An early senescence (es) mutant of rice Oryza sativa L. with progressing death of most of leaves before heading stage was identified in the field in Hainan province. After tillering stage, the brown striations were found in the base of green leaves randomly, and then expanded to whole leaves. No fungi, bacteria, and viruses were detected in the brown striations suggesting that it was a genetic mutant. The ultrastructure of leaf cells at the site of brown striations showed breakdown of chloroplast thylakoid membrane structures and other organelles, and condensation of the cytoplasm at severe senescence stage. The photosynthetic activity and chlorophyll (Chl) contents decreased irreversibly along with leaf senescence process. and L. F. Wang, Y. Y. Chen.
Australian carnivorous pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis Labill. produces two types of leaves. During the spring time, the plant produces a foliage type of noncarnivorous leaf called lamina. Later, the second type of leaf is produced - carnivorous pitcher. Using simultaneous measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence photosynthetic efficiency of these two distinct forms of leaves were compared. In addition stomatal density, an important component of gas exchange, and Chl concentration were also determined. Pitcher trap had lower net photosynthetic rate
(PN) in comparison to noncarnivorous lamina, whereas the rate of respiration (RD) was not significantly different. This was in accordance with lower stomatal density and Chl concentration in the pitcher trap. On the other hand maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum yield of photochemical energy conversion in PSII (ΦPSII) was not significantly different. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) was significantly higher in the lamina at higher irradiance. These data are in accordance with hypothesis that changing the leaf shape in carnivorous plants to make it a better trap generally makes it less efficient at photosynthesis. However, the pitcher of Cephalotus had much higher PN than it was expected from the data set of the genus Nepenthes. Because it is not possible to optimize for contrasting function such as photosynthesis and carnivory, it is hypothesized that Cephalotus pitchers are less elaborated for carnivorous function than the pitchers of Nepenthes. and A. Pavlovič.
Photosynthesis is amongst the plant cell functions that are highly sensitive to any type of changes. Sun and shade conditions are prevalent in fields as well as dense forests. Dense forests face extreme sun and shade conditions, and plants adapt themselves accordingly. Sun flecks cause changes in plant metabolic processes. In the field, plants have to face high light intensity and survive under such conditions. Sun and shade type of plants develops a respective type of chloroplasts which help plants to survive and perform photosynthesis under adverse conditions. PSII and Rubisco behave differently under different sun and shade conditions. In this review, morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes under conditions of sun (high light) and shade (low light) on the process of photosynthesis, as well as the tolerance and adaptive mechanisms involved for the same, were summarized., S. Mathur, L. Jain, A. Jajoo., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The leaves of 29-d-old plants of Brassica juncea Czern & Coss cv. Varuna were sprayed with 10-6 or 10-8 M aqueous solutions of indole-3-yl-acetic acid (IAA) or its substituted derivatives 4-Cl-IAA, 7-Cl-IAA, and 4,7-Cl2-IAA. All the auxins improved the vegetative growth and seed yield at harvest compared with those sprayed with de-ionised water (control). 4-Cl-IAA was most prominent in its effect, generating 21.6, 39.7, 61.0, 35.0, 65.5, and 56.2% higher values for dry mass, leaf chlorophyll content, carbonic anhydrase (E.C. 4.2.1.1) and nitrate reductase (E.C. 1.6.6.1) activities, net photosynthetic rate, and carboxylation efficiency, respectively, in 60-d-old plants. It also enhanced the seed yield by 31.1% over the control. The order of response of the plants to various auxins was 4-Cl IAA ≥ 7-Cl IAA > 4,7-Cl2 IAA = IAA > control.
Limitations in photosystem function and photosynthetic electron flow were investigated during leaf senescence in two field-grown plants, i.e., Euphorbia dendroides L. and Morus alba L., a summer- and winter-deciduous, shrub and tree, respectively. Analysis of fast chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence transients and post-illumination fluorescence yield increase were used to assess photosynthetic properties at various stages of senescence, the latter judged from the extent of Chl loss. In both plants, the yield of primary photochemistry of PSII and the content of PSI remained quite stable up to the last stages of senescence, when leaves were almost yellow. However, the potential for linear electron flow along PSII was limited much earlier, especially in E. dendroides, by an apparent inactivation of the oxygen-evolving complex and a lower efficiency of electron transfer to intermediate carriers. On the contrary, the corresponding efficiency of electron transfer from intermediate carriers to final acceptors of PSI was increased. In addition, cyclic electron flow around PSI was accelerated with the progress of senescence in E. dendroides, while a corresponding trend in M. alba was not statistically significant. However, there was no decrease in PSI activity even at the last stages of senescence. We argue that a switch to cyclic electron flow around PSI during leaf senescence may have the dual role of replenishing the ATP and maintaining a satisfactory nonphotochemical energy quenching, since both are limited by hindered linear electron transfer., C. Kotakis, A. Kyzeridou, Y. Manetas., and Obsahuje bibliografii
In lichens, ribitol is known as a carbon storage compound, an osmotic agens involved effectively in cell compartments protection during dehydration of lichen thalli and as a cryoprotective compound. In our study, we investigated the effect of ribitol on photochemical processes of photosynthesis in foliose lichens [Lasallia pustulata (L.) Mérat., Umbilicaria hirsuta (Sw. ex Westr.) Hoffm.] at low temperature. The effects of three concentrations of ribitol, added externally to thalli segments on several chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters, were evaluated. The 72 h exposition to 8, 16, and 26 mM ribitol led to a concentration-dependent increase in FV/FM, decrease in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) but no change in quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (ΦPSII) values at -5 °C). At higher temperature (0, +5 °C), no effect of ribitol addition on the photosynthetic parameters was apparent. and J. Hájek, P. Váczi, M. Barták.
We compared chloroplast photochemical properties and activities of some chloroplast-localised enzymes in two ecotypes of Phragmites communis, swamp reed (SR, C3-like) and dune reed (DR, C4-like) plants growing in the desert region of north-west China. Electron transport rates of whole electron transport chain and photosystem (PS) 2 were remarkably lower in DR chloroplasts. However, the electron transport rate for PS1 in DR chloroplasts was more than 90 % of the activity similar in the SR chloroplasts. Activities of Mg2+-ATPase and cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylations were higher in DR chloroplasts than in the SR ones. The activities of chloroplast superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), both localised at or near the PS1 complex and serving to scavenge active oxygen around PS1, and the content of ascorbic acid, a special substrate of APX in chloroplast, were all higher in DR chloroplasts. Hence reed, a hydrophytic plant, when subjected to intense selection pressure in dune habitat, elevates its cyclic electron flow around PS1. In consequence, it provides extra ATP required by C4 photosynthesis. Combined high activities of active oxygen scavenging components in DR chloroplasts might improve protection of photosynthetic apparatus, especially PS1, from the damage of reactive oxygen species. This offers new explanation of photosynthetic performance of plant adaptation to long-term natural drought habitat, which is different from those, subjected to the short-term stress treatment or even to the artificial field drought. and X. Y. Zhu, G. C. Chen, C. L. Zhang.
Two stress imposing systems were used: a rapid stress developed by allowing excised leaves to loose water by transpiration, and a slow stress developed by withholding watering of potted plants. Carboxylating enzymes reacted differently on both types of stress. Rapid stress increased ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO) activation, but both activities (initial and total) showed little variation with stress. Under slow stress the activation did not change, although both activities decreased much under stress. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) showed a deep decrease of activity under rapid stress, nevertheless, a certain recovery was found under extreme stress. On the other hand, under slow stress the activity of PEPC showed a linear increase with decreasing relative water content. The ratio between physiological and maximal activity increased slightly under both types of stress. The activity of malic enzyme did not change under rapid stress, and decreased linearly under slow stress. and J. Marques da Silva, M. C. Arrabaça.
Responses of photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence of three wild soybeans, Glycine soja, G. tomentella, and G. tabacina occurring in different habitats of Taiwan, to four NaCl treatments, 0S, LS, MS, and HS (i.e. 0, 17, 51, and 85 mM NaCl) were compared. In G. soja following exposure to NaCl treatment for one month, the photon saturated photosynthetic rate (PN), the ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm), the quantum yield of photosystem 2 (ΦPS2), and the electron transport rate (ETR) decreased dramatically. These reductions increased with increasing concentration of NaCl treatment. Plants of MS and HS treatments did not survive after extending the treatment to two months. Reductions in PN, ΦPS2, and ETR (but not in Fv/Fm) were found in G. tabacina after two months of exposure to MS and HS treatments, but the reduction was not as severe as that in G. soja. In G. tomentella, significant reductions in PN and gs were found only in HS plants after two months of treatment, but no significant differences in Fv/Fm, ΦPS2, and ETR were found among plants of the four treatments. Thus the three wild soybeans in Taiwan have differentiated in their photosynthetic susceptibility to salinity, G. tomentella being the least susceptible, G. soja the most sensitive, and G. tabacina the intermediate. Different mechanisms are attributed to the inhibition effect of salinity on photosynthesis of the three species. and W. Y. Kao, T. T. Tsai, C. N. Shih.
The review deals with photosynthetic H2 production by various organisms, paying a speciál attention to eukaryotes, It includes a generál characterization of the catalyzing enzymes (hydrogenase and nitrogenase), quantum efficiency, the kinetics and mechanism of H2 photoevolution, the distribution and activity of H2 photoproducers (33 genera of eukaryotes), physiological functions of this process as well as recent developments in photobiological hydrogen technology.