To investigate damaging mechanisms of chilling and salt stress to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) leaves, LuHua 14 was used in the present work upon exposure to chilling temperature (4°C) accompanied by high irradiance (1,200 μmol m-2 s-1) (CH), salt stress accompanied by high irradiance (1,200 μmol m-2 s-1) (SH), and high-irradiance stress (1,200 μmol m-2 s-1) at room temperature (25°C) (NH), respectively. Additionally, plants under low irradiance (100 μmol m-2 s-1) at room temperature (25°C) were used as control plants (CK). Relative to CK and NH treatments, both the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) and the absorbance at 820 nm decreased greatly in peanut leaves under CH and SH stress, which indicated that severe photoinhibition occurred in peanut leaves under such conditions. Initial fluorescence (F0), 1 - qP and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) in peanut leaves significantly increased under CH- and SH stress. Additionally, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), one of the key enzymes of water-water cycle, decreased greatly, the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and membrane permeability increased. These results suggested that damages to peanut photosystems might be related to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by excess energy, and the water-water cycle could not dissipate energy efficiently under the stress of CH and SH, which caused the accumulation of ROS greatly. CH and SH had similar damaging effects on peanut photosystems, except that CH has more severe effects. All the results showed that CH- and SH stress has similar damaging site and mechanisms in peanut leaves. and L.-Q. Qin ... [et al.].
Pyrococcus furiosus is a hyperthermophilic archaeon. Its ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (PfRubisco) has only large subunit (L). PfRubisco has a novel (L2)5, decameric structure and it possesses higher carboxylase activity and thermotolerance. To assess the potential functionality of PfRubisco in higher plants under high-temperature stress, PfRubisco coding sequence was transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana by Pea early browning virus mediated ectopic expression. The transgenic PfRubisco plants produced chlorotic yellow stripes in their leaves. Relative to the control leaves, those with yellow stripes exhibited decreased net photosynthetic rate and chlorophyll content, altered chloroplast ultrastructure, and more severe photoinhibition of both photosystem I and II. We concluded that the ectopic expression of PfRubisco might disrupt the chloroplast development and function in N. benthamiana. The potential cause of the disruption was discussed. and X. -G. Li ... [et al.].