The midday depression of CO2 assimilation in leaves of Arbutus unedo L.: diurnal changes in photosynthetic capacity related to changes in temperature and humidity

Isotopic clumping in wood as a proxy for photorespiration in trees

Photorespiration can limit gross primary productivity in terrestrial plants. The rate of photorespiration relative to carbon fixation increases with temperature and decreases with atmospheric [CO2]. However, the extent to which this rate varies in the environment is unclear. Here, we introduce a proxy for relative photorespiration rate based on the clumped isotopic composition of methoxyl groups (R-O-CH3) in wood. Most methoxyl C-H bonds are formed either during photorespiration or the Calvin cycle and thus their isotopic composition may be sensitive to the mixing ratio of these pathways. In water-replete growing conditions, we find that the abundance of the clumped isotopologue 13CH2D correlates with temperature (18-28 °C) and atmospheric [CO2] (280-1000 ppm), consistent with a common dependence on relative photorespiration rate. When applied to a global dataset of wood, we observe global trends of isotopic clumping with climate and water availability. Clumped isotopic compositions are similar across environments with temperatures below ~18 °C. Above ~18 °C, clumped isotopic compositions in water-limited and water-replete trees increasingly diverge. We propose that trees from hotter climates photorespire substantially more than trees from cooler climates. How increased photorespiration is managed depends on water availability: water-replete trees export more photorespiratory metabolites to lignin whereas water-limited trees either export fewer overall or direct more to other sinks that mitigate water stress. These disparate trends indicate contrasting responses of photorespiration rate (and thus gross primary productivity) to a future high-[CO2] world. This work enables reconstructing photorespiration rates in the geologic past using fossil wood.

Characterization of water use efficiency changes in Tibetan Plateau grasslands based on eco-geographic zoning

Water use efficiency (WUE) is an effective indicator to study the coupling of terrestrial carbon and water cycles. The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the most important ecological security barrier in China, and it is important to understand the characteristics of WUE and the change mechanism to study the carbon and water cycles of plateau ecosystems and the rational use of water resources. This study analyzes the spatial and temporal characteristics of WUE on the TP and the influence of climate factors on WUE based on the gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) data from GLASS. The results show that from 1985 to 2018, the WUE of the TP is on the rise under the combined effect of GPP and ET; the regions with higher mean WUE values are the southeastern and eastern parts of the plateau, and the low value areas are the central and northwestern parts of the plateau. Compared with precipitation, WUE is influenced by temperature over a larger area. The correlations between precipitation and temperature and WUE in different eco-geographic regions are complex, and there is a threshold effect on the correlation between WUE and temperature and precipitation. Temperature is the main driver of WUE changes in HIIA and HIB1 regions, while precipitation has a greater impact on WUE changes in HIIC2, HIIC2, HIC2, HIID3, and HIIC regions. Precipitation, temperature, and elevation are the main factors explaining the variation of WUE in the TP. According to the risk detector, it can be determined that grassland vegetation in warm and humid steep areas of low and medium elevations is more able to maintain efficient use of water. Meanwhile, grasslands located in the shade of northern slopes have weaker transpiration, which is conducive to vegetation accumulation of growth water, and thus can ensure higher WUE. The related study can provide a reference for the response of vegetation WUE to global changes in key climatic regions.

Extreme undersaturation in the intercellular airspace of leaves: a failure of Gaastra or Ohm?

BACKGROUND

Recent reports of extreme levels of undersaturation in internal leaf air spaces have called into question one of the foundational assumptions of leaf gas exchange analysis, that leaf air spaces are effectively saturated with water vapour at leaf surface temperature. Historically, inferring the biophysical states controlling assimilation and transpiration from the fluxes directly measured by gas exchange systems has presented a number of challenges, including: (1) a mismatch in scales between the area of flux measurement, the biochemical cellular scale and the meso-scale introduced by the localization of the fluxes to stomatal pores; (2) the inaccessibility of the internal states of CO2 and water vapour required to define conductances; and (3) uncertainties about the pathways these internal fluxes travel. In response, plant physiologists have adopted a set of simplifying assumptions that define phenomenological concepts such as stomatal and mesophyll conductances.

SCOPE

Investigators have long been concerned that a failure of basic assumptions could be distorting our understanding of these phenomenological conductances, and the biophysical states inside leaves. Here we review these assumptions and historical efforts to test them. We then explore whether artefacts in analysis arising from the averaging of fluxes over macroscopic leaf areas could provide alternative explanations for some part, if not all, of reported extreme states of undersaturation.

CONCLUSIONS

Spatial heterogeneities can, in some cases, create the appearance of undersaturation in the internal air spaces of leaves. Further refinement of experimental approaches will be required to separate undersaturation from the effects of spatial variations in fluxes or conductances. Novel combinations of current and emerging technologies hold promise for meeting this challenge.

Optimization of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in the date palm Phoenix dactylifera during acclimation to heat and drought

We studied acclimation of leaf gas exchange to differing seasonal climate and soil water availability in slow-growing date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) seedlings. We used an extended Arrhenius equation to describe instantaneous temperature responses of leaf net photosynthesis (A) and stomatal conductance (G), and derived physiological parameters suitable for characterization of acclimation (T_opt , A_opt and T_equ ). Optimum temperature of A (T_opt ) ranged between 20-33°C in winter and 28-45°C in summer. Growth temperature (T_growth ) explained c. 50% of the variation in T_opt , which additionally depended on leaf water status at the time of measurement. During water stress, light-saturated rates of A at T_opt (i.e. A_opt ) were reduced to 30-80% of control levels, albeit not limited by CO₂ supply per se. Equilibrium temperature (T_equ ), around which A/G and substomatal [CO₂ ] are constant, remained tightly coupled with T_opt . Our results suggest that acclimatory shifts in T_opt and A_opt reflect a balance between maximization of photosynthesis and minimization of the risk of metabolic perturbations caused by imbalances in cellular [CO₂ ]. This novel perspective on acclimation of leaf gas exchange is compatible with optimization theory, and might help to elucidate other acclimation and growth strategies in species adapted to differing climates.

Role of guard-cell ABA in determining steady-state stomatal aperture and prompt vapor-pressure-deficit response

Abscisic acid (ABA) is known to be involved in stomatal closure. However, its role in stomatal response to rapid increases in the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is unclear. To study this issue, we generated guard cell-specific ABA-insensitive Arabidopsis plants (guard-cell specific abi1-1; GCabi). Under non-stressed conditions, the stomatal conductance (g_s) and apertures of GCabi plants were greater than those of control plants. This supports guard-cell ABA role as limiting steady-state stomatal aperture under non-stressful conditions. When there was a rapid increase in VPD (0.15 to 1 kPa), the g_s and stomatal apertures of GCabi decreased in a manner similar that observed in the WT control, but different from that observed in WT plants treated with fusicoccin. Low VPD increased the size of the stomatal apertures of the WT, but not of GCabi. We conclude that guard-cell ABA does not play a significant role in the initial, rapid stomatal closure that occurs in response to an increase in VPD, but is important for stomatal adaptation to ambient VPD. We propose a biphasic angiosperm VPD-sensing model that includes an initial ABA-independent phase and a subsequent ABA-dependent steady-state phase in which stomatal behavior is optimized for ambient VPD conditions.

Rapid Responses to Abiotic Stress: Priming the Landscape for the Signal Transduction Network

Plants grow and reproduce within a highly dynamic environment that can see abrupt changes in conditions, such as light intensity, temperature, humidity, or interactions with biotic agents. Recent studies revealed that plants can respond within seconds to some of these conditions, engaging many different metabolic and molecular networks, as well as rapidly altering their stomatal aperture. Some of these rapid responses were further shown to propagate throughout the entire plant via waves of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca²⁺ that are possibly mediated through the plant vascular system. Here, we propose that the integration of these signals is mediated through pulses of gene expression that are coordinated throughout the plant in a systemic manner by the ROS/Ca⁺² waves.

Photosynthetic Response of Soybean to Microclimate in 26-Year-Old Tree-Based Intercropping Systems in Southern Ontario, Canada

In order to study the effect of light competition and microclimatic modifications on the net assimilation (NA), growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) as an understory crop, three 26-year-old soybean-tree (Acer saccharinum Marsh., Populus deltoides X nigra, Juglans nigra L.) intercropping systems were examined. Tree competition reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) incident on soybeans and reduced net assimilation, growth and yield of soybean. Soil moisture of 20 cm depth close (< 3 m) to the tree rows was also reduced. Correlation analysis showed that NA and soil water content were highly correlated with growth and yield of soybean. When compared with the monoculture soybean system, the relative humidity (RH) of the poplar-soybean, silver maple-soybean, and black walnut-soybean intercropped systems was increased by 7.1%, 8.0% and 5.9%, soil water content was reduced by 37.8%, 26.3% and 30.9%, ambient temperature was reduced by 1.3°C, 1.4°C and 1.0°C, PAR was reduced by 53.6%, 57.9% and 39.9%, and air CO2 concentration was reduced by 3.7μmol·mol(-1), 4.2μmol·mol(-1) and 2.8μmol·mol(-1), respectively. Compared to the monoculture, the average NA of soybean in poplar, maple and walnut treatments was also reduced by 53.1%, 67.5% and 46.5%, respectively. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that PAR, ambient temperature and CO2 concentration were the dominant factors influencing net photosynthetic rate.

Midday stomatal conductance is more related to stem rather than leaf water status in subtropical deciduous and evergreen broadleaf trees

Midday depressions in stomatal conductance (g(s) ) and photosynthesis are common in plants. The aim of this study was to understand the hydraulic determinants of midday g(s) , the coordination between leaf and stem hydraulics and whether regulation of midday g(s) differed between deciduous and evergreen broadleaf tree species in a subtropical cloud forest of Southwest (SW) China. We investigated leaf and stem hydraulics, midday leaf and stem water potentials, as well as midday g(s) of co-occurring deciduous and evergreen tree species. Midday g(s) was correlated positively with midday stem water potential across both groups of species, but not with midday leaf water potential. Species with higher stem hydraulic conductivity and greater daily reliance on stem hydraulic capacitance were able to maintain higher stem water potential and higher g(s) at midday. Deciduous species exhibited significantly higher stem hydraulic conductivity, greater reliance on stem capacitance, higher stem water potential and g(s) at midday than evergreen species. Our results suggest that midday g(s) is more associated with midday stem than with leaf water status, and that the functional significance of stomatal regulation in these broadleaf tree species is probably for preventing stem xylem dysfunction.

Determinants of ozone fluxes and metrics for ozone risk assessment in plants

Tropospheric ozone concentration is increasing and represents a threat to single plants and whole ecosystems. The deleterious ozone effects mainly occur when (i) ozone concentration in the air builds up; (ii) the pollutant enters the leaf through stomatal uptake, and (iii) ozone-produced reactive oxygen species are not efficiently scavenged by leaf antioxidants and then oxidize leaf tissues. The sensitivity of plants to ozone is species-specific, and a correct risk assessment should be based on a metric that correctly takes into account the ambient concentration of ozone, the physiological control on stomatal apertures, and the efficiency of leaf antioxidant system. Current methodologies have been analysed to evaluate ozone risk assessment, and, by phasing-in and phasing out sources and sinks of ozone, elements of improvements for the current metrics have been suggested.

The relationship between the methyl-erythritol phosphate pathway leading to emission of volatile isoprenoids and abscisic acid content in leaves

It was investigated whether the methyl-erythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway that generates volatile isoprenoids and carotenoids also produces foliar abscisic acid (ABA) and controls stomatal opening. When the MEP pathway was blocked by fosmidomycin and volatile isoprenoid emission was largely suppressed, leaf ABA content decreased to about 50% and leaf stomatal conductance increased significantly. No effect of fosmidomycin was seen in leaves with constitutively high rates of stomatal conductance and in plant species with low foliar ABA concentration. In all other cases, isoprene emission was directly associated with foliar ABA, but ABA reduction upon MEP pathway inhibition was also observed in plant species that do not emit isoprenoids. Stomatal closure causing a midday depression of photosynthesis was also associated with a concurrent increase of isoprene emission and ABA content. It is suggested that the MEP pathway generates a labile pool of ABA that responds rapidly to environmental changes. This pool also regulates stomatal conductance, possibly when coping with frequent changes of water availability. MEP pathway inhibition by leaf darkening, and its down-regulation by exposure to elevated CO2, was also associated with a reduction of foliar ABA content. However, stomatal conductance was reduced, indicating that stomatal aperture is not regulated by the MEP-dependent foliar ABA pool, under these specific cases.

High-light stress does not impair biomass accumulation of sun-acclimated tropical tree seedlings (Calophyllum longifolium Willd. and Tectona grandis L. f.)

Studies with seedlings of tropical rainforest trees ( Calophyllum longifolium Willd.; Tectona grandis L. f.) were designed to test whether high-light stress affects photosynthetic performance and growth. Seedlings were cultivated in pots at a field site in Central Panama (9 degrees N) and separated into two groups: (1) plants exposed to full solar radiation; (2) plants subjected to automatic neutral shading (48 %) whenever visible irradiance surpassed 1000, 1200, or 1600 micromol photons m-2 s-1. After 2-4 months, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm ratio), photosynthetic net CO2 uptake, pigment composition, alpha-tocopherol content of leaves, and plant biomass accumulation were measured. Fully sun-exposed, compared to periodically shaded plants, experienced substantial high-light stress around midday, indicated by photoinhibition of photosystem II and depressed net CO2 uptake. Higher contents of xanthophyll cycle pigments, lutein, and alpha-tocopherol showed an enhancement of photoprotection in fully sun-exposed plants. However, in all experiments, the maximum capacity of net CO2 uptake and plant dry mass did not differ significantly between the two treatments. Thus, in these experiments, high-light stress did not impair productivity of the seedlings studied. Obviously, the continuously sun-exposed plants were capable of fully compensating for any potential costs associated with photoinhibition and repair of photosystem II, reduced CO2 assimilation, and processes of high-light acclimation.

Plastid gene expression is not associated with midday depression in CO(2) assimilation and electron transport

To investigate the effect of diurnal variations on chloroplastic electron transport as well as accumulation of gene products associated with it, studies were carried out on Populus deltoides, a tree species. Electron transport studies showed two peak responses as a large diurnal change with pronounced midday depression in whole chain (H(2)O--> MV) as well as partial reactions for PSII (H(2)O-->PBQ) and PSI (DCPIP-->MV). The electron transport rates first increased from 05:00 h to a maximum at around 09:00 h and then showed a decrease at 13:00 h followed by recovery and further decrease. The pigments associated with electron transport chain did not show any change during the day. Surprisingly midday depression in the accumulation of transcripts and polypeptides related to electron transport was not observed. This suggests that chloroplastic gene expression is not associated with the midday depression observed for both CO(2) assimilation and electron transport. Studies on the transcripts of psbD/C operon during the day showed that there were differences in the processing pattern although the steady state levels of the processed transcripts of this operon did not show any variation.

Differing substomatal and chloroplastic CO2 concentrations in water-stressed wheat

Gas exchanges of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Courtot) shoots were measured before and during a water stress. While photosynthesis, transpiration and dark respiration decreased because of the stress, photorespiration increased initially, up to a maximum of 50% above its initial value. The CO2 concentration in the intercellular space was calculated from gas-diffusion resistances, and remained approximately constant before and during the stress. On the other hand, the CO2 concentration in the chloroplast, in the vicinity of Ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), was evaluated from the ratio of CO2 to O2 uptake, using the known kinetic constants of the oxygenation and carboxylation reactions which compete for Rubisco. In the well-watered plants, the calculated chloroplastic concentration was slightly smaller than the substomatal concentration. During water stress, this concentration decreased while the substomatal CO2 concentration remained constant. Hypotheses to explain this difference between substomatal and chloroplastic CO2 concentrations are discussed.

Photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, photon yield of O2 evolution, photosynthetic capacity, and carotenoid composition during the midday depression of net CO2 uptake in Arbutus unedo growing in Portugal

During the "midday depression" of net CO2 exchange in the mediterranean sclerophyllous shrub Arbutus unedo, examined in the field in Portugal during August of 1987, several parameters indicative of photosynthetic competence were strongly and reversibly affected. These were the photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS) II, measured as the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence, as well as the photon yield and the capacity of photosynthetic O2 evolution at 10% CO2, of which the apparent photon yield of O2 evolution was most depressed. Furthermore, there was a strong and reversible increase in the content of the carotenoid zeaxanthin in the leaves that occurred at the expense of both violaxanthin and β-carotene. Diurnal changes in fluorescence characteristics were interpreted to indicate three concurrent effects on the photochemical system. First, an increase in the rate of radiationless energy dissipation in the antenna chlorophyll, reflected by changes in 77K fluorescence of PSII and PSI as well as in chlorophyll a fluorescence at ambient temperature. Second, a state shift characterized by an increase in the proportion of energy distributed to PSI as reflected by changes in PSI fluorescence. Third, an effect lowering the photon yield of O2 evolution and PSII fluorescence at ambient temperature without affecting PSII fluorescence at 77K which would be expected from a decrease in the activity of the water splitting enzyme system, i.e. a donor side limitation.

Stomatal closure fully accounts for the inhibition of photosynthesis by abscisic acid

The partial pressure of intercellular CO₂ calculated from gas exchange data for abscisic acid-treated leaves of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) does not indicate the average intercellular CO₂ of the leaf. The latter can be determined from chlorophyll fluorescence quenching information and accurately modelled from gas exchange data. Stomatal closure can fully account for previously assumed non-stomatal inhibition of photosynthesis. Autoradiograms show that abscisic acid induces non-uniform gas exchange over small areas of the leaf.

Determination of carbon-reduction-cycle intermediates in leaves of Arbutus unedo L. suffering depressions in photosynthesis after application of abscisic acid or exposure to dry air

Gas exchange and contents of photosynthetic intermediates of leaves of Arbutus unedo L. were determined with the aim of recognizing the mechanisms of inhibition that were responsible for the "midday depression" of photosynthesis following exposure to dry air, and the decline in photosynthetic capacity following application of abscisic acid (ABA). Rapidly killed (<0.1 s) leaf samples were taken when gas analysis showed reduced CO2 assimilation. Determination of the contents of 3-phosphoglyceric acid (PGA), ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), triose phosphates, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate and hexose phosphates in the samples showed that significant variation occurred only in the level of PGA. As a result, the ratio PGA/RuBP decreased with increasing inhibition of photosynthesis, particularly when application of ABA had been the cause. A comparison of metabolite patterns did not bring out qualitative differences that would have indicated that effects of ABA and of dry air had been caused by separate mechanisms. Depression of photosynthesis occurred in the presence of sufficient RuBP which indicated that the carboxylation reaction of the carbon-reduction-cycle was inhibited after application of ABA or exposure to dry air.