Effective Quantum Yield Of Photosystem II Research Articles

Physiological and agronomical traits effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in seedlings of Solanum lycopersicum L

BackgroundTitanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been reported to have contrasting effects on plant physiology, while their effects on sugar, protein, and amino acid metabolism are poorly understood. In this work, we evaluated the effects of TiO2 NPs on physiological and agronomical traits of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings. Tomato seeds were treated with TiO2 NPs (1000 and 2000 mg L− 1), TiO2 microparticles (µPs, 2000 mg L− 1) as the size control, and ultrapure water as negative control.ResultsThe dry matter of stems (DMs), leaves (DMl) and total dry matter (DMt) decreased as particle concentration increased. This trend was also observed in the maximum quantum yield of light-adapted photosystem II (PSII) (Fv´/Fm´), the effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII), and net photosynthesis (Pn). The concentrations of sugars, total soluble proteins, and total free amino acids were unaffected, but there were differences in the daily dynamics of these compounds among the treatments.ConclusionOur results suggest that treating tomato seeds with TiO2 might affect PSII performance, net photosynthesis and decrease biomass production, associated with a concentration- and size-related effect of TiO2 particles.

Nitrate nitrogen enhances the efficiency of photoprotection in Leymus chinensis under drought stress.

Global climate change exerts a significant impact on the nitrogen supply and photosynthesis ability in land-based plants. The photosynthetic capacity of dominant grassland species is important if we are to understand carbon cycling under climate change. Drought stress is one of the major factors limiting plant photosynthesis, and nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient involved in the photosynthetic activity of leaves. The regulatory mechanisms responsible for the effects of ammonium (NH4 +) and nitrate (NO3 -) on the drought-induced photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) in plants have yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, there is a significant need to gain a better understanding of the role of electron transport in the photoinhibition of PSII. In the present study, we conducted experiments with normal watering (LD), severe drought (MD), and extreme drought (HD) treatments, along with no nitrogen (N0), ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3), and mixed nitrogen (NH4NO3) treatments. We analyzed pigment accumulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, photosynthetic enzyme activity, photosystem activity, electron transport, and O-J-I-P kinetics. Analysis showed that increased nitrate application significantly increased the leaf chlorophyll content per unit area (Chlarea) and nitrogen content per unit area (Narea) (p< 0.05). Under HD treatment, ROS levels were lower in NO3-treated plants than in N0 plants, and there was no significant difference in photosynthetic enzyme activity between plants treated with NO3 and NH4NO3. Under drought stress, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), PSII electron transport rate (ETR), and effective quantum yield of PSII (φPSII) were significant higher in NO3-treated plants (p< 0.05). Importantly, the K-band and G-band were higher in NO3-treated plants. These results suggest that drought stress hindered the formation of NADPH and ATP in N0 and NH4-treated L. chinensis plants, thus damaging the donor side of the PSII oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). After applying nitrate, higher photosynthetic enzyme and antioxidant enzyme activity not only protected PSII from photodamage under drought stress but also reduced the rate of damage in PSII during the growth of L. chinensis growth under drought stress.

Physiological Variables Influenced by 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' Infection in Two Citrus Species.

'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' is the bacterium associated with the citrus disease known as huanglongbing (HLB). This study evaluated the influence of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection on a number of key plant physiological variables concerning photosynthesis, cell integrity, reactive oxygen species scavengers' activity, and osmoregulation of two different species of citrus-the pomelo Citrus maxima and the mandarin C. reticulata 'Tankan'-relative to their measured 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection load. Results indicated that all measured physiological variables except soluble sugar were affected by increased 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection titers, wherein the variety C. maxima proved overall more resistant than C. reticulata. 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection was linked in both plants to decrease in chlorophyll concentration, cell membrane permeability, and malondialdehyde, as well as increased free proline and starch contents. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements taken 9 months after grafting the mandarin C. reticulata with 'Ca. L. asiaticus' scions revealed a significant decrease in the photosynthesis variables maximum photochemical quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII, and coefficient of photochemical fluorescence quenching assuming interconnected PSII antennae, whereas nonphotochemical fluorescence quenching increased significantly; C. maxima plants, on the other hand, did not show significant differences until the 12th month from infection exposure. The variables superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and soluble protein initially increased and later decreased. In addition, progression of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' replication in both citrus species was accompanied by rapid changes in three reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes in C. maxima, while the pattern was different in C. reticulata. We hypothesize that the observed interspecific differences in physiological change are related to their relative resistance against 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection. These results provide a scaffold for better describing the pathogenesis, selecting the most resistant breeds, or even validating pertaining omics research; ultimately, these detailed observations can facilitate the diagnosis of 'Ca. L. asiaticus' infection.

Ajustes fotossintéticos e concentração de prolina provavelmente estão ligados à memória de estresse em soja exposta a seca recorrente

ABSTRACT Drought stress is the main abiotic factor limiting soybean yield. The memory of recurrent water stress can provide greater efficiency in minimizing the negative effects of drought. Thus, the aim of this work was to understand the temporal adjustments in photosynthesis presented by soybeans when exposed to recurrent drought at the beginning of the flowering and grain filling stages. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with five replications, consisting of four treatments: i) WS-R1 (moderate water deficit at the beginning of flowering), ii) WS-R5 (severe water deficit during grain filling), iii) WS-R1+R5 (moderate water deficit at early flowering and severe water deficit during grain filling), and iv) WW (well-watered condition). Severe stress caused reductions in gas exchange parameters and the relative water content, with increased initial fluorescence and water use efficiency. The plants from the WS-R5 and WS-R1+R5 treatments showed a reduction in the apparent rate of electron transport in photosystem II (PSII), photochemical quenching, and effective quantum yield of PSII, as well as increased nonphotochemical quenching values. Furthermore, the proline concentration in the leaves was higher in plants from the WS-R1+R5 treatment, contributing to the greater ability to maintain turgid cells compared to the WS-R5 plants. The photosynthetic adjustments related to faster isohydric responses and photoprotective mechanisms in soybean plants subjected to recurrent drought allowed the maintenance in the weight or number of grains compared to plants without water restriction, demonstrating the activation of efficient memory mechanisms of response to water stress.

Adjustments in photosynthetic pigments, PS II photochemistry and photoprotection in a tropical C4 forage plant exposed to warming and elevated [CO2

Global climate change will impact crops and grasslands, affecting growth and yield. However, is not clear how the combination of warming and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations ([CO2]) will affect the photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry and the photosynthetic tissue photoinhibition and photoprotection on tropical forages. Here, we evaluated the effects of elevated [CO2] (∼600 μmol mol−1) and warming (+2 °C increase temperature) on the photochemistry of photosystem II and the photoprotection strategies of a tropical C4 forage Panicum maximum Jacq. grown in a Trop-T-FACE facility under well-watered conditions without nutrient limitation. Analysis of the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), the effective PSII quantum yield Y(II), the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation Y(NPQ), the quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation Y(NO), and the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in leaves revealed that the photosynthetic apparatus of plants did not suffer photoinhibitory damage, and plants did not increase lipid peroxidation in response to warming and [CO2] enrichment. Plants under warming treatment showed a 12% higher chlorophyll contents and a 58% decrease in α-tocopherol contents. In contrast, carotenoid composition (zeaxanthin and β-carotene) and ascorbate levels were not altered by elevated [CO2] and warming. The elevated temperature increased both net photosynthesis rate and aboveground biomass but elevated [CO2] increased only net photosynthesis. Adjustments in chlorophyll, de-epoxidation state of the xanthophylls cycle, and tocopherol contents suggest leaves of P. maximum can acclimate to 2 °C warmer temperature and elevated [CO2] when plants are grown with enough water and nutrients during tropical autumn-winter season.

Physiological, Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses of Overwintering Cryptomeria fortunei Needles

Low temperatures affect plant growth, development, and geographical distribution. Cryptomeriafortunei (Chinese cedar) is a major industrial tree species used for timber manufacturing in southern China. However, its popularization and application in northern China are limited due to its poor low-temperature resistance (approximately −6 °C), and its overwintering mechanism remains unclear. Here, we performed physiological, metabolomic, and transcriptomic analyses of overwintering C.fortunei needles at three stages: before winter, during winter, and in early spring. Physiological analyses showed that electrolyte leakage, H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar, and protein contents increased, while the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm), effective quantum yield of PSII (YII), and chlorophyll content decreased as overwintering progressed. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that downregulated gibberellin (GA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinin (CTK), and auxin signal transduction and upregulated abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene, brassinosteroids (BR), and jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction pathways promoted the winter acclimation of C.fortunei, while the opposite expression pattern promoted the transition from dormancy to growth. In addition, upregulated genes/metabolites involved in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, cold-related protein and fatty acid desaturases, and downregulated photosynthesis-related pathways promoted winter acclimation, while five (WRKY, AP2/ERF, NAC, MYB, and bHLH) and three (AP2/ERF, MYB, and bHLH) transcription factors were associated with winter acclimation and early spring transition from dormancy to growth, respectively. In summary, we report the first transcriptome of overwintering C.fortunei, providing a foundation for the cultivation of and research on overwintering varieties.

Seawater Acidification Exacerbates the Negative Effects of UVR on the Growth of the Bloom-Forming Diatom Skeletonema costatum

Climate changes such as seawater acidification caused by rising atmospheric CO2 and increased ultraviolet radiation (UVR) intensity resulting from shoaling of the upper mixed layer may interact to influence the physiological performance of marine primary producers. But few studies have investigated long-term (&amp;gt;30 days) effects of UVR under seawater acidification conditions, along with less attention on the differential effects of long- and short-wavelength UVA. In the present study, four spectral treatments (&amp;gt;280, &amp;gt;320, &amp;gt;360, and &amp;gt;400 nm) under two pCO2 levels (400 and 1,000 μatm) were set to investigate the interactive effects of seawater acidification and UVR on the bloom-forming diatom Skeletonema costatum. The results showed that UVR decreased growth and effective quantum yield of Photosystem II (PSII) by 9%–16% and 11%–24%, respectively, but it enhanced cell sizes significantly. Long- and short-wavelength UVA showed differential effects on cell volume and the effective quantum yield of PSII, especially at the elevated CO2 level. Generally, seawater acidification depressed the effective quantum yield of PSII and cell volume by 6%–18% and 8%–39%, respectively. Additionally, the contents of key PSII proteins (D1 and D2) decreased at the elevated CO2 level. Elevated CO2 significantly increased the inhibition of UVR on growth in the &amp;gt;280 nm spectral treatment when compared with ambient CO2, while it showed no effects in other spectral treatments. Overall, the results indicate that the effects of seawater acidification on the ubiquitous diatom are light wavelength-dependent.

Transcriptome and physiological analysis of increase in drought stress tolerance by melatonin in tomato.

Drought stress seriously affects tomato growth, yield and quality. Previous reports have pointed out that melatonin (MT) can alleviate drought stress damage to tomato. To better understand the possible physiological and molecular mechanisms, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and leaf transcriptome profiles were analyzed in the “Micro Tom” tomato cultivar with or without melatonin irrigation under normal and drought conditions. Polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) simulated continuous drought treatment reduced plant height, but melatonin treatment improved plant growth rate. Physiological parameter measurements revealed that the drought-induced decreases in maximum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry, the effective quantum yield of PSII, electron transfer rate, and photochemical quenching value caused by PEG6000 treatment were alleviated by melatonin treatment, which suggests a protective effect of melatonin on PSII. Comparative transcriptome analysis identified 447, 3982, 4526 and 3258 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the comparative groups plus-melatonin vs. minus-melatonin (no drought), drought vs. no drought (minus-melatonin), drought vs. no drought (melatonin) and plus-melatonin vs. minus-melatonin (drought), respectively. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that DEGs in the four comparative groups were involved in multiple metabolic processes and closely related to hormone signal transduction and transcription factors. Transcriptome data revealed that melatonin changed the expression pattern of most hormone signal transduction related DEGs induced by drought, and improved plant drought resistance by down-regulating the expression of linoleic acid catabolic enzyme genes. These results provide new insights into a probable mechanism of the melatonin-induced protection of photosynthesis and enhancement of drought tolerance in tomato plants.

The Responses of Light Reaction of Photosynthesis to Dynamic Sunflecks in a Typically Shade-Tolerant Species Panax notoginseng.

Light is highly heterogeneous in natural conditions, and plants need to evolve a series of strategies to acclimate the dynamic light since it is immobile. The present study aimed to elucidate the response of light reaction of photosynthesis to dynamic sunflecks in a shade-tolerant species Panax notoginseng and to examine the regulatory mechanisms involved in an adaptation to the simulated sunflecks. When P. notoginseng was exposed to the simulated sunflecks, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) increased rapidly to the maximum value. Moreover, in response to the simulated sunflecks, there was a rapid increase in light-dependent heat dissipation quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (ΦNPQ), while the maximum quantum yield of PSII under light (Fv′/Fm′) declined. The relatively high fluorescence and constitutive heat dissipation quantum efficiency of PSII (Φf,d) in the plants exposed to transient high light (400, 800, and 1,600 μmol m–2 s–1) was accompanied by the low effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) after the dark recovery for 15 min, whereas the plants exposed to transient low light (50 μmol m–2 s–1) has been shown to lead to significant elevation in ΦPSII after darkness recovery. Furthermore, PSII fluorescence and constitutive heat dissipation electron transfer rate (Jf,d) was increased with the intensity of the simulated sunflecks, the residual absorbed energy used for the non-net carboxylative processes (JNC) was decreased when the response of electron transfer rate of NPQ pathway of PSII (JNPQ) to transient low light is restricted. In addition, the acceptor-side limitation of PSI [Y(NA)] was increased, while the donor-side limitation of photosystems I (PSI) [Y(ND)] was decreased at transient high light conditions accompanied with active cyclic electron flow (CEF). Meanwhile, when the leaves were exposed to transient high light, the xanthophyll cycle (V cycle) was activated and subsequently, the JNPQ began to increase. The de-epoxidation state [(Z + A)/(V + A + Z)] was strongly correlated with NPQ in response to the sunflecks. In the present study, a rapid engagement of lutein epoxide (Lx) after the low intensity of sunfleck together with the lower NPQ contributed to an elevation in the maximum photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII under the light. The analysis based on the correlation between the CEF and electron flow devoted to Ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate (RuBP) oxygenation (JO) indicated that at a high light intensity of sunflecks, the electron flow largely devoted to RuBP oxygenation would contribute to the operation of the CEF. Overall, photorespiration plays an important role in regulating the CEF of the shade-tolerant species, such as P. notoginseng in response to transient high light, whereas active Lx cycle together with the decelerated NPQ may be an effective mechanism of elevating the maximum photochemical quantum efficiency of PSII under light exposure to transient low light.

PHYSIOLOGY AND MORPHOLOGY OF RICE PLANTS WITH SILICON SUPPLEMENTATION AND DIETHOLATE SEED TREATMENT UNDER WATER DEFICIT

Silicon is an enzyme stimulator that promotes signaling for the production of antioxidant, osmoprotective compounds and attenuates interference in photosynthesis in rice plants subjected to water deficit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effects of silicon as a stress reliever in rice plants grown from seeds treated with dietholate under of water deficit conditions. The experimental design was fully randomized with three replicates, 144 experimental units consisting of pots containing 4.4 pounds soil, and a 3x2x2x4 factorial arrangement: three soil water conditions (50% and 100% of soil water retention capacity and water blade of 5.0 cm); two cultivars (IRGA 424 RI and Guri INTA CL); two sources of Si (sodium and potassium metasilicate); and four Si rates (0; 4.0; 8.0 and 16 g L-1). Silicon boosted stomatal density; induced an increase in the maximum photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) under both water deficit and optimal conditions, boosting photosynthesis; and increased effective quantum yield of PSII and levels of total dry mass. Thus, silicon attenuated the effects of water deficit in plants grown from seeds treated with dietholate.

Photosynthetic apparatus performance of tomato seedlings grown under various combinations of LED illumination.

It is already known that the process of photosynthesis depends on the quality and intensity of light. However, the influence of the new light sources recently used in horticulture, known as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), on this process is not yet fully understood. Chlorophyll a fluorescence measurement has been widely used as a rapid, reliable, and noninvasive tool to study the efficiency of the photosystem II (PSII) and to evaluate plant responses to various environmental factors, including light intensity and quality. In this work, we tested the responses of the tomato photosynthetic apparatus to different light spectral qualities. Our results showed that the best performance of the photosynthetic apparatus was observed under a mixture of red and blue light (R7:B3) or a mixture of red, green and blue light (R3:G2:B5). This was demonstrated by the increase in the effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (Y[II]), photochemical quenching (qP) and electron transport rate (ETR). On the other hand, the mixture of red and blue light with a high proportion of blue light led to an increase in non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). Our results can be used to improve the production of tomato plants under artificial light conditions. However, since we found that the responses of the photosynthetic apparatus of tomato plants to a particular light regime were cultivar-dependent and there was a weak correlation between the growth and photosynthetic parameters tested in this work, special attention should be paid in future research.

Acclimatization of photosynthetic apparatus and antioxidant metabolism to excess soil cadmium in Buddleja spp.

Heavy metal (HM) pollutants can cause serious phytotoxicity or oxidative stress in plants. Buddleja L., commonly known as “butterfly bushes”, are frequently found growing on HM-contaminated land. However, to date, few studies have focused on the physiological and biochemical responses of Buddleja species to HM stress. In this study, potted seedlings of B. asiatica Lour. and B. macrostachya Wall. ex Benth. were subjected to various cadmium (Cd) concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg kg−1) for 90 days. Both studied Buddleja species showed restricted Cd translocation capacity. Exposure to Cd, non-significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed, including quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII), effective quantum yield of PSII, photochemical quenching and non-photochemical quenching in both species between all studied Cd concentrations. Moreover, levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly declined (p < 0.05) with low malondialdehyde concentrations. In B. asiatica, high superoxide dismutase and significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) peroxidase (POD) activity contributed greatly to the detoxification of excess ROS, while markedly enhanced POD activity was observed in B. macrostachya. Additionally, B. macrostachya showed higher membership function values than did B. asiatica. These results suggested that both Buddleja species exhibited high Cd resistance and acclimatization.

Stronger plasticity of leaf characteristics is associated with better shade adaptation in Calycanthaceae

To understand how Calycanthaceae species adapt to different light levels, we examined the responses of leaf structure, chlorophyll (Chl) content, and Chl fluorescence of five Calycanthaceae species to different light conditions. With the reduction of light irradiance, total leaf thickness of Sinocalycanthus chinensis significantly decreased, and that of Chimonanthus nitens was generally the same. The other three species, Ch. praecox, Ch. salicifolius, and Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus, showed moderate plasticity of leaf structure. With shade treatments, the Chl a content in the leaves of Ch. nitens increased, while that in Ch. salicifolius decreased. However, the Chl a content in Ch. praecox, Ca. floridus var. glaucus, and S. chinensis was not changed with decreased light levels. Leaves of four species (except Ch. salicifolius) showed higher Chl b content and total Chl content, and leaves of all five species showed a lower Chl a/b ratio in shade. The maximal quantum efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm) and the effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) in S. chinensis were the same regardless of the light regime, but those of the other four species were significantly lower in full sunlight. Another Chl fluorescence parameter, non-photochemical Chl fluorescence quenching, was significantly higher in full sunlight. Our results revealed that among the five Calycanthaceae species, S. chinensis exhibited the highest plasticity of leaf structure in response to different irradiances and Ch. nitens was considered to have the highest shade tolerance.

Exogenous Melatonin Improves Drought Tolerance in Maize Seedlings by Regulating Photosynthesis and the Ascorbate–Glutathione Cycle

Melatonin is known to exert protective effects in maize against drought stress, but the knowledge regarding interaction among the melatonin, photosynthetic efficiency, ascorbate–glutathione cycle still remains elusive. Two contrasting maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes, SD609 (drought-tolerant) and SD902 (drought-sensitive), were subjected to moderate and severe drought stress along with 100 μM melatonin treatment. Exogenous melatonin increased fluorescence curve levels for both genotypes under drought stress, and higher in SD609 than SD902. In both genotypes, melatonin application also significantly increased the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), the effective quantum yield of PSII and photosystem I (PSI), and the electron transport rate between PSII and PSI under drought stress, but it decreased the quantum yield of energy dissipation and the donor side and acceptor side impairment of PSI under drought stress, regardless of stress severity. Exogenous melatonin also contributed to the reduction of membrane damage under drought stress, as reflected by significantly decreased levels of MDA, superoxide anions and H2O2 of both genotypes exposed to drought. Furthermore, melatonin treatment increased enzyme activity in AsA–GSH cycle, and upregulated the genes expression of related enzymes in AsA–GSH cycle. The effects of melatonin were more pronounced in SD609 than SD902. Collectively, these results indicated that exogenous melatonin application increased photosynthetic electron transport rate and accelerated the AsA–GSH cycle, which are factors that play an important role in drought tolerance in maize. The beneficial effect of melatonin on the drought-tolerance SD609 was more obvious.

Comparisons of Chlorophyll Fluorescence and Physiological Characteristics of Wheat Seedlings Influenced by Iso-Osmotic Stresses from Polyethylene Glycol and Sodium Chloride

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivar Taichung SEL.2 (TCS2) is a salt-tolerance variety, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. This study aims to distinguish between the non-ionic osmotic and salt-mediated physiological effects on TCS2. Osmotic agents polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sodium chloride (NaCl) were applied at three iso-osmotic levels, level 1 containing 24% (w/v) PEG and 200 mM NaCl, level 2 containing 26.5% (w/v) PEG and 250 mM NaCl), and level 3 containing 29% (w/v) PEG and 300 mM NaCl, respectively. According to the investigation of chlorophyll fluorescence in the better NaCl-treated seedlings, maximal quantum yield of photosystem II (PSII) (Fv/Fm) and significant higher effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) at level 3 were observed. Meanwhile, the non-photochemical quenching of PSII (NPQ) and the quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation of PSII [Y(NPQ)] were significantly higher in the NaCl-treated seedlings, and the quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation of PSII [Y(NO)] in the NaCl-treated seedlings was lower than the PEG-treated ones at level 2 and level 3. Furthermore, the less extensive degradation of photosynthetic pigments, the better ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and the less accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) were also observed in NaCl-treated seedlings. In the morphological traits, shoot elongation in NaCl-treated seedlings was also preserved. These results suggest that TCS2 is more resistant to NaCl-induced osmotic stress than to the PEG-induced stress. This study contributes to plant breeder interest in drought- and/or salt-tolerant wheat varieties.

Photosynthetic characterization of transgenic Synechocystis expressing a plant thiol/disulfide-modulating protein

ABSTRACT A previous study showed that introducing an Arabidopsis thaliana thiol/disulfide-modulating protein, Low Quantum Yield of Photosystem II 1 (LQY1), into the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 increased the efficiency of Photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry. In the present study, the authors provided additional evidence for the role of AtLQY1 in improving PSII photochemical efficiency and cell growth. Light response curve analysis showed that AtLQY1-expressing Synechocystis grown at a moderate growth light intensity (50 µmol photons m−2 s−1) had higher minimal, maximal, and variable fluorescence than the empty-vector control, under a wide range of actinic light intensities. Light induction and dark recovery curves demonstrated that AtLQY1-expressing Synechocystis grown at the moderate growth light intensity had higher effective PSII quantum yield, higher photochemical quenching, lower regulated heat dissipation (non-photochemical quenching), low amounts of reduced plastoquinone, and higher amounts of oxidized plastoquinone than the empty-vector control. Furthermore, growth curve analysis indicated that AtLQY1-expressing Synechocystis grew faster than the empty-vector control at the moderate growth light intensity. These results suggest that transgenic expression of AtLQY1 in Synechocystis significantly improves PSII photochemical efficiency and overall cell growth.

Effect of Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] on Phytoremediation Potential and Biochemical Response of Hybrid Napier Grass with and without EDTA Application.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] contamination has become an emergent concern in China. Previous field investigations have found that hybrid Napier grass is widely distributed in Cr(VI) contaminated areas. This study investigated the phytoremediation potential and biochemical response of hybrid Napier grass (Pennisetum americanus L. × Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) grown in soil contaminated with Cr(VI) (0, 20, 40, and 60 mg kg−1) with and without Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) (4 mM) application. The results indicated that root length, shoot height, dry weight, leaf area, chlorophyll, and photosystem II (PSII) parameters viz.; apparent electron transport rate (ETR), effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSⅡ), maximal PSII photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), potential activity of PSII (Fv/Fo), photochemical quenching (qP), and non-photochemical quenching (qN) decreased with the increasing Cr(VI) concentration. EDTA application further aggravated reduction of dry biomass and photosystem II. The concentration and the accumulation of Cr in shoot and root, and both the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and transfer factor (TF) increased with increasing Cr(VI) concentrations and further enhanced with EDTA application. Though the Cr(VI) and Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) stress reduced tolerance, but, even at highest Cr(VI) concentration, plant could exhibited strong resistance, as evidenced by increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities. Hybrid Napier grass, due to its BAF > 1 and a TF < 1, would be applicable for Cr phytostabilization. Moreover, limiting metal transport to aerial parts of plant would prevent animal’s ingestion, restrict soil mobility, and consequently reduce transmission across the food chain.

Is the cell wall of marine phytoplankton a protective barrier or a nanoparticle interaction site? Toxicological responses of Chlorella autotrophica and Dunaliella salina to Ag and CeO2 nanoparticles

The use of nanoparticles (NPs), such as Ag and CeO2 NPs, has increased considerably in the last decade due to their importance for the production of engineered nanomaterials applied to new consumer products. This generalized use in everyday products has made the presence of NPs in aquatic systems more frequent and makes them potential environmental disturbers. Marine phytoplankton is at the bottom of the food web and, therefore, microalgae are potentially susceptible to NPs at different levels: reproductive (population growth), structural and metabolic. One of the first mechanisms of toxicity is caused by the adsorption of NPs onto the cell wall later leading to their internalization. As the cell wall may be a barrier against the intake of NPs, species lacking a cell wall would be expected to show a higher sensitivity. In the present study, two microalgae species with a marked structural difference, D. salina, lacking a cell wall, and Chlorella autotrophica, with a typical cellulosic cell wall, were exposed to ionic and NP forms of the metals Ag and Ce for 72h. The biomarkers used as indicative of toxicity were: cell density, cell viability, cell size, cell complexity, autofluorescence of chlorophyll a, active chlorophyll, effective quantum yield of PII (photosystem II) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Exposure to Ag and Ce in both ion and NP forms affected the reproductive, structural and physiological mechanisms of D. salina and C. autotrophica. In general, toxicity resulted in a decrease in active chlorophyll, effective quantum yield of PII, and cell density and an increase in cell complexity and ROS. For both species, treatments with Ag were more toxic than those of Ce and, for both metals, the ionic form was more toxic than the NPs. Although D. salina lacks a cell wall, it was more tolerant than C. autotrophica, indicating that the absence of a cell wall does not make it a more sensitive species. The higher tolerance of D. salina might be related to different processes to manage metal exposure that prevent toxicity such as biosorption, by producing extracellular polymeric substances, and the elimination of the compounds to the external environment.

Rooting affects the photosystem II activity: in vitro and ex vitro studies on energy hybrid sorrel

Rumex tianschanicus × Rumex patientia is a high-biomass-yielding plant suitable for fuel and biogas production. The protocol of the hybrid sorrel micropropagation was used to study the changes in the photosystem II (PSII) activity as well as to analyse the ultrastructure of the chloroplasts. The lowest effective PSII quantum yield [Y(II)] and an apparent electron transport rate of PSII [ETR(II)] were observed for adventitious shoots that had been regenerated in vitro, before rooting. These fluorescence parameters were higher and similar for both the leaves of the same adventitious shoots that had been rooted under in vitro conditions and for the shoots that had been acclimated and grown in ex vitro conditions. The analysis indicated that the PSII activity strongly depends on the formation of properly functioning roots and that in vitro or ex vitro culture conditions are, at least to some degree, less important. TEM analysis revealed that chloroplasts from plants rooted in vitro were sufficiently mature and acclimatization processes have less impact on their development. This is the first report concerning the analysis of PSII activity and the ultrastructure of the chloroplasts at all of the stages of micropropagation, i.e. adventitious shoot formation in vitro, rooting in vitro and acclimation to ex vitro conditions. It strongly indicated that rooting under in vitro conditions, rather than the acclimation to ex vitro conditions, plays a key role in the development of a completely functional photosynthetic apparatus in hybrid sorrel.

Temperature-dependent chlorophyll accumulation and photosystem II assembly during etioplast to chloroplast transition in sunflower cotyledons

Abstract Despite numerous data dealing with the biogenesis of photosynthetic membranes connected with specific functional alterations in higher plants this is still an insufficiently understood topic and is one of the most promising areas of research in plant biochemistry. The main goal of our study was to detect the impact of different temperatures on chlorophyll biosynthesis and the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm). Therefore, we investigated the greening processes in etiolated sunflower cotyledons (Helianthus annuus L.) grown at different temperatures (10, 20 and 30 °C) during 24 h. The dynamics of chlorophyll a and b (Chl a and Chl b) accumulation as well as photosystem II (PSII) effi ciency were observed. We also evaluated combined effects of different temperatures (20 and 30 °C) and short-term application of increased irradiation (800 μmol m-2 s-1) on effective quantum yield of PSII (ΔF/F’m) and non photochemical quenching (NPQ) in cotyledons with fully developed PSII. Our results showed reduced chlorophyll accumulation and the arrest of PSII assembly at 10 °C in comparison with 20 and 30 °C. Further, the increased irradiance induced equal down regulation of effective quantum yield of PSII at 20 and 30 °C, with significantly higher capability of heat dissipation at 30 °C.