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Water stress and abscisic acid treatments induce the CAM pathway in the epiphytic fern Vittaria lineata (L.) Smith

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Among various epiphytic ferns found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we studied Vittaria lineata (L.) Smith (Polypodiopsida, Pteridaceae). Anatomical characterization of the leaf was carried out by light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. V. lineata possesses succulent leaves with two longitudinal furrows on the abaxial surface. We observed abundant stomata inside the furrows, glandular trichomes, paraphises, and sporangia. We examined malate concentrations in leaves, relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigments, and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence in control, water-deficient, and abscisic acid (ABA)-treated plants. Plants subjected to drought stress (DS) and treated by exogenous ABA showed significant increase in the malate concentration, demonstrating nocturnal acidification. These findings suggest that V. lineata could change its mode of carbon fixation from C3 to the CAM pathway in response to drought. No significant changes in RWC were observed among treatments. Moreover, although plants subjected to stress treatments showed a significant decline in the contents of Chl a and b, the concentrations of carotenoids were stable. Photosynthetic parameters obtained from rapid light curves showed a significant decrease after DS and ABA treatments.

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Abbreviations

A :

scaling constant for the height of the light curve

ABA:

abscisic acid

AL:

actinic light

Car:

carotenoids

DM:

dry mass

DS:

drought stress

ETR:

electron transport rate

ETRmax :

maximum electron transport rate

FM:

fresh mass

F0 :

minimum fluorescence

Fm :

maximum fluorescence

Fv :

variable fluorescence

Fm′:

minimum fluorescence of a light-adapted leaf

F′:

fluorescence yield of a light-adapted leaf

FLM:

fluorescence microscopy

Fv/Fm :

maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII

I:

irradiance

Iopt :

optimal irradiance for the saturation of photosynthesis

kw :

scaling constant for the x-axis of the light curve

LM:

light microscopy

OAA:

oxaloacetic acid

PAM:

pulse-amplitude modulation

P :

photosynthesis

PEG:

polyethylene glycol

PEPC:

phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

RLC:

rapid light curve

RWC:

relative water content

SEM:

scanning electron microscopy

SL:

saturating light pulses

TM:

turgid mass

ϕPSII :

actual photochemical efficiency of PSII

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Physiology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC- 88049-900, CP 476, Brazil

    B. D. Minardi, A. P. L. Voytena, M. Santos & Á. M. Randi

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  1. B. D. Minardi
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  2. A. P. L. Voytena
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  3. M. Santos
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  4. Á. M. Randi
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Correspondence to B. D. Minardi.

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Acknowledgments: The first authors would like to acknowledge CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) for the scholarship (Rede em Epífitas de Mata Atlântica: Sistemática, Ecologia E Conservação, CAPES, PNADB, 2009). Á.M. Randi and M. Santos would like to acknowledge CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) for the research grants.

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Minardi, B.D., Voytena, A.P.L., Santos, M. et al. Water stress and abscisic acid treatments induce the CAM pathway in the epiphytic fern Vittaria lineata (L.) Smith. Photosynthetica 52, 404–412 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-014-0047-4

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