Yellow-green foliage cultivars of four vegetables grown outdoors, i.e., Chinese mustard (Brassica rapa), Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and Chinese amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor), had lower chlorophyll (Chl) (a+b) (29-36% of green cultivars of the same species), total carotenoids (46-62%) and ascorbate (72-90%) contents per leaf area. Furthermore, yellow-green cultivars had smaller photosystem II (PSII) antenna size (65-70%) and lower photosynthetic capacity (52-63%), but higher Chl a/b (107-156%) and from low (60%) to high (129%) ratios of de-epoxidized xanthophyll cycle pigments per Chl a content. Potential quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) of all overnight dark-adapted leaves was ca. 0.8, with no significant difference between yellow-green and green cultivars of the same species. However, yellow-green cultivars displayed a higher degree of photoinhibition (lower Fv/Fm after illumination) when they were exposed to high irradiance. Although vegetables used in this study are of either temperate or tropical origin and include both C3 and C4 plants, data from all cultivars combined revealed that Fv/Fm after illumination still showed a significant positive linear regression with xanthophyll cycledependent energy quenching (qE) and a negative linear regression with photoinhibitory quenching (qI). Fv/Fm was, however, not correlated with nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). Yet, a higher degree of photoinhibition in yellow-green cultivars could recover during the night darkness period, suggesting that the repair of PSII in yellow-green cultivars would allow them to grow normally in the field. and J.-H. Weng ... [et al.].
In order to elucidate the effects of chilling-stress at night on photosystem 2 (PS2) efficiency under dim irradiance (DI), mango leaves were chilled to varied extent (8-3 °C) and for varied duration (0-12 h) in growth cabinets in the dark, and then exposed to DI (20 μmol m-2 s-1 PPFD) at each chilling-temperature for 1 h. Chilling in the dark had little effect on Fv/Fm of mango leaves. But both the extent and duration of chilling pre-treatments significantly affected Fv'/Fm' when leaves were exposed to DI. This down-regulation of PS2 efficiency was closely related to xanthophyll de-epoxidation, assessed as photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and calculated from leaf spectral reflectance [(R531 - R570)/(R531 + R570)], and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The down-regulation of PS2 is a defence mechanism initiated at predawn in winter to alleviate the damage of PS2 by the sudden and strong irradiation at sunrise. Mango leaves, transferred suddenly from warm and dark room to DI and chilling showed a slight down-regulation of PS2 efficiency, in spite of an increased xanthophyll de-epoxidation. This might have been due to the unavailability of some cofactors required for NPQ. and J.-H. Weng ... [et al.].
Abscisic acid (ABA), an important chemical signal from roots, causes physiological changes in leaves, including stomata closure and photoprotection. Furthermore, endogenous ABA concentration in leaves and stomatal behavior vary with the species adapted to different water regimes. In this study, Ficus microcarpa, a hemiepiphyte, Salix warburgii, a hygrophyte, and Acacia confusa, a mesophyte, were used to elucidate the effects of leaf detachment on photosystem II (PSII) efficiency under osmotic- and high-light stresses. Results indicate that, under osmotic- and high-light stresses, PSII efficiency of the detached leaves was lower than that of the attached leaves for all three tree species, when compared at the same levels of stomatal resistance and leaf water potential. Exogenous ABA could mitigate the PSII efficiency decrease of detached F. microcarpa leaves under osmotic- and high-light stresses. Yet, the osmotic stress could raise endogenous ABA concentration in the attached, but not in the detached F. microcarpa leaves. In addition, partial root-zone drying exerted a significant effect on stomatal behavior but not on the water status of F. microcarpa leaves. These observations imply that the stronger ability of PSII in the attached leaves of F. microcarpa under osmoticand high-light stresses was probably due to the protective action of ABA from roots. On the contrary, endogenous ABA level of S. warburgii leaves was very low. In addition, partial root-zone drying produced no significant effect on its stomatal behavior. Therefore, PSII in attached S. warburgii leaves was possibly protected from the damaging effects of excess absorbed energy by signals other than ABA, which were transported from the roots. and J.-H. Weng ... [et al.].
The heat tolerance of 8 temperate- and 1 subtropical-origin C3 species as well as 17 tropical-origin ones, including C3, C4, and CAM species, was estimated using both F0-T curve and the ratio of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, prior to and after high temperature treatment. When leaves were heated at the rate of ca. 1 °C min-1 in darkness, the critical temperature (Tc) varied extensively among species. The Tc's of all 8 temperate-origin species ranged between 40-46 °C in winter (mean temperature 16-19 °C), and between 32-48 °C in summer (mean temperature ca. 30 °C). Those for 1 subtropical- and 12 tropical-origin C3 species ranged between 25-44 °C and 35-48 °C, and for 1 CAM and 4 C4 species were 41-47 and 45-46 °C, respectively. Acclimating three C3 herbaceous plants at high temperature (33/28 °C, day/night) for 10 d in winter caused their Tc's rising to nearly the values measured in summer. When leaves were exposed to 45 °C for 20 min and then kept at room temperature in darkness for 1 h, a significant correlation between RFv/m (the ratio of Fv/Fm before and after 45 °C treatment) and Tc was observed for all tested temperate-origin C3 species as well as tropical-origin CAM and C4 species. However, F0 and Fv/Fm of the tropical-origin C3 species were less sensitive to 45 °C treatment, regardless of a large variation of Tc; thus no significant correlation was found between their RFv/m and Tc. Thus Tc might not be a suitable index of heat tolerance for plants with wide range of environmental adaptation. Nevertheless, Tc's of tropical origin C3 species, varying and showing high plasticity to seasonal changes and temperature treatment, appeared suitable for the estimation of the degree of temperature acclimation in the same species. and J.-H. Weng, M.-F. Lai.
Seventeen clones of C4 grass Miscanthus spp. collected from different climatic regions and elevations of Taiwan were transplanted in pots. 15-16 months after collection the plants received 0, 1, and 2 g of nitrogen fertiliser (N0, N1, and N2, respectively) per pot. All the measurements were done 10-12 d after N application. The relationships between net photosynthetic rate (PN) and photon flux density (PFD) showed a saturated curve, with PFD saturation at about 1 000 µmol m-2 s-1. The ranges of PFD saturated PN (Psat) for all the tested clones with N0, N1, and N2 were 8-16, 11-18, and 12-21 µmol m-2 s-1, respectively. The clones from southern Taiwan, a tropical region, showed the highest Psat, followed by the clones from northern Taiwan, a subtropical region, while those from mountainous area showed the lowest Psat. The clones collected from southern Taiwan showed the highest frequency of stomata on the adaxial surface, and those collected from the high mountainous area showed the lowest frequency. Also the adaxial surface of leaves from the higher mountainous area had more wax deposited than the leaves from the lowland. Thus the low Psat in mountain clones is limited by both stomatal and non-stomatal factors. Further, the lower leaf conductance and different epidermal characteristics of mountain clones might prevent excessive loss of heat through transpiration and provide production against ultraviolet-B radiation. and J. H. Weng, F. H. Hsu.
We aimed to find out relations among nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ), gross photosynthetic rate (PG), and photoinhibition during photosynthetic light induction in three woody species (one pioneer tree and two understory shrubs) and four ferns adapted to different light regimes. Pot-grown plants received 100% and/or 10% sunlight according to their light-adaptation capabilities. After at least four months of light acclimation, CO2 exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured simultaneously in the laboratory. We found that during light induction the formation and relaxation of the transient NPQ was closely related to light intensity, light-adaption capability of species, and PG. NPQ with all treatments increased rapidly within the first 1-2 min of the light induction. Thereafter, only species with high PG and electron transport rate (ETR), i.e., one pioneer tree and one mild shade-adapted fern, showed NPQ relaxing rapidly to a low steady-state level within 6-8 min under PPFD of 100 μmol(photon) m-2 s-1 and ambient CO2 concentration. Leaves with low PG and ETR, regardless of species characteristics or inhibition by low CO2 concentration, showed slow or none NPQ relaxation up to 20 min after the start of low light induction. In contrast, NPQ increased slowly to a steady state (one pioneer tree) or it did not reach the steady state (the others) from 2 to 30 min under PPFD of 2,000 μmol m-2 s-1. Under high excess of light energy, species adapted to or plants acclimated to high light exhibited high NPQ at the initial 1 or 2 min, and showed low photoinhibition after 30 min of light induction. The value of fastest-developing NPQ can be quickly and easily obtained and might be useful for physiological studies., S.-L. Wong, M.-Y. Huang, C.-W. Chen, J.-H. Weng., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Four dones of Miscanthus spp., collected from regions with different rainfall distribution, were transplanted in pots and subjected to five drying cycles (each of 6- 7 d). Gas exchanges were measured on attached leaves, The light-saturated photosynthetic CO2 uptake (P^) began to dechne when the leaf water potential (y\) was reduced to -1.3 - -1.5 MPa, and the values corresponding to 50 % decrease P^)] were -1.6 - -2.6 MPa. The P^ ) values were lower in a cloně collected from Kilung (northem Taiwan, highly frequent rainfall) than in dones collected from Kenting (southem Taiwan, distinct wet and dry season). Besides, the ^(1/2 Pj^) value became lower in all the tested dones when the drying cycle advanced (in the drying cycle of northem Taiwan cloně and in the 5‘*’ drying cycle of southem Taiwan dones, řespectively). Both the stomatal and non- stomatal factors of photosynthesis were affected by water deficit, and the osmotic adjustment mitigated the negative impact of water deficit on both factors. The clonal differences in the tolerance and acdimation of photosynthesis to water deficit are dosely related to the osmotic adjustment, and the clonal differences in osmotic adjustment reflect the rainfall pattem of sampled region.
Chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm, an indicator of the maximum efficiency of PS2, is routinely measured in the field with plant leaves darkened by leaf clips. I found that on a sunny day of subtropical summer, the Fv/Fm ratio was often underestimated because of a large F0 value resulted from a high leaf temperature caused by clipping the leaf under high irradiance, especially for long (e.g. 20 min) duration. This phenomenon may overestimate the down-regulation of PS2 efficiency under high irradiance. When leaf temperature was lower than 40 °C, the F0 level of rice leaves under clipping remained practically unchanged. However, F0 increased drastically with leaf temperature rising over 40 °C. In most measurements, no significant difference in Fm was found between rice leaves dark-adapted by leaf clips for 10 min and for 20 min. Therefore, shading leaf clips to prevent a drastic increase of leaf temperature, using F0 measured immediately after the leaf being darkened to calculate Fv/Fm, as well as shortening the duration of leaf clipping are useful means to avoid an underestimate of Fv/Fm.
One broad-leaved pioneer tree, Alnus formosana, two broad-leaved understory shrubs, Ardisia crenata and Ardisia cornudentata, and four ferns with different light adaptation capabilities (ranked from high to low, Pyrrosia lingus, Asplenium antiquum, Diplazium donianum, Archangiopteris somai) were used to elucidate the light responses of photosynthetic rate and electron transport rate (ETR). Pot-grown materials received up to 3 levels of light intensity, i.e., 100%, 50% and 10% sunlight. Both gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence were measured simultaneously by an equipment under constant temperature and 7 levels (0-2,000 μmol m-2 s-1) of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). Plants adapted to-or acclimated to high light always had higher
light-saturation point and maximal photosynthetic rate. Even materials had a broad range of photosynthetic capacity [maximal photosynthetic rate ranging from 2 to 23 μmol(CO2) m-2 s-1], the ratio of ETR to gross photosynthetic rate (PG) was close for A. formosana and the 4 fern species when measured under constant temperature, but the PPFD varied. In addition, P. lingus and A. formosana grown under 100% sunlight and measured at different seasonal temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30°C) showed increased ETR/P G ratio with increasing temperature and could be fitted by first- and second-order equations, respectively. With this equation, estimated and measured PG were closely correlated (r2 = 0.916 and r2 = 0.964 for P. lingus and A. formosana, respectively, p<0.001). These equations contain only the 2 easily obtained dynamic indicators, ETR and leaf temperature. Therefore, for some species with near ETR/PG ratio in differential levels of PPFD, these equations could be used to simulate dynamic variation of leaf scale photosynthetic rate under different temperature and PPFD conditions., S.-L.. Wong ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje bibliografii