Uptake and distribution of abscisic acid in Commelina leaf epidermis

Closure of stomata by abscisic acid (ABA) was studied by floating leaf epidermal strips of Commelina communis L. in PIPES buffer (pH 6.8) containing a range of KCl concentrations. Control apertures were greatest at high concentrations of the salt, and the effects of ABA, in terms of closure, were most pronounced below 100 mol m^-3 KCl. Stomata opened on strips floated on buffer plus 50 mol m^-3 KCl and closed within 10 min when transferred to the same medium plus 0.1 mol m^-3 ABA. [2-¹⁴C]ABA was used to study uptake and distribution of the hormone by the epidermal strips. It was calculated that no more than 6 fmol ABA were present per stomatal complex at the time of closure, although uptake continued thereafter. Microautoradiography indicated that radioactivity from [2-¹⁴C]ABA accumulated in the stomatal complex at or near the guard cells within 20 min. TLC was used to examine the state of the label after 1 h incubation. Efflux of label from preincubated tissue appeared to occur in three phases (t_1/2=7.2 s, 4.0 min, 35.2 min). Efflux was correlated with stomatal re-opening. The results confirm that ABA can accumulate in the epidermis of C. communis.Abbreviation ABA Abscisic acid     

Uptake and metabolism of carbohydrates by epidermal tissue

Isolated epidermis of Commelina communis L. and Tulipa gesneriana L. assimilated ¹⁴CO₂ into malic acid and its metabolites but not into sugars or their phosphates; epidermis could not reduce CO₂ by photosynthesis and therefore must be heterotrophic (Raschke and Dittrich, 1977). If, however, isolated epidermis of Commelina communis was placed on prelabelled mesophyll (obtained by an exposure to ¹⁴CO₂ for 10 min), radioactive sugars appeared in the epidermis, most likely by transfer from the mesophyll. Of the radioactivity in the epidermis, 60% was in sucrose, glucose, fructose, 3-phosphoglyceric acid and sugar phosphates. During a 10-min exposure to ¹⁴CO₂, epidermis in situ incorporated 16 times more radioactivity than isolated epidermal strips. Isolated epidermis of Commelina communis and Tulipa gesneriana took up ¹⁴C-labelled glucose-1-phosphate (without dephosphorylation), glucose, sucrose and maltose. These substances were transformed into other sugars and, simultaneously, into malic acid. Carbons-1 through-3 of malic acid in guard cells can thus be derived from sugars. Radioactivity appeared also in the hydrolysate of the ethanol-insoluble residue and in compounds of the tricarboxylic-acid cycle, including their transamination products. The hydrolysate contained glucose as the only radioactive compound. Radioactivity in the hydrolysate was therefore considered an indication of starch. Starch formation in the epidermis began within 5 min of exposure to glucose-1-phosphate. Autoradiograms of epidermal sections were blackened above the guard cells. Formation of starch from radioactive sugars therefore occurred predominantly in these cells. Epidermis of tulip consistently incorporated more ¹⁴C into malic and aspartic acids than that of Commelina communis (e.g. after a 4-h exposure to [¹⁴C]glucose in the dark, epidermis, with open stomata, of tulip contained 31% of its radioactivity in malate and aspartate, that of Commelina communis only 2%). The results of our experiments allow a merger of the old observations on the involvement of starch metabolism in stomatal movement with the more recent recognition of ion transfer and acid metabolism as causes of stomatal opening and closing.Abbreviation G-1-P glucose-1-phosphate     

Electrophysiological properties of onion guard cells

Intracellular electrical recordings in onion (Allium cepa L.) guard cells show that they maintain a membrane potential difference (MPD), inside negative. The MPD of intact cells averaged -72±29 mV (n=45); MPD of cells partially digested with a cellulolytic enzyme, -39±7 mV (n=65). Evidence indicates that the guard cells have two electrically distinct compartments, presumably delimited by the plasmalemma and tonoplast. Epidermal cells in partially digested preparations also showed MPD that could be either positive (+15±7 mV; n=23) or negative (-15 ±8 mV; n=13). Guard cells exposed to light-dark cycles hyperpolarized in the light and depolarized in the dark. The largest observed voltage changes reached 52 mV during hyperpolarizations and 60 mV during depolarizations. The light responses saturated with roughly exponential kinetics, with the depolarizations exhibiting a slower second phase that might be related to the contracting movements of the guard cells. Initial rates of the responses averaged about 14 mV min^-1 in the dark and about 8 mV min^-1 in the light. The results can be interpreted as electrical correlates of fluctuations in intracellular potassium concentration, as light-induced changes in membrane permeability, or as the photoactivation of an electrogenic proton pump. The last possibility seems to be the simplest interpretation of the data that also provides us with a mechanism driving the ion fluxes associated with stomatal function.     

松茶间作茶树叶片的解剖构造和气孔活动

本文利用光镜技术和MK-3型自动气孔计对松茶间作和单作茶园茶树叶片的解剖构造和气孔传导力进行了比较研究。研究表明,间作茶园茶树叶片的上表皮、栅拦组织和全叶均比单作茶树薄,分别为单作茶树的82.7％,78.2％和67.2％,叶质柔嫩。叶片气孔传导力比单作茶园低。嫩叶传导力>老叶;1芽5叶新梢按叶序3叶>2、4叶>1、5叶;按树冠垂直分布,冠上叶(0—5cm)>冠中叶(10—15cm)>冠下叶(30cm左右)。说明气孔传导力不仅受生态条件影响,与自身的叶龄、叶位等生理机能也有密切关系。     

大豆光合速率和气孔导度对水分胁迫的响应

土壤水分胁迫使两个供试大豆品种(系)光合速率和气孔导度降低,“鲁豆四号”降低的幅度大于小粒大豆品系“7605”。在相同的叶水势下,“7605”的光合速率和气孔导度均高于“鲁豆四号”,但“7605”气孔随水势下降而关闭的速率大于“鲁豆四号”。水分胁迫使叶片温度升高,“7605”比“鲁豆四号”升温较快,但在同一水分处理中,“鲁豆四号”的叶温高于“7605”。水分胁迫降低了大豆的水分利用效率,且“鲁豆四号”降低的速率大于“7605”。结果表明,“7605”对水分胁迫具有较好的适应能力。     

Comparative water relations of four Mediterranean oak species

The water relations and responses of two evergreen (Quercus ilex L. and Q. suber L.) and two deciduous (S. afares Pomel. and Q. faginea Will.) Quercus species were studied under experimental conditions. Two-year old seedlings grown in 30 l. pots were subjected to a drying period during which stomatal conductance, pre-dawn potential and minimum foliar potential were measured.The results shows that, for all species, the daily course of stomatal conductance agrees with the patterns proposed by Hinckley et al. (1978 & 1983). Concurrent with the species responses to short-term variation in water availability, it was found that pre-dawn leaf water potential controlled the maximum daily leaf conductance. There was a strong correlation between pre-dawn leaf potential and maximum daily conductance as described by the reciprocal function g_{srmax for}=(-0.47+2.61._p)^-1 the evergreen oaks and g_{srmax for}=(-1.94+7.39._p)^-1 for the deciduous species. These differences between the two groups may partialy explain their geograhic distributions, and suggest general questions concerning the mechanisms which optimize water-use efficiency in Mediterranean oak species.     

Foliar application of ascorbic acid enhances salinity stress tolerance in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) through modulation of morpho-physio-biochemical attributes,ions uptake,osmo-protectants and stress response genes expression

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a major cereal grain and is known as a halophyte (a halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that grows in soil or waters of high salinity). We therefore conducted a pot experiment to explore plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange attributes, stomatal properties, oxidative stress and antioxidant response and their associated gene expression and absorption of ions in H. Vulgare. The soil used for this analysis was artificially spiked at different salinity concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM) and different levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) were supplied to plants (0, 30 and 60 mM) shortly after germination of the seed. The results of the present study showed that plant growth and biomass, photosynthetic pigments, gas exchange parameters, stomatal properties and ion uptake were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced by salinity stress, whereas oxidative stress was induced in plants by generating the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant cells/tissues compared to plants grown in the control treatment. Initially, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and relative gene expression increased to a saline level of 100 mM, and then decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by increasing the saline level (150 mM) in the soil compared to plants grown at 0 mM of salinity. We also elucidated that negative impact of salt stress in H. vulgare plants can overcome by the exogenous application of AsA, which not only increased morpho-physiological traits but decreased oxidative stress in the plants by increasing activities of enzymatic antioxidants. We have also explained the negative effect of salt stress on H. vulgare can decrease by exogenous application of AsA, which not only improved morpho-physiological characteristics, ions accumulation in the roots and shoots of the plants, but decreased oxidative stress in plants by increasing antioxidant compounds (enzymatic and non-enzymatic). Taken together, recognizing AsA's role in nutrient uptake introduces new possibilities for agricultural use of this compound and provides a valuable basis for improving plant tolerance and adaptability to potential salinity stress adjustment.     

叉蕨科30种植物叶表皮形态特征研究

利用光镜对叉蕨科7属30种植物叶表皮形态特征进行详细观察研究。结果显示：（1）叉蕨科30种植物的叶上表皮和下表皮细胞形状均为不规则型,垂周壁式样为深波状或浅波状,具单晶或针晶;上表皮细胞的长宽比为1.62~4.0,下表皮细胞的长宽比为1.63~3.06。（2）在30种植物中共观察到7种气孔器类型,分别为：极细胞型、腋下细胞型、聚合极细胞型、聚腋下细胞型、不等细胞型、无规则四细胞型和不规则型,每种植物分别具有4~7种气孔器类型,均为下生型气孔;气孔长宽比为1.22~1.91,气孔密度为8~76个/mm²,气孔指数为3.9%~25.7%。（3）基于气孔器类型组成进行聚类分析,可将30种植物分成3个类群。（4）对叶表皮形态特征分析认为,轴脉蕨属应介于叉蕨属和肋毛蕨属之间,且与叉蕨属关系更近;叉蕨属的范畴还有待进一步研究;支持将肋毛蕨属从叉蕨科中分离出来置于鳞毛蕨科,但不支持黄腺羽蕨属归入鳞毛蕨科。     

植物叶片化石气孔参数与古海拔定量重建: 方法与进展

古海拔的定量重建在推演地球动力学模型、大气循环模式、古气候变化以及地球化学循环过程方面都具有十分重要的作用,但是迄今为止在古植物学和古环境研究领域中古海拔的定量重建仍然存在许多难点。本文在介绍目前古海拔定量重建领域几种方法的基础上,重点对植物叶片化石气孔参数及其应用与进展进行了讨论,着重介绍:(1)如何利用植物叶片化石气孔参数法恢复古海拔;(2)方法实践过程中的误差来源与分析;(3)应用实例及展望。