Structural and functional organization of the photosynthetic apparatus in halophytes with different strategies of salt tolerance

The specific features of the structural and functional organisation of the photosynthetic apparatus (PSA) were studied in wild halophytes representing three strategies of salt tolerance: euhalophyte Salicornia perennans, crynohalophyte Limonium gmelinii, and glycohalophyte Artemisia santonica. The sodium content in aboveground parts of the plants corresponded to the strategy of salt tolerance. The photosynthetic cells of the euhalophyte were large and contained a higher number of chloroplasts than those in other species. In contrast, the number of cells per a leaf area unit was lower in S. perennans as compared to cryno- and glycohalophytes. Thereupon, the cell and chloroplast surface area per leaf area unit declined in the following sequence: A. santonica > L. gmelinii > S. perennans. However, the large cells of euhalophyte contained chloroplasts of larger sizes with 4- to 5-fold higher chlorophyll (Chl) content per chloroplast and Chl concentration in chloroplast volume unit. Also, chloroplasts of S. perennans were characterised by the higher content of glyco- and phospholipids. Qualitative composition of fatty acids (FA) in lipids isolated from the chloroplast-enriched fraction was similar in all three species; however, the index of unsaturation of FA was higher in glycohalophyte A. santonica than those in two other species. Under natural condition, PSA of all three halophytes showed high resistance to soil salinity. The results indicated tolerance of PSII to the photodamage in halophytes. The high rate of electron transport through PSII can be important to prevent oxidative damage of PSA in halophytes under strong light and hight temperature in vivo. Thus, the strategy of salt tolerance is provided by both the leaf anatomical structure and the ultrastructure of photosynthetic membranes, which is determined in particular by the specific composition of lipids.     

Physiological and Biochemical Aspects of Halophyte Ecology

Physiological and biochemical features of euhalophytes, сrinohalophytes, and glycohalophytes growing in natural conditions in El’ton Lake area were studied. The water content in tissues, intensity of lipid peroxidation, and membrane permeability were found to determine the differentiation of plants by their salt accumulation strategy. The concentration of pigments and their ratio are related to the mesostructure of leaves and are dependent on the salt accumulation strategy and life form. The membrane complex is connected with the cell structure and photosynthetic apparatus. The specificity of ion transportation depends on the specific features of plants.     

Hydrocarbons, Fatty Acids, and Lipids of Freshwater Grasses of the Potamogetonaceae Family

The composition of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and of total, polar, and neutral lipids was studied in freshwater Potamogetonaceae grasses collected in two different regions of the Volga river. More than 40 fatty acids and hydrocarbons were separated and identified by chromato-mass spectrometry. The variability of lipid characteristics of plants of the same family is discussed.     

Occurrence of diacylglyceryltrimethylhomoserines and major phospholipids in some plants

Over 40 higher plant species were examined for the contents of total lipids, phospholipids, diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) by using micro-HPTLC. The results showed a wider range of plants containing betaine lipids. So, DGTS was found in some higher plant species, not studied earlier, belonging to Equisetophyta, Polypodiophyta; the lipid composition of many other species from Spermatophyta was also studied. It was demonstrated that more primitive plant species contained, as a rule, the betaine lipid DGTS. The quantitative data for the distribution of the main phospholipid classes PC, PE, and PG in various plant species and their tissues are given in this paper.     

Fatty acid amides from freshwater green alga Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum

Freshwater green algae Rhizoclonium hieroglyphicum growing in the Ural Mountains were examined for their fatty acid amides using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Eight fatty acid amides were identified by GC-MS. (Z)-9-octadecenamide was found to be the major component (2.26%).     

Seasonal variations of diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine content in Polypodiophyta

Diacylglyceryl-N,N,N-trimethylhomoserine (DGTS) belongs to a family of three known betaine lipids. It is synthesized by a number of bacteria, fungi, brown, red and green algae, in addition to lichens, and is also found in higher plants Bryophyta, Equisetophyta and Polydiophyta. It has been determined that DGTS plants can be DGTS-positive or DGTS-negative. The purpose of the present study was to examine the leaves of the ferns Drytopteris filix-mas (L.) Tod. and Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, collected at different time periods during a single vegetation season for their DGTS contents. The results obtained show that amounts of DGTS in all of the species examined varies relative to the time periods in which they were collected.     

The Effect of Copper and Lead Ions on Growth and Lipid Composition of the Fern Matteuccia sthruthiopteris

In the present study, the effect of copper (Cu²⁺) and lead (Pb²⁺) ions on the growth and lipid composition of various parts of the fern, Matteuccia sthruthiopteris, was examined. Plants were incubated in the presence or absence of 1, 10, 100 μM of Cu(NO₃)₂ or Pb(NO₃)₂. Cu²⁺ and Pb²⁺ ions at concentrations of 1 and 10 μM caused an increased growth of the roots and leaves. A higher concentration of Pb²⁺ did not show any effect on growth, whereas that of Cu²⁺ slowed down the growth of the whole plants. The roots accumulated more than 700 μg of Cu²⁺ and 400 μg of Pb²⁺ per 1 g dry weight when the plants were incubated with the higher concentrations of metals, whereas in the leaves the concentration of Cu²⁺ was much lower and did not exceed 12 μg/g dry weight. No accumulation of Pb²⁺ ions by leaves was detected. The lipid composition of photosynthetic leave tissues was shown to be affected by the presence of metal ions in the root medium at either concentration studied. Various changes in lipid classes were noted as responsive reactions of M. sthruthiopteris to the heavy metal ions in nutrient medium. Cu²⁺ ions decreased the content of total lipids, total phospholipids, and individual phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines, whereas Pb²⁺ ions caused a decrease in the content of total lipids and glycolipids. Changes in the lipid composition were more pronounced in the mature leaves than in the scrolls of the studied fern.     

Characterization of the hydroxy fatty acid content ofBasidiomycotina

Fatty acids (FA) of nine fungal species belonging to the subphylumBasidiomycotina were identified by using capillary GC-MS, MS and HPLC. The identified fatty acids included 45 saturated (iso-, anteiso-, and 19 hydroxy acids) and 42 monoenoic acids (including 14 hydroxy acids); dienes and polyenes were represented by 13 fatty acids. The proportion of hydroxy acids in the total fatty acids in the fungal species ranged from 4.3 to 10.2%. Very long-chain fatty acids (C₂₄-C₃₀) were also determined. Four fatty acids 16:0 (8.8–14.3%), 18:1(11) (3.9–14.9%), 18:1(9) (7.7–19.0%) and 18:2(6) (7.6–19.4%), were found as major acids. Of the identified acids, 17 were detected inBasidiomycotina for the first time.     

Structural,physiological, and biochemical aspects of salinity tolerance of halophytes

Modern concepts on structural, physiological, and biochemical aspects of salt tolerance of higher plants were considered. Integral physiological processes, such as growth and photosynthesis of glycophytes and halophytes in the context of their ecological plasticity, variety of their adaptive strategies developed in the course of their evolution, and natural selection, were discussed. Analysis of the known anatomical and morphological adaptations of halophytes (succulence, special salt-excreting structures, features associated with special tissues growth, leaf kranz-anatomy and mesostructure) providing their salt tolerance was conducted. The most important physiological and biochemical adaptations of such plants to salinity related to uptake, accumulation and excretion of Na⁺ and Cl^–, peculiarities of membrane composition and the pigment system, and protection against osmotic and oxidative stresses were described. The association of physiological and biochemical peculiarities of halophytes with ecological salt tolerance strategy was discussed.     

Productivity and Dynamics of Morphological,Physiological, and Biochemical Parameters of Potatoes in Arid Climate

Doklady Biological Sciences - Interrelation between the morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and productivity of potato plants was shown for the first time using the example of a...