Seasonal patterns of leaf H2O2 content: reflections of leaf phenology, or environmental stress?

Both external and internal factors induce heterogeneity in senescing leaves of deciduous trees

Autumn senescence is characterised by spatial and temporal heterogeneity. We show that senescing birch (Betula spp.) leaves had lower PSII activity (probed by the F V /F M chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter) in late autumn than in early autumn. We confirmed that PSII repair slows down with decreasing temperature, while rates of photodamage and recovery, measured under laboratory conditions at 20°C, were similar in these leaves. We propose that low temperatures during late autumn hinder repair and lead to accumulation of non-functional PSII units in senescing leaves. Fluorescence imaging of birch revealed that chlorophyll preferentially disappeared from inter-veinal leaf areas. These areas showed no recovery capacity and low non-photochemical quenching while green veinal areas of senescing leaves resembled green leaves. However, green and yellow leaf areas showed similar values of photochemical quenching. Analyses of thylakoids isolated from maple (Acer platanoides ) leaves showed that red, senescing leaves contained high amounts of carotenoids and α-tocopherol, and our calculations suggest that α-tocopherol was synthesised during autumn. Thylakoids isolated from red maple leaves produced little singlet oxygen, probably due to the high antioxidant content. However, the rate of PSII photodamage did not decrease. The data show that the heterogeneity of senescing leaves must be taken into account to fully understand autumn senescence.

Biophysical and molecular characteristics of senescing leaves of two Norway maple varieties differing in anthocyanin content

Disassembly and degradation of the photosynthetic protein complexes during autumn senescence, a vital step to ensure efficient nutrient relocalization for winter storage, is poorly understood. Concomitantly with the degradation, anthocyanins are often synthesized. However, as to why leaves accumulate red pigments, no consensus exists. One possibility is that anthocyanins protect senescing leaves from excess light. In this study, we investigated the pigment composition, photosynthetic performance, radical production, and degradation of the photosynthetic protein complexes in Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and in its highly pigmented, purple-colored variety (Faassen's black) during autumn senescence, to dissect the possible roles of anthocyanins in photoprotection. Our findings show that senescing Faassen's black was indeed more resistant to Photosystem II (PSII) photoinhibition, presumably due to its high anthocyanin content, than the green maple. However, senescing Faassen's black exhibited low photosynthetic performance, probably due to a poor capacity to repair PSII. Furthermore, an analysis of photosynthetic protein complexes demonstrated that in both maple varieties, the supercomplexes consisting of PSII and its antenna were disassembled first, followed by the degradation of the PSII core, Photosystem I, Cytochrome b6 f, and ATP synthase. Strikingly, the degradation process appeared to proceed faster in Faassen's black, possibly explaining its poor PSII repair capacity. The results suggest that tolerance against PSII photoinhibition may not necessarily translate to a better fitness. Finally, thylakoids isolated from senescing and non-senescing leaves of both maple varieties accumulated very little carbon-centered radicals, suggesting that thylakoids may not be a major source of reactive oxygen species in senescing leaves.

Damage assessment for soybean cultivated in soil with either CeO2 or ZnO manufactured nanomaterials

With increasing use, manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) may enter soils and impact agriculture. Herein, soybean (Glycine max) was grown in soil amended with either nano-CeO2 (0.1, 0.5, or 1.0gkg-1 soil) or nano-ZnO (0.05, 0.1, or 0.5gkg-1 soil). Leaf chlorosis, necrosis, and photosystem II (PSII) quantum efficiency were monitored during plant growth. Seed protein and protein carbonyl, plus leaf chlorophyll, reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation, and genotoxicity were measured for plants at harvest. Neither PSII quantum efficiency, seed protein, nor protein carbonyl indicated negative MNM effects. However, increased ROS, lipid peroxidation, and visible damage, along with decreased total chlorophyll concentrations, were observed for soybean leaves in the nano-CeO2 treatments. These effects correlated to aboveground leaf, pod, and stem production, and to root nodule N2 fixation potential. Soybeans grown in soil amended with nano-ZnO maintained growth, yield, and N2 fixation potential similarly to the controls, without increased leaf ROS or lipid peroxidation. Leaf damage was observed for the nano-ZnO treatments, and genotoxicity appeared for the highest nano-ZnO treatment, but only for one plant. Total chlorophyll concentrations decreased with increasing leaf Zn concentration, which was attributable to zinc complexes-not nano-ZnO-in the leaves. Overall, nano-ZnO and nano-CeO2 amended to soils differentially triggered aboveground soybean leaf stress and damage. However, the consequences of leaf stress and damage to N2 fixation, plant growth, and yield were only observed for nano-CeO2.

Quantitative limitations to photosynthesis in K deficient sunflower and their implications on water-use efficiency

Potassium (K) is crucial for crop growth and is strongly related to stress tolerance and water-use efficiency (WUE). A major physiological effect of K deficiency is the inhibition of net CO₂ assimilation (A_N) during photosynthesis. Whether this reduction originates from limitations either to photochemical energy conversion or biochemical CO₂ fixation or from a limitation to CO₂ diffusion through stomata and the leaf mesophyll is debated. In this study, limitations to photosynthetic carbon gain of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under K deficiency and PEG- induced water deficit were quantified and their implications on plant- and leaf-scale WUE (WUE_P, WUE_L) were evaluated. Results show that neither maximum quantum use efficiency (F_v/F_m) nor in-vivo RubisCo activity were directly affected by K deficiency and that the observed impairment of A_N was primarily due to decreased CO₂ mesophyll conductance (g_m). K deficiency additionally impaired leaf area development which, together with reduced A_N, resulted in inhibition of plant growth and a reduction of WUE_P. Contrastingly, WUE_L was not affected by K supply which indicated no inhibition of stomatal control. PEG-stress further impeded A_N by stomatal closure and resulted in enhanced WUE_L and high oxidative stress. It can be concluded from this study that reduction of g_m is a major response of leaves to K deficiency, possibly due to changes in leaf anatomy, which negatively affects A_N and contributes to the typical symptoms like oxidative stress, growth inhibition and reduced WUE_P.

Physiological integration enhanced the tolerance of Cynodon dactylon to flooding

Many flooding-tolerant species are clonal plants; however, the effects of physiological integration on plant responses to flooding have received limited attention. We hypothesise that flooding can trigger changes in metabolism of carbohydrates and ROS (reactive oxygen species) in clonal plants, and that physiological integration can ameliorate the adverse effects of stress, subsequently restoring the growth of flooded ramets. In the present study, we conducted a factorial experiment combining flooding to apical ramets and stolon severing (preventing physiological integration) between apical and basal ramets of Cynodon dactylon, which is a stoloniferous perennial grass with considerable flooding tolerance. Flooding-induced responses including decreased root biomass, accumulation of soluble sugar and starch, as well as increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in apical ramets. Physiological integration relieved growth inhibition, carbohydrate accumulation and induction of antioxidant enzyme activity in stressed ramets, as expected, without any observable cost in unstressed ramets. We speculate that relief of flooding stress in clonal plants may rely on oxidising power and electron acceptors transferred between ramets through physiological integration.

Cloning and Expression Analysis of a Gene Encoding for Ascorbate Peroxidase and Responsive to Salt Stress in Beet (Beta vulgaris)

BvpAPX is a full-length cDNA-encoding peroxisomal ascorbate peroxidase isolated from leaves of salt-stressed beet (Beta vulgaris) plants. A high level of identity has been reported between the deduced amino acid sequence of BvpAPX and other known ascorbate peroxidases. The genomic sequence of BvpAPX revealed a gene composed of 5 exons and 4 introns. Several sequence motifs revealed in the 5'UTR region of the gene confer to BvpAPX a putative responsiveness to various abiotic stresses. We determined the effect of salt stress on BvpAPX expression in leaves of the cultivated beet varieties, Huzar and Janosik, and their wild salt-tolerant relative B. vulgaris ssp. maritima. Plants were subjected to salt stress during a 32-day culture period (long-term salt treatment). An alternative salinization protocol consisted of an 18-h incubation of detached beet leaves in media supplemented with toxic salt concentrations (short-term salt treatment). RT-Q-PCR analysis revealed that BvpAPX expression markedly increased in leaves of plants subjected to conditions of long-term treatment with salinity, whereas BvpAPX transcript levels remained unaffected in detached leaves during short-term salt treatment. In addition, several leaf redox system parameters, such as ascorbate peroxidase activity or ascorbic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and lipid hydroperoxide concentration, were determined in the leaves of beet plants subjected to salt stress conditions.

Sugar ratios, glutathione redox status and phenols in the resurrection species Haberlea rhodopensis and the closely related non-resurrection species Chirita eberhardtii

Because of their unique tolerance to desiccation, the so-called resurrection plants can be considered as excellent models for extensive research on plant reactions to environmental stresses. The vegetative tissues of these species are able to withstand long dry periods and to recover very rapidly upon re-watering. This study follows the dynamics of key components involved in leaf tissue antioxidant systems under desiccation in the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis and the related non-resurrection species Chirita eberhardtii. In H. rhodopensis these parameters were also followed during recovery after full drying. A well-defined test system was developed to characterise the different responses of the two species under drought stress. Results show that levels of H₂O₂ decreased significantly both in H. rhodopensis and C. eberhardtii, but that accumulation of malondialdehyde was much more pronounced in the desiccation-tolerant H. rhodopensis than in the non-resurrection C. eberhardtii. A putative protective role could be attributed to accumulation of total phenols in H. rhodopensis during the late stages of drying. The total glutathione concentration and GSSG/GSH ratio increased upon complete dehydration of H. rhodopensis. Our data on soluble sugars suggest that sugar ratios might be important for plant desiccation tolerance. An array of different adaptations could thus be responsible for the resurrection phenotype of H. rhodopensis.

Redox regulation of water stress responses in field-grown plants. Role of hydrogen peroxide and ascorbate

Abiotic stresses, such as drought, can increase the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants. An increase in ROS levels can provoke a partial or severe oxidation of cellular components inducing redox status changes, so continuous control of ROS and therefore of their metabolism is decisive under stress conditions. The present work focuses on the contribution of one pro-oxidant, hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and one antioxidant, ascorbate (AA) and its redox status, in the control of plant responses to drought-oxidative stress in resistant plants growing in field conditions. After a general introduction to the concept of drought and oxidative stress and its relationship, we describe the role of H(2)O(2) in drought stress responses, emphasizing the importance of studies in H(2)O(2) subcellular localization, needed for a better understanding of its role in plant responses to stress. Although more studies are needed in the study of changes of redox status in plants subjected to stress, the AA pools and its redox status can be indicative of its involvement as a part of cellular mechanisms by which the plant respond to drought-induced oxidative stress. The mechanism of resistance and/or tolerance to drought-oxidative stress is complex, especially when studies are carried out in plants growing in field conditions, where an interaction of stresses occurs. This study sheds light on the mechanisms of plant responses to water-oxidative stress in plants growing in the field.