increase in Fq observed within the temperature inteiwal of 45-50 °C might be doně by a transition of PS2 reaction centres from a statě capable of reducing Q3 to a Qg-non-reducing statě.
Fifteen-day-old bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in a climatic chamber were exposed to water deficit (WD) and high temperature (HT) stresses applied separately or in combination. Changes in chlorophyll fluorescence quenching were investigated. Bean plants that endured mild (42 °C, 5 h for 2 d) WD separately or in combination with HT did not change their qP and qN quenching (measured at 25 °C) compared with those of the control. After 5 min testing at 45 °C, qP in control and droughted plants strongly decreased, while qP of plants that experienced combined WD+HT stress was insignificantly influenced, suggesting the acclimation effect of HT treatments. At more severe stresses (after 3 d-treatment), qP measured at 25 °C was the lowest in WD+HT plants and qN values were the highest. But when measured at 45 °C, qP of WD+HT plants had practically the same values as at 25 °C. Under these conditions qP of WD plants also showed an adaptation to HT. Twenty-four hours after recovery, the unfavourable effects of the stresses were strongly reduced when measured at 25 °C, but they were still present when measured at 45 °C. Positive effect of the carbamide cytokinin 4-PU-30 was well expressed only in droughted plants. and I. Yordanov, V. Velikova, T. Tsonev.
A versatile and inexpensive systém with a hand scanner was developed and evaluated for measuring leaf area. A BASIC programme was created for processing the image fíles and calculating the area of scanned objects. The accuracy was better than 1 % of the reference area and it fell only when the area/perimeter ratio was less than 0.3 or when the measured object size was smaller than 0.1 cm^.
Alterations in photosynthetic performance of lutein-deficient mutant lut2 and wild type (wt) of Arabidopsis thaliana were followed after treatment with low temperature and high light for 6 d. The obtained results indicated lower electrolyte leakage, lower excitation pressure, and higher actual photochemical efficiency of PSII in lut2 plants exposed to combined stress compared to wt plants. This implies that lut2 is less susceptible to the applied stress conditions. The observed lower values of quantum efficiency of nonphotochemical quenching and energy-dependent component of nonphotochemical quenching in lut2 suggest that nonphotochemical quenching mechanism(s) localized within LHCII could not be involved in the acquisition of higher stress tolerance of lut2 and alternatives to nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms are involved for dissipation of excess absorbed light. We suggest that the observed enhanced capacity for cyclic electron flow and the higher oxidation state of P700 (P700+), which suggests PSI-dependent energy quenching in lut2 plants may serve as efficient photoprotective mechanisms, thus explaining the lower susceptibility of lut2 to the combined stress treatments.
At the whole plant level, the effect of stress is usually perceived as a decrease in photosynthesis and growth. That is why this review is focused mainly on the effect of drought on photosynthesis, its injury, and mechanisms of adaptation. The analysed literature shows that plants have evolved a number of adaptive mechanisms that allow the photochemical and biochemical systems to cope with negative changes in environment, including increased water deficit. In addition, the acquisition of tolerance to drought includes both phenotypic and genotypic changes. The approaches were made to identify those metabolic steps that are most sensitive to drought. Some studies also examined the mechanisms controlling gene expression and putative regulatory pathways. and I. Yordanov, V. Velikova, T. Tsonev.