Stomatal sensing of the environment

The effects of environmental factors on stomatal behaviour are reviewed and the questions of whether photosynthesis and transpiration eontrol stomata or whether stomata themselves control the rates of these processes is addressed. Light affects stomata directly and indirectly. Light can act directly as an energy source resulting in ATP formation within guard cells via photophosphorylation, or as a stimulus as in the case of the blue light effects which cause guard cell H⁺ extrusion. Light also acts indirectly on stomata by affecting photosynthesis which influences the intercellular leaf CO₂ concentration ( C _i). Carbon dioxide concentrations in contact with the plasma membrane of the guard cell or within the guard cell acts directly on cell processes responsible for stomatal movements. The mechanism by which CO₂ exerts its effect is not fully understood but, at least in part, it is concerned with changing the properties of guard cell plasma membranes which influence ion transport processes. The C _i may remain fairly constant for much of the day for many species which is the result of parallel responses of stomata and photosynthesis to light. Leaf water potential also influences stomatal behaviour. Since leaf water potential is a resultant of water uptake and storage by the plant and transpirational water loss, any factor which affects these processes, such as soil water availability, temperature, atmospheric humidity and air movement, may indirectly affect stomata. Some of these factors, such as temperature and possibly humidity, may affect stomata directly. These direct and indirect effects of environmental factors interact to give a net opening response upon which is superimposed a direct effect of stomatal circadian rhythmic activity.     

Changing Responses of Stomata to Abscisic Acid and CO2 as Leaves and Plants Age

Willmer, C. M., Wilson, A. B. and Jones, H. G. 1988. Changingresponses of stomata to abscisic acid and CO₂ as leaves andplants age.—J. exp. Bot. 39: 401–410. Stomatal conductances were measured in ageing leaves of Commelinacommunis L. as plants developed; stomatal responses to CO₂ andabscisic acid (ABA) in epidermal strips of C. communis takenfrom ageing leaves of developing plants and in epidermal stripsfrom the same-aged leaves (the first fully-expanded leaf) ofdeveloping plants were also monitored. Stomatal behaviour wascorrelated with parallel measurements of photosynthesis andleaf ABA concentrations. Stomatal conductance in intact leavesdecreased from a maximum of 0-9 cm s^{– 1} at full leaf expansionto zero about 30 d later when leaves were very senescent. Conductancesdeclined more slowly with age in unshaded leaves. Photosynthesisof leaf slices also declined with age from a maximum at fullleaf expansion until about 30 d later when no O₂ exchange wasdetectable. Exogenously applied ABA (0.1 mol m^{– 3}) didnot affect respiration or photosynthesis. In epidermal stripstaken from ageing leaves the widest stomatal apertures occurredabout 10 d after full leaf expansion (just before floweringbegan) and then decreased with age; this decrease was less dramaticin unshaded leaves. The inhibitory effects of ABA on stomatalopening in epidermal strips decreased as leaves aged and wasgreater in the presence of CO₂ than in its absence. When leaveswere almost fully-senescent stomata were still able to open.At this stage, guard cells remained healthy-looking with greenchloroplasts while mesophyll cells were senescing and theirchloroplasts were yellow. Similar data were obtained for stomatain epidermal strips taken from the same-aged leaves of ageingplants. The inhibitory effects of ABA on stomatal opening alsodecreased with plant age. In ageing leaves both free and conjugated ABA concentrationsremained low before increasing dramatically about 30 d afterfull leaf expansion when senescence was well advanced. Concentrationsof free and conjugated ABA remained similar to each other atall times. It is concluded that the restriction of stomatal movements inintact leaves as the leaves and plants age is due mainly toa fall in photosynthetic capacity of the leaves which affectsintracellular CO₂ levels rather than to an inherent inabilityof the stomata to function normally. Since stomatal aperturein epidermal strips declines with plant and leaf age and stomatabecome less responsive to ABA (while endogenous leaf ABA levelsremain fairly constant until leaf senescence) it is suggestedthat some signal, other than ABA, is transmitted from the leafor other parts of the plant to the stomata and influences theirbehaviour. Key words: Abscisic acid, CO₂, Commelina, leaf age, senescence, stomatal sensitivity     

Effects of Calcium and Abscisic Acid on Volume Changes of Guard Cell Protoplasts of Commelina

Calcium ions contracted guard cell protoplasts (GCP) of Commelinacommunis L., being particularly effective within the concentrationrange of 0 to 0.2 mol m^–3. Abscisic acid (ABA) in thepresence of EGTA, which chelates free Ca²⁺ in the medium, contractedGCP to a similar extent to Ca²⁺ alone or Ca²⁺ and ABA together.Similarly, ABA in the absence of free Ca²⁺ (i.e. an ABA/EGTAtreatment) inhibited K⁺-induced swelling of contracted GCP,as did Ca²⁺ alone or ABA and Ca²⁺ together. Lanthanum, a Ca²⁺channel blocker, prevented the contraction of GCP by Ca²⁺ buthad no effect if ABA was also present with Ca²⁺. The inhibitionof swelling of GCP by Ca²⁺ was also prevented by the presenceof lanthanum or verapamil (another Ca²⁺ channel blocker). These results indicate that Ca²⁺ and ABA can act independentlyof each other in contracting swollen GCP and in preventing K⁺-inducedswelling of contracted GCP of C. communis. If swelling and contractionof GCP are equivalent to stomatal opening and closure, respectively,the results do not support the hypothesis that ABA opens Ca²⁺channels in the plasma membrane of guard cells allowing Ca²⁺to enter the cells and, as a second messenger, to set in motionclosing processes. Key words: Abscisic acid, calcium, guard cell protoplasts, stomata     

NEMERTINES AS POSSIBLE ANCESTORS OF THE VERTEBRATES

1. Primitive vertebrates have many characters which do not appear to be immediately represented in any obvious precursor. 2. The hypothesis is put forward that creeping, or bottom-living worms, classifiable as nemertines, attempted to recolonize the water by acquiring buoyancy, by swimming or both. 3. Some of those that succeeded were able to do so by adopting a method of filter-feeding made adequate by the development of gill slits, and then converting the proboscis rudiment into a semi-rigid structure (the notochord) essential for oscillatory swimming movements. These were the precursors of the protochordates and the vertebrates. 4. The acquisition of the ability to swim efficiently depended on the simultaneous development of distance receptors and the co-ordination of the information that they provided with that provided by proprioceptors on the one hand and with the changing motor systems on the other. This entailed the development of a far more extensive nervous system, probably by incorporating into it much more of the dorsal ectoderm, and superimposing a primarily sensori-motor system on to the more vegetative system already present in nemertines. This was achieved by elaboration of the placodal folding of the ectoderm which is characteristic of many nemertine embryos of the present day. In this manner a new central nervous system was combined and integrated with the existing more primitive ‘autonomic’ system and the cephalic ganglia of the nemertines became incorporated in the hypothalamus. 5. The hypothesis suggests likely precursor tissues from which the following vertebrate structures could plausibly have developed: olfactory organ, lateral line system, anterior and posterior pituitary, thyroid, pineal organ, chloride-secreting cells, oxyntic cells, notochord, urinogenital system, liver, and several others. 6. The possible origins of the vertebrate eye, the somitic muscles, and some other fundamental features of the vertebrates are discussed. The evidence is still equivocal. 7. The acquisition of filter-feeding and swimming by nemertine worms would be expected to bring into operation a whole new system for the selection of appropriate genes and thus inaugurate a period of very rapid and probably divergent evolution, made even more rapid by the enormous advantages gained by animals acquiring efficient form-vision together with rapid and well co-ordinated movements. It is thought likely that the rapid evolution of this group of animals, which possessed few features conducive to clear fossil remains, accounts for the apparent break in the continuity of the story of animal evolution which has until now made the origin of the vertebrates such an enigma. 8. It is suggested that studies of the proteins and secretions of the various organs of the nemertines and their comparison with those of the organs of the more primitive vertebrates might lead to the establishment of some important homologies.     

Visual cues and foraging choices: bee visits to floral colour phases in Alkanna orientalis (Boraginaceae)

When a pollination vector is required, any mechanism that contributes to floral visitation will potentially benefit the reproductive fitness of a plant. We studied the effect of floral colour change in the desert perennial Alkanna orientalis on the foraging behaviour of the solitary bee Anthophora pauperata . Flowers changed colour over time from bright yellow (with moderate nectar reward) to pale yellow/white (with significantly lower nectar reward). Bee visitation was non-random with respect to colour phase availability within the flower population and was biased towards the more rewarding flowers. At plants where the availability of colour phases had been manipulated experimentally to produce 'bright' or 'pale' plants, bees visited significantly more flowers (and for longer periods) on the bright plants. The change of flower colour was not simply age-related; we observed variation in the temporal course of colour change and our data suggest that visitation, leading to deposition of cross-pollen, can accelerate the process. In subpopulations with limited pollinators, Alkanna can influence bees by using their colour-related foraging preferences to alter visitation patterns.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 87 , 427–435.     

A light and electron microscopy study of the epidermis of Paphiopedilum spp. with emphasis on stomatal ultrastructure

Abstract Light and fluorescence microscopy studies indicated that chlorophyll was absent from the guard cells of the lady slipper orchids, Paphiopedilum insigne (Wall.) Pfitz, P. insigne (hybrid), P. venustum (Wall.) Pfitz and P. harrisseanum Hort. In the guard cells of P. aureum hyeanum Hort., however, very slight red fluorescence suggested that chlorophyll and hence chloroplasts were present. Ultrastructural studies of the lower epidermis of P. insigne (hybrid) confirmed the absence of chloroplasts in guard and epidermal cells although plastids of an unusual structure were found in these cells. In fully developed epidermal cells the plastids contained large amounts of a fibrous, possibly proteinaceous substance, spherical, lightly staining vesicles and an electron-dense material located in reticulate and non-reticulate regions. Additionally, latticed crystalline inclusions and plasto-globuli were occasionally observed in the epidermal cell plastids. In plastids of fully developed guard cells the fibrous material, starch and plastoglobuli were present. From the earliest stages of development of the epidermal tissue starch was present in both epidermal cell and guard cell plastids. At maturity, however, starch had accumulated to greater levels in the guard cell plastids and had entirely disappeared in the epidermal cell plastids. In differentiating epidermal tissue, plasmodesmata were found between neighbouring epidermal cells and between guard and epidermal cells. At maturity, plasmodesmata between guard and epidermal cells were not observed. Mitochondria were particularly abundant in guard cells. Large oil drops developed in guard and epidermal cells, being especially abundant in the former at maturity. Our results confirm the observations of Nelson & Mayo (1975) that certain lady slipper orchids possess functional stomata the guard cells of which do not contain chloroplasts.     

Circadian Rhythm of Stomatal Movements in Epidermal Strips

Measurements were made of changes in stomatal pore widths inepidermal strips of leaves ofVicia faba and Commelina communis.Strips were incubated in dilute KCI solutions (1 and 10 molm^–3) flowing through a perfusion chamber on the stageof a microscope and kept for 4 d in continuous light. Circadianrhythms of stomatal apertures were detected in both species.Although the amplitude was small it was statistically significant.It is concluded that at least partof the mechanism for the stomatalrhythm resides in the epidermis, probably in the guard cells. Key words: Cireadian rhythm, epidermal strips, stomata