UNRAVELING PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF Jatropha curcas, A BIODIESEL PLANT, TO OVERCOME SALINITY CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT Dry land systems spread all over the world and comprise 41.3% of the terrestrial area, which host 34.7% of the global population, so it is convenient to propose crops able to grow there. Jatropha curcas is a plant adapted to arid and semiarid regions as well as sub-humid conditions, being a potential source of biodiesel. The challenge is to understand the physiology of J. curcas, which enables it to live under saline and drought conditions. The seeds of J. curcas used came from Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba. Seven-day-old seedlings were cultivated in 1.5 L pots with half strength Hoagland solution for 42 days under semi-controlled conditions. NaCl added to solutions in pots provided 75 or 150 mM treatments for 240 h before measurements. Leaf growth, net photosynthesis and stomatal pore area were affected by 150 mM NaCl. Non-photochemical quenching of leaves was only changed by 150 mM NaCl after 24 h; the electron transport rate had a tendency to decrease in leaves under saline conditions. The gene expression pattern changed for SOS1 and HKT1 according to the NaCl used in the medium, indicating active mechanism to deal with Na+ in the cell. In general, Cuban J. curcas plants were able to grow and perform photosynthesis under 75 mM NaCl, which represents 7 dS m-1, a condition that restricts growth for many plant species.

Download Full-text

Photosynthesis sensitivity to NH4+-N change with nitrogen fertilizer type

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/7418-pse ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 60 (No. 6) ◽

pp. 274-279 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. Nasraoui-Hajaji ◽

H. Gouia

Keyword(s):

Net Photosynthesis ◽

Dry Weight ◽

N Fertilization ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Ps Ii ◽

Chl A ◽

Inhibitory Site ◽

Tomato Growth ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching

N-fertilization type affected differently tomato growth. In the field experiment, hydroponic cultures were conducted using NO3-N (5 mmol); mixture of KNO3-N (3 mmol) and (NH4)2SO4-N (2 mmol); NH4+-N (5 mmol) or urea (5 mmol) as nitrogen source. Compared to nitrate, ammonium and urea had negative effects on morphology and dry matter production. Effects of the different nitrogen forms were investigated by measuring several photosynthesis parameters and chl a fluorescence. Two different significant types of reaction were found. When nitrogen was added as ammonium or urea, dry weight, chlorophyll tenor, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic activity were inhibited. Supply of ammonium or urea, reduced the ratio (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching and enhanced the non photochemical quenching. These data suggest that the adverse decrease in tomato growth under ammonium or urea supply may be related principally to inhibition of net photosynthesis activity. The high non photochemical quenching shown in tomato fed with ammonium or urea indicated that PS II was the inhibitory site of NH4+-N which was directly uptaken by roots, or librated via urea hydrolysis cycle.

Download Full-text

Physiological changes and UV protection in the aquatic liverwort Jungermannia exsertifolia subsp. cordifolia along an altitudinal gradient of UV-B radiation

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp06096 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (11) ◽

pp. 1025 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

María Arróniz-Crespo ◽

Encarnación Núñez-Olivera ◽

Javier Martínez-Abaigar ◽

Hans Becker ◽

Jochen Scher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Altitudinal Gradient ◽

Dark Respiration ◽

Net Photosynthesis ◽

Secondary Compounds ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Physiological Variables ◽

Linear Relationships ◽

Spatial Changes ◽

Uv Absorbing Compounds ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching

Here we report the effects of a natural altitudinal gradient of UV-B radiation, from 1140 to 1816 m altitude, on the physiology of the aquatic liverwort Jungermannia exsertifolia Steph. subsp. cordifolia (Dumort.) Váña collected in mountain streams. Photosynthetic pigments, net photosynthesis and dark respiration rates, chlorophyll fluorescence, protein concentration, sclerophylly, and UV-absorbing compounds [both global UV absorbance of methanol-extractable UV-absorbing compounds (MEUVAC) and concentrations of five individual compounds] were measured. Two new caffeic acid derivatives were discovered: 5″-(7″,8″-dihydroxycoumaroyl)-2-caffeoylmalic acid and 5″-(7″,8″-dihydroxy-7-O-β-glucosyl-coumaroyl)-2-caffeoylmalic acid, whereas three additional compounds were already known in other species: p-coumaroylmalic acid, phaselic acid (both compounds in their cis- and trans- forms) and feruloylmalic acid. Most physiological variables changed considerably along the altitudinal gradient, but only six showed significant linear relationships with altitude: MEUVAC levels, the concentrations of the two new secondary compounds, the maximal apparent electron transport rate through PSII (ETRmax) and the maximal non-photochemical quenching (NPQmax) increased with altitude, whereas photoinhibition percentage decreased. A principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted to rank the values of the physiological and ecological variables obtained along the altitudinal transect, showing that those variables correlated with altitude were responsible for the ordination of the sampling points. The liverwort was not adversely affected by the changing conditions along the altitudinal gradient and, in particular, by the increasing UV-B irradiance, probably because the characteristics shown by high-altitude populations may confer tolerance to high UV-B levels. The response to UV-B of the two new compounds suggests that they could be used as indicators of the spatial changes in UV-B radiation.

Download Full-text

Long-term clipping causes carbohydrate accumulation and induced transition of Alhagi sparsifolia from herbs to shrubs

Functional Plant Biology ◽

10.1071/fp18072 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 46 (11) ◽

pp. 967

Author(s):

Gang-Liang Tang ◽

Zi-Chun Guo ◽

Bo Zhang ◽

Xiang-Yi Li ◽

Fan-Jiang Zeng

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Early Stage ◽

Leaf Growth ◽

Plant Defence ◽

Adaptation Strategy ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Growth Season ◽

Alhagi Sparsifolia ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching

A field experiment was conducted on Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. with a long-term clipping history (5–8 years) to investigate the adaptation strategy of A. sparsifolia to long-term clipping. The present study found that long-term clipping can reduce self-shading and increase the photosynthesis rate (Pn) in May. During the whole growth season, clipped plants can maintain a high Pn with less variation, which we denote as a ‘stable photosynthesis strategy’. Although Pn in unclipped plants was higher than in the long-term clipping treatment in August, clipped plants accumulated more carbohydrates in shoots. The enhanced amount of carbohydrates could be correlated with the greater amount of lignin synthesis in stems. Therefore, long-term clipping induced the transition of A. sparsifolia from herbs to shrubs. After long-term clipping, plants allocated more resources to plant defence against stress, whereas the ratio of resources allocated to leaf growth decreased. Consequently, photosynthesis in long-term clipped plants decreased in August. In PSII, the energy used for both photochemical quenching and non-photochemical quenching decreased in the clipped plants during the early stage of the growth season. In addition, due to the lower stomatal conductance (gs), clipped plants retained more water in their leaves and suffered less water stress. Thus, clipped plants produced less reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn, delayed leaf senescence. Plants also exhibited over-compensatory growth after long-term clipping, but this phenomenon was not caused by the increase in specific leaf area (SLA). The stable photosynthesis strategy helped to extend the lifespan of plants in the growth season and improve their adaptation to light, temperature, and water stress.

Download Full-text

Light Absorption and Partitioning in Response to Nitrogen in Apple Leaves

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.3.541a ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 541a-541

Author(s):

Lailiang Cheng ◽

Leslie H. Fuchigami ◽

Patrick J. Breen

Keyword(s):

High Light ◽

Thermal Dissipation ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Light Conditions ◽

Psii Efficiency ◽

Fluorescence Measurements ◽

Free Radical Formation ◽

Highly Correlated ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching ◽

Leaf N

Bench-grafted Fuji/M26 apple trees were fertigated with different concentrations of nitrogen by using a modified Hoagland solution for 6 weeks, resulting in a range of leaf N from 1.0 to 4.3 g·m–2. Over this range, leaf absorptance increased curvilinearly from 75% to 92.5%. Under high light conditions (1500 (mol·m–2·s–1), the amount of absorbed light in excess of that required to saturate CO2 assimilation decreased with increasing leaf N. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements revealed that the maximum photosystem II (PSII) efficiency of dark-adapted leaves was relatively constant over the leaf N range except for a slight drop at the lower end. As leaf N increased, non-photochemical quenching under high light declined and there was a corresponding increase in the efficiency with which the absorbed photons were delivered to open PSII centers. Photochemical quenching coefficient decreased significantly at the lower end of the leaf N range. Actual PSII efficiency increased curvilinearly with increasing leaf N, and was highly correlated with light-saturated CO2 assimilation. The fraction of absorbed light potentially used for free radical formation was estimated to be about 10% regardless of the leaf N status. It was concluded that increased thermal dissipation protected leaves from photo-oxidation as leaf N declined.

Download Full-text

Gradual Response of Cyanobacterial Thylakoids to Acute High-Light Stress—Importance of Carotenoid Accumulation

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10081916 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1916

Author(s):

Myriam Canonico ◽

Grzegorz Konert ◽

Aurélie Crepin ◽

Barbora Šedivá ◽

Radek Kaňa

Keyword(s):

Single Cell ◽

Thylakoid Membrane ◽

Intermediate Phase ◽

Light Stress ◽

Fast Response ◽

High Light ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Second Phase ◽

Ros Scavenging ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching

Light plays an essential role in photosynthesis; however, its excess can cause damage to cellular components. Photosynthetic organisms thus developed a set of photoprotective mechanisms (e.g., non-photochemical quenching, photoinhibition) that can be studied by a classic biochemical and biophysical methods in cell suspension. Here, we combined these bulk methods with single-cell identification of microdomains in thylakoid membrane during high-light (HL) stress. We used Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 cells with YFP tagged photosystem I. The single-cell data pointed to a three-phase response of cells to acute HL stress. We defined: (1) fast response phase (0–30 min), (2) intermediate phase (30–120 min), and (3) slow acclimation phase (120–360 min). During the first phase, cyanobacterial cells activated photoprotective mechanisms such as photoinhibition and non-photochemical quenching. Later on (during the second phase), we temporarily observed functional decoupling of phycobilisomes and sustained monomerization of photosystem II dimer. Simultaneously, cells also initiated accumulation of carotenoids, especially ɣ–carotene, the main precursor of all carotenoids. In the last phase, in addition to ɣ-carotene, we also observed accumulation of myxoxanthophyll and more even spatial distribution of photosystems and phycobilisomes between microdomains. We suggest that the overall carotenoid increase during HL stress could be involved either in the direct photoprotection (e.g., in ROS scavenging) and/or could play an additional role in maintaining optimal distribution of photosystems in thylakoid membrane to attain efficient photoprotection.

Download Full-text

The Role of Acidic Residues in the C Terminal Tail of the LHCSR3 Protein of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in Non-Photochemical Quenching

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters ◽

10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c01382 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 6895-6900

Author(s):

Franco V. A. Camargo ◽

Federico Perozeni ◽

Gabriel de la Cruz Valbuena ◽

Luca Zuliani ◽

Samim Sardar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Acidic Residues ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching

Download Full-text

Effects of iron limitation on carbon balance and photophysiology of the Antarctic diatom Chaetoceros cf. simplex

Polar Biology ◽

10.1007/s00300-020-02785-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Deborah Bozzato ◽

Torsten Jakob ◽

Christian Wilhelm ◽

Scarlett Trimborn

Keyword(s):

Oxygen Evolution ◽

Photochemical Quenching ◽

Gross Photosynthesis ◽

Manganese Zinc ◽

C Cycle ◽

Uptake Rates ◽

Carbon Pump ◽

Non Photochemical Quenching ◽

The Antarctic ◽

Biological Carbon Pump

AbstractIn the Southern Ocean (SO), iron (Fe) limitation strongly inhibits phytoplankton growth and generally decreases their primary productivity. Diatoms are a key component in the carbon (C) cycle, by taking up large amounts of anthropogenic CO2 through the biological carbon pump. In this study, we investigated the effects of Fe availability (no Fe and 4 nM FeCl3 addition) on the physiology of Chaetoceros cf. simplex, an ecologically relevant SO diatom. Our results are the first combining oxygen evolution and uptake rates with particulate organic carbon (POC) build up, pigments, photophysiological parameters and intracellular trace metal (TM) quotas in an Fe-deficient Antarctic diatom. Decreases in both oxygen evolution (through photosynthesis, P) and uptake (respiration, R) coincided with a lowered growth rate of Fe-deficient cells. In addition, cells displayed reduced electron transport rates (ETR) and chlorophyll a (Chla) content, resulting in reduced cellular POC formation. Interestingly, no differences were observed in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) or in the ratio of gross photosynthesis to respiration (GP:R). Furthermore, TM quotas were measured, which represent an important and rarely quantified parameter in previous studies. Cellular quotas of manganese, zinc, cobalt and copper remained unchanged while Fe quotas of Fe-deficient cells were reduced by 60% compared with High Fe cells. Based on our data, Fe-deficient Chaetoceros cf. simplex cells were able to efficiently acclimate to low Fe conditions, reducing their intracellular Fe concentrations, the number of functional reaction centers of photosystem II (RCII) and photosynthetic rates, thus avoiding light absorption rather than dissipating the energy through NPQ. Our results demonstrate how Chaetoceros cf. simplex can adapt their physiology to lowered assimilatory metabolism by decreasing respiratory losses.

Download Full-text