Effects of senescence on chloroplasts of the tobacco leaf

Chloroplast fine structure, oxygen evolution and plastid composition studies were made on ageing leaves over a 30-day period. Plastids in leaves which were approaching maximum levels of chlorophyll generated large numbers of alveolate suborganelles, named plastosomes, which were released into the cytoplasm. There was some evidence that these were of lipid composition. The relationship between net oxygen evolution by leaf discs and chlorophyll decline in leaf tissue varied with age of leaf or its position on the stalk. In no case studied was there a continuous parallel between the two processes. The rate of oxygen used nearly doubled for some leaves during the 30-day period. The volume of plastid pellet obtained from homogenized leaf samples rapidly declined immediately after maximum chlorophyll levels were reached. Plastid chlorophyll and protein also declined but not at the same rate. Absorption spectra of methanol extracts showed no qualitative change in pigments during the ageing process.     

灌水对小麦旗叶光合功能衰退的影响

利用田间小区试验研究了不同灌水对冬小麦旗叶光合功能衰退的影响。研究表明：小麦旗叶光合衰退初期引起光合下降的原因主要是气孔限制,后期则为非气孔限制。灌水可提高旗叶光合速率,并使由气孔限制非气孔转变的时间推后,同时,还可增加叶绿素含量,增强根活力,使小麦旗叶光合功能持续期延长,过量灌水改善旗叶光合速衰的效果主要表现在后期,对产量提高的意义并不大。     

Studies on the ribonucleic Acid from wheat leaves and chloroplasts

The chloroplast, leaf ribosomal, and leaf total RNA from seedlings of 2 varieties of Triticum durum and 3 varieties of Triticum vulgare were compared. For a given RNA preparation the major nucleotide composition was the same for all varieties. Irrespective of the variety, the chloroplast total RNA had a higher cytidylic and a lower adenylic acid content than the leaf ribosomal RNA, whereas, the guanylic and uridylic acid content of all RNA preparations was essentially the same. Pseudouridylic acid was present in all RNA preparations and was consistently higher in the durum than the vulgare varieties for leaf ribosomal RNA and leaf total RNA. The leaf ribosomal RNA of all varieties had 2 sub-units with sedimentation coefficients of approximately 18 S and 25 S. The molecular weight of the faster sedimenting subunit was about 2 times that of the slower sedimenting subunit.     

Interaction of light quality and benzimidazole on pigment contents and on photochemical activity of chloroplasts isolated from detached senescing wheat (Triticum aestivum) leaves

The possibilities of an interaction between light and the growth regulator benzimidazole in retarding senescence-induced changes in activity of chloroplasts isolated from detached wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Kalyansona) leaves have been investigated. The effect of benzimidazole on the rate of degradation of chlorophylls in light depended on the quality of light used. Far-red irradiation given to detached leaves in the presence of benzimidazole retarded the pigment loss more significantly than did white or red light of similar intensity. Senescence-induced loss in chloroplast photochemical activity was higher than the loss of chlorophylls. Loss of photosystem I activity was greater than photosystem II activity. Benzimidazole maintained the gramicidin-mediated enhancement in whole chain electron transport uniformly throughout the incubation period irrespective of the light quality. There was no effect of light and benzimidazole in retarding the loss in photochemical activity, although the same preserved the chlorophyll contents as well as characteristics of the chloroplast absorption spectrum.     

渍水对小麦扬麦5号旗叶和根系衰老的影响

1　引　　言生育中后期渍水是长江中下游麦区小麦高产稳产的主要限制因子[13 ,16] .该区由于普遍实行稻麦多熟种植制度 ,前茬水稻使土壤浸水时间过长 ,土壤粘重 ,排水困难 ,透气性差而造成湿害 ;另外 ,该区常年麦季降雨量 5 0 0～ 80 0ｍｍ (浙江省可达 10 0 0ｍｍ)多集中于小麦生长的中后期 ,大大超过了小麦正常需水量 (35 0～ 4 5 0ｍｍ) ,从而加剧渍害[5] .　　研究表明 ,渍水小麦株高、地上部干重、分蘖数、主茎绿叶片数、绿叶面积等都受到影响[1,12 ,16] ,叶片光合速率、气孔导度、细胞间隙ＣＯ2 浓度下降[8] ,ＲｕＢＰＣＯ活性降低[14…     

Protein synthesis by chloroplasts during the senescence of barley leaves

Chloroplasts were isolated from senescent leaf segments of barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. var. Mozoncillo) and assayed for protein synthesis. Protein synthesis activity of the chloroplasts greatly increased after 10–20 h of incubation of leaf segments in the dark in spite of an intense degradation of chloroplast rRNA. The rise in the activity of protein synthesis was more pronounced when kinetin was present in the incubation medium. However, as deduced from SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the products, different proteins were synthesized under the two conditions of incubation of the leaf segments. The activity of protein synthesis of the chloroplasts decreased during the first hours of incubation of the leaf segments in the light.
Cutting and incubation in the dark of the leaf segments enhanced the synthesis of a few proteins also formed by chloroplasts in attached senescing leaves. Hormone and senescence treatments changed the type and the rate of the protein synthesized by chloroplasts, which suggests that hormones may control senescence through a modulation of the protein synthesized by the chloroplasts.     

Influence of glycerate on photosynthesis by wheat chloroplasts

Glycerate was found to effect photosynthetic O2 evolution in wheat chloroplasts by its conversion to triose phosphate and by influencing the rate of photosynthesis through the reductive pentose phosphate pathway. In the absence of bicarbonate, the photosynthetic O2 evolution with glycerate was low (10 to 25 mumol mg chlorophyll-1 h-1), and only about 15% of the rate of bicarbonate-dependent O2 evolution under optimum conditions. This corresponds to a rate of glycerate conversion to triose phosphate of 20 to 50 mumol mg chlorophyll-1 h-1, which appears sufficient to accommodate flux through the glycolate pathway in vivo. Pi was required for this glycerate-dependent O2 evolution; rates remained relatively constant between 0.1 and 40 mM Pi, and proceeded with little lag upon illumination (less than 0.5 min). Evidence for O2 evolution due to glycerate conversion to triose phosphate could be conclusively demonstrated by addition of glycolaldehyde, an inhibitor of the regenerative phase of photosynthesis, which prevents CO2 fixation. The effect of glycerate on photosynthesis in the presence of bicarbonate was determined by measuring both photosynthetic O2 evolution and 14CO2 fixation at varying Pi concentrations. Low concentrations of glycerate (micro- to millimolar levels) prevented inhibition of photosynthesis by Pi. With 1 mM bicarbonate and pH 8.2, which is favorable for glycolate synthesis, maximum rates of photosynthesis were obtained at low Pi (25 microM), whereas strong inhibition of photosynthesis occurred at only 0.2 mM Pi. Addition of glycerate relieved the inhibition of photosynthesis by Pi, indicating the possible importance of glycerate metabolism in the chloroplast under photorespiratory conditions. The initiation of photosynthesis by glycerate at inhibitory Pi levels occurred with little reduction in the ratio of CO2 fixed/O2 evolved, and the main effect of glycerate was on carbon assimilation. While the basis for the beneficial effect of glycerate on CO2 assimilation under moderate to high Pi levels is uncertain, it may increase the concentration of 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA) in the chloroplast, and thus make conditions more favorable for induction of photosynthesis and reduction of PGA to triose phosphate.     

Effect of benzimidazole and nickel ions in the control of Oryza sativa leaf senescence by red and far-red light

Changes in the levels of chlorophyll and protein were determined in detached rice leaves floated on water, benzimidazole (mM) and nickel chloride (mM) under continuous dark, red (R) and far-red (FR) illumination. Senescence was enhanced under FR and retarded under R illumination as compared to the dark treatment for leaves floated both on water and benzimidazole solution. Benzimidazole and nickel ions also delayed the senescence of leaves still further, although only to a limited extent under FR illumination. Protein changes showed similar trends to chlorophyll during senescence.     

Changes of chloroplasts density and heterogeneity during the senescence of barley leaves

The equilibrium density of chloroplasts from barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Hassan) was analyzed by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Natural and detachment-induced leaf senescence were associated with a decrease in density and an increase in heterogeneity of the chloroplast population. Treatments (with growth regulators and light) which retarded or accelerated senescence, respectively, retarded or accelerated chloroplast density decrease. Accelerators as well as retardants of senescence decreased the heterogeneity of the chloroplast population.     

孕穗期渍水对冬小麦根系衰老的影响

选用耐湿性不同的３个冬小麦栽培品种,采用土柱栽培试验方法研究了孕穗期渍水逆境对冬小麦根系生长发育、＾３２Ｐ吸收、分配及根系衰老的影响。结果表明,孕穗期渍水逆境降低了地下根系干重、根系活力和根系ＳＯＤ酶活性;使根系质膜相对透性和膜脂过氧化水平（ＭＤＡ含量）提高;同时,孕穗期渍水逆境严重影响根系吸收、运输和分配＾３２Ｐ的能力,从而加速了根系衰老。     

叶部激素变化与小麦的整体衰老

旗叶中的叶绿素含量在抽穗—开花期达其最大值 ,然后迅速下降 ;丙二醛的含量逐渐上升 ;SOD活性逐渐下降。脱落酸的含量在灌浆的初期逐渐升高 ,中期达其最高值 ;玉米素在开花期达其峰值后迅速下降 ,旗叶的衰老与叶片中二激素间的浓度变化、平衡有关 ;根系活力在拔节—孕穗期达其高峰值 ,以后逐渐下降 ;根系活力在生育中、后期的下降与叶片中玉米素的下降、脱落酸的上升有直接关系 ,根系的早衰可能是引发小麦地上部衰老的重要原因之一。     

Subchloroplast localization of polypeptides synthesized by chloroplasts during senescence

To study the localization of polypeptides synthesized by isolated senescent chloroplasts we have fractionated the chloroplasts into stroma, envelope and thylakoid components. The validity of the fractionation procedure was tested by assaying both chlorophyll and enzyme markers, as well as the polypeptide composition of each fraction. Plastids in the transition of etioplast to chloroplast, senescent chloroplasts and kinetin-treated chloroplasts produced acceptable fractions, although their polypeptide compositions varied considerably during the ontogeny, particularly those of the envelope. Most of the polypeptides synthesized by isolated senescent chloroplasts were incorporated into the thylakoids except for a 58 kDa polypeptide localized in the stroma and some minor polypeptides present in both stroma and envelope. Although most of the polypeptides synthesized by isolated chloroplasts from kinetin-treated leaves were incorporated into the thylakoid membrane, several polypeptides were found in the stroma (90, 80, 65 and 54 kDa) and in the envelope (100, 75, 48 and 28–30 kDa). The results indicate that early in senescence, the polypeptides of the envelope change but, that probably, most of the new polypeptides are synthesized in the cytoplasm.     

Effect of source-sink relations and nitrogen nutrition on senescence and N remobilization in the flag leaf of wheat

The relation between the source-sink ratio and nitrogen nutrition on grain yield of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. cv. Klein Chamaco) was studied in a greenhouse experiment. Plants were grown until anthesis in pots with soil fertilized with 0.16 mmol N per plant twice a week. At anthesis, all leaves but the flag leaf were excised in a group of plants. In another group the treatment consisted in a similar defoliation plus the longitudinal excision of half the ear, while a third group was left untouched as a control. At the same time, the N supply to half of the plants in each group was interrupted, while the other half continued receiving 16 m M N. The defoliated plants showed a longer functional life of the flag leaf than the control, retaining the chlorophyll, soluble proteins and total reduced nitrogen for a longer time. The ear-excised plants showed an intermediate behavior. The plants with the interrupted N supply showed a faster leaf senescence than the N supplied ones, and this coincided with an increase in the proteolytic activity and nitrogen transport to the ear. However there were no differences in ear weight between the two nitrogen treatments. It is concluded that leaves and ear compete for the nitrogen, and that a low level of carbohydrates in the flag leaf, due to a low source-sink ratio, delays leaf senescence.     

Glycolipid and phospholipid composition of wheat and barley chloroplasts

Composition of complex lipid of chloroplasts of two cultivars of wheat and barley was determined at tillering, ear emergence and grain filling stages. The chloroplast lipids, MGDG, DGDG and PG were maximum at grain filling stage in both wheat and barley. PC content showed variations at different stages in both the crops while no significant changes were observed in PI concentrations at grain filling stage.     

The effects of soybean lipoxygenase-1 on chloroplasts from wheat

Chloroplasts were isolated from primary leaves of wheat 12 days after germination and incubated at 25° for 45 min in the dark with soybean lipoxygenase-1. The lipoxygenase action was evident from a weak oxygen uptake of ca 0.18, μmol/hr per mg chloroplast protein. The lipoxygenase treatment caused a marked decrease in the photochemical activity, as measured by the reduction rate of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. However, both the content and composition of the lipids as well as those of total fatty acids remained largely unchanged except for a slight but significant decrease in the total linolenic acid content. It is proposed that soybean lipoxygenase-1 selectively attacks free linolenic acid present in chloroplasts, followed by a chlorophyll-catalysed reaction of hydroperoxylinolenic acid with components of the electron transfer system.