A quantitative determination of photochemical and non-photochemical quenching during the slow phase of the chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve of bean leaves

Estimations of the changes in the reduction-oxidation state of Photosystem II electron acceptors in Phaseolus vulgaris leaves were made during the slow decline in chlorophyll fluorescence emission from the maximal level at P to the steady-state level at T. The relative contributions of photochemical and non-photochemical processes to the fluorescence quenching were determined from these data. At a low photon flux density of 100 μmol · m^?2 · s^?1, non-photochemical quenching was the major contributor to the fluorescence decline from P to T, although large charges were observed in photochemical quenching immediately after P. On increasing the light intensity 10-fold, the contribution of photochemical processes to fluorescence quenching was markedly diminished, with nearly all the P-to-T fluorescence decline being attributable to changes in non-photochemical quenching. The possible factors responsible for changes in non-photochemical quenching within the leaves are discussed.     

风力胁迫对具鞘微鞘藻结皮光合活性的影响

抵抗风力胁迫是荒漠藻类适应干旱区环境的重要生物学机制,也是藻结皮能够拓殖流沙的必要条件之一,但有关藻类对风力胁迫的响应机理国内外尚无研究报道。以具鞘微鞘藻(Microcoleus vaginatus Gom.)人工结皮为实验对象,研究了不同强度风力吹蚀对结皮含水量、藻类活力、生物量、及其光合活性的影响。结果表明:不论低于当地起沙风(3m/s)还是高于起沙风(5m/s和7m/s)的风力吹蚀,结皮中藻类生物量均明显下降,而且结皮生物量的变化与风速大小和吹蚀时间呈线性关系(y=14.78+0.035a-1.48b,a风速,b时间,r2=0.79)。进一步分析发现,风力吹蚀后结皮中藻类活力并没有降低但主要光合色素和天线色素的含量普遍降低,叶绿素荧光(Fv/Fm)、表观电子传递速率(ETR)和净光合速率(Pn)明显下降,并且风速越大,降幅越大。这些结果说明风力胁迫对藻结皮生长和光合活性的影响主要是通过影响光合色素代谢合成和电子传递速率引起的,对其生命力没有明显影响。       

Lemna minor tolerance to metal‐working fluid residues: implications for rhizoremediation

For the first time in the literature, duckweed (Lemna minor) tolerance (alone or in combination with a consortium of bacteria) to spent metal‐working fluid (MWF) was assessed, together with its capacity to reduce the chemical oxygen demand (COD) of this residue. In a preliminary study, L. minor response to pre‐treated MWF residue (ptMWF) and vacuum‐distilled MWF water (MWFw) was tested. Plants were able to grow in both residues at different COD levels tested (up to 2300 mg·l^?1), showing few toxicity symptoms (mainly growth inhibition). Plant response to MWFw was more regular and dose responsive than when exposed to ptMWF. Moreover, COD reduction was less significant in ptMWF. Thus, based on these preliminary results, a second study was conducted using MWFw to test the effectiveness of inoculation with a bacterial consortium isolated from a membrane bioreactor fed with the same residue. After 5 days of exposure, COD in solutions containing inoculated plants was significantly lower than in non‐inoculated ones. Moreover, inoculation reduced β+γ‐tocopherol levels in MWFw‐exposed plants, suggesting pollutant imposed stress was reduced. We therefore conclude from that L. minor is highly tolerant to spent MWF residues and that this species can be very useful, together with the appropriate bacterial consortium, in reducing COD of this residue under local legislation limits and thus minimise its potential environmental impact. Interestingly, the lipophilic antioxidant tocopherol (especially the sum of β+γ isomers) proved to be an effective plant biomarker of pollution.     

Physiological and morphological effects of long-term ammonium or nitrate deposition on the green and red (shade and open grown) Sphagnum capillifolium

Sphagna are vulnerable to enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition. This article reports how the green (shade, under Calluna) and red (open grown) Sphagnum capillifolium respond to ammonium and nitrate additions of 56 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ over the background of 8-10 kg N ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ on an ombrotrophic bog in the Scottish Borders after seven years. Samples and measurements were made during a range of hydrated and desiccated conditions in the summer of 2009. Both ammonium and nitrate increased moss N concentration, but while ammonium decreased cross-sectional area of leaf hyaline cells and the leaf hyaline/chlorophyllose cell area ratio, nitrate increased both of them and capitulum pH. The changes in leaf morphology have not previously been reported to our knowledge. Especially the red S. capillifolium was affected by ammonium with significant changes in shoot N concentration (+71%) and the cross-sectional area of leaf chlorophyllose cells (+67%), and reductions in shoot dry weight (−30%) and fresh weight (−42%), the cross-sectional area of leaf hyaline cells (−24%), the leaf hyaline/chlorophyllose cell area ratio (−54%), as well as in chlorophyll fluorescence (measured as F_v/F_m) of desiccated capitulum (−65%) (all p < 0.05). These observations show that N deposition may affect moss physiology also through changes in leaf anatomy and morphology. The results also highlight potential sampling issues and causes of variability in N responses when collecting variably pigmented Sphagna.     

Avian egg colour and sexual selection: does eggshell pigmentation reflect female condition and genetic quality?

Avian egg colour has been explained as mainly serving crypsis or mimetism, although the function of certain colours (e.g. blue and green) has not yet been demonstrated. We interpret egg colour as a sexually selected signal of the laying female's genetic quality to its mate in order to induce a higher allocation of paternal care. The blue–green pigment biliverdin is an antioxidant, the deposition of which may signal antioxidant capacity whereas the deposition of the brown pigment protoporphyrin, a pro‐oxidant, may signal tolerance of oxidative stress. Egg ground colour is presumably heritable and phylogenetically labile. The hypothesis can be applied to animals with colourful eggs and paternal care.     

海拔对高山栎光合气体交换和叶性状的影响

理解影响植物分布的式样及过程是生态学研究的中心内容之一,但对许多物种而言,限制其分布的原因还不清楚。为了认识高山栎分布与生理生态特性的关系,我们在不同海拔的4个观测点研究了帽斗栎的光合气体交换、叶氮含量、叶绿素含量和比叶重。由于高的水气压亏缺和气温,帽斗栎的光合作用和蒸腾作用在午间表现出明显的降低现象。帽斗栎的饱和光合速率、水分利用效率、最大羧化速率、最大电子传递速率和氮利用效率在海拔中部比低海拔或高海拔处的为高。不同海拔的叶氮含量在5月份有差异,8月份则没有明显不同。叶片厚度随海拔增加,但叶绿素含量及光合最适温度随海拔升高而降低。帽斗栎光合作用的海拔变化与叶片的生化效率和氮含量有关,而与比叶重无关。研究结果说明,温度的海拔变化对高山栎的光合作用和叶性状有明显影响,最适宜帽斗栎光合碳获取及生长的海拔范围是3180～3610m。     

高温对两种卡帕藻的酶活性、色素含量与叶绿素荧光的影响

在室内采用静置培养法,以25℃为对照,研究高温(32℃、35℃和40℃)对长心卡帕藻Kappaphycus alvarezii与异枝卡帕藻K.striatum的硝酸还原酶(NR)和过氧化物酶(POD)活性、叶绿素a和藻红蛋白含量的影响,并采用调制叶绿素荧光技术,测定高温处理后2种藻的叶绿素荧光参数变化趋势.结果表明:高温对2种卡帕藻的NR和POD活性有显著影响.二者的NR活性均在35℃时最低,32℃时最高;异枝卡帕藻的POD活性在35℃时最高,而长心卡帕藻的在35℃时最低.在25-40℃之间,随着温度升高,异枝卡帕藻的叶绿素a含量逐渐减少,藻红蛋白含量先降后升,35℃时最高,而长心卡帕藻的两种色素含量皆在25℃时最高.在32-40℃条件下,随着温度升高,2种藻的实际光合效率(Y)和相对光合电子传递速率(ETR)明显下降,温度越高,下降程度越大;短期高温可刺激2种卡帕藻的光合活性增强,随着处理时间延长,异枝卡帕藻的光合活性下降,但差异不显著,而长心卡帕藻的光合活性显著下降.综合上述指标,显示32℃以上高温对2种卡帕藻产生胁迫,异枝卡帕藻对热胁迫的耐受力明显强于长心卡帕藻.     

斑驳病毒对‘牛尾’山药叶片光合作用的影响

为了解斑驳病毒对‘牛尾’山药叶片光合作用的影响,对不同病害程度的‘牛尾’山药叶片的叶绿素和光合日变化进行了测定。结果表明,轻病植株的叶片叶绿素a和总叶绿素显著低于健康植株,重病植株的叶绿素b和类胡萝卜素也较健康植株低,但轻病植株与健康植株间无显著差异。斑驳病毒侵染山药后,轻病和重病植株的净光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率均低于健康植株,但胞间CO₂浓度与健康植株间无显著差异。这表明山药感染斑驳病毒后光合效率下降,从而导致生理机能受到影响。     

我国沙漠中部地区主要不同生态类型植物脯氨酸的累积、光合、呼吸和叶绿素含量

中生植物脯氨酸含量为0．42mg/g.dw, 低于少浆旱生植物（1．73mg/g.dw)。多浆旱生植物脯氨酸含量最高（7．22mg/g.dw),为前两者的17倍和4倍,两类旱生植物在干旱条件下（非灌溉）脯氨酸含量均高于灌水处理。少浆与多浆旱生植物的光合强度（16．74,14．04CO2mg/g.dw.h)差异不大,而中生植物（37．57mg/g.dW.h)略高于多浆旱生植物（4．73CO2Mg/g.dw.h),与中生植物（7.60Co2mg/g.dw.h)接近,光合／呼吸值,少浆,多浆与中生植物分别为2．50,3．09和4．59,说明中生植物的合成明显大于消耗,季节动态中,中生植物显著高于两类旱生植物,叶绿素总量三类植物差异甚微。     

Evolutionary Changes in Chlorophyllide a Oxygenase (CAO) Structure Contribute to the Acquisition of a New Light-harvesting Complex in Micromonas

Chlorophyll b is found in photosynthetic prokaryotes and primary and secondary endosymbionts, although their light-harvesting systems are quite different. Chlorophyll b is synthesized from chlorophyll a by chlorophyllide a oxygenase (CAO), which is a Rieske-mononuclear iron oxygenase. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of CAO among photosynthetic organisms elucidated changes in the domain structures of CAO during evolution. However, the evolutionary relationship between the light-harvesting system and the domain structure of CAO remains unclear. To elucidate this relationship, we investigated the CAO structure and the pigment composition of chlorophyll-protein complexes in the prasinophyte Micromonas. The Micromonas CAO is composed of two genes, MpCAO1 and MpCAO2, that possess Rieske and mononuclear iron-binding motifs, respectively. Only when both genes were introduced into the chlorophyll b-less Arabidopsis mutant (ch1-1) was chlorophyll b accumulated, indicating that cooperation between the two subunits is required to synthesize chlorophyll b. Although Micromonas has a characteristic light-harvesting system in which chlorophyll b is incorporated into the core antennas of reaction centers, chlorophyll b was also incorporated into the core antennas of reaction centers of the Arabidopsis transformants that contained the two Micromonas CAO proteins. Based on these results, we discuss the evolutionary relationship between the structures of CAO and light-harvesting systems.