The effect of different growth conditions on dark and light carbon assimilation in Littorella uniflora

Abstract

The effect of long-term exposure to different inorganic carbon, nutrient and light regimes on CAM activity and photosynthetic performance in the submerged aquatic plant, Littorella uniflora (L.) Aschers was investigated. The potential CAM activity of Littorella was highly plastic and was reduced upon exposure to low light intensities (43 μmol m−2 s−1), high CO2 concentrations (5.5 mM, pH 6.0) or low levels of inorganic nutrients, which caused a 25–80% decline in the potential maximum CAM activity relative to the activity in the control experiments (light: 450 μmol m−2 s−1; free CO2: 1.5 mM). The CAM activity was regulated more by light than by CO2, while nutrient levels only affected the activity to a minor extent. The minor effect of low nutrient regimes may be due to a general adaptation of isoetid species to low nutrient levels. The photosynthetic capacity and CO2 affinity was unaffected or increased by exposure to low CO2, irrespective of nutrient levels. High CO2, low nutrient and low light, however, reduced the capacity by 22–40% and the CO2 affinity by 35-45%, relative to control. The parallel effect of growth conditions on CAM activity and photosynthetic performance of Littorella suggest that light and dark carbon assimilation are interrelated and constitute an integrated part of the carbon assimilation physiology of the plant. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that CAM is a carbon-conserving mechanism in certain aquatic plants. The investment in the CAM enzyme system is beneficial to the plants during growth at high light and low CO2 conditions.