Summary
Seasonal changes of ultrastructure were studied by electron microscopy and by determining the chlorophyll and starch content of the plastids. Young plastids of spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) first function as amyloplasts which store reserve material for the growth of the young needles. Then they develop a normal thylakoid system and produce assimilation starch during the day. In autumn, starch synthesis ceases and the plastids group together. In winter they swell and their membrane system becomes disorganized and reduced. With increasing temperatures in spring the chloroplasts recover, but then they accumulate large amounts of starch, which is not broken down during the night or even during a dark period of several days. As in the previous year they now function as amyloplasts providing reserve material for the new shoot. In summer these plastids are again converted into typical chloroplasts. The same seasonal changes of structure and function could be observed in chloroplasts from 2- or 3-year old needles. Thus these changes represent cyclic processes, which repeat each year. Features of slow aging are superimposed on to these cycles.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnon, D. I.: Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenol oxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 24, 1–15 (1949)
Bartels, F.: Strukturelle Veränderungen der Chloroplasten-Thylakoide in Palisadenzellen von Peperomia metallica im Licht-Dunkel-Wechsel. Protoplasma 72, 27–41 (1941)
Boardman, N. K.: Subchloroplast fragments: Digitonin method. In: Methods in enzymology, vol. XXIII, p. 268–276, Colowick, S. P., Kaplan, N. O., eds. New York-London: Acad. Press 1971
Cockburn, W., Walker, D. A., Baldry, C. W.: The isolation of spinat chloroplasts in pyrophosphate media. Plant Physiol. 43, 1415–1418 (1968)
Diers, L., Schötz, F., Meyer, B.: Über die Ausbildung von Gerbstoffvakuolen bei Oenotheren. Cytobiologie 7, 10–19 (1973)
Fischer, K., Kramer, D., Ziegler, H.: Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen SO2-begaster Blätter von Vicia faba. I. Beobachtungen an Chloroplasten mit akuter Schädigung. Protoplasma 76, 83–96 (1973)
Harris, W. M.: Ultrastructural observations on the mesophyll cells of pine leaves. Canad. J. Bot. 49, 1107–1109 (1971)
Holzer, K.: Die winterlichen Veränderungen der Assimilationszellen von Zirbe (Pinus cembra) und Fichte (Picea excelsa) an der alpinen Waldgrenze. Öst. bot. Z. 105, 323–346 (1958)
Jensen, R. G., Basham, J. A.: Photosynthesis by isolated chloroplasts. Proc. nat. Acad. Sci. (Wash.) 56, 1095–1101 (1966)
Kimball, St. L., Salisbury, F. B.: Ultrastructural changes of plants exposed to low temperatures. Amer. J. Bot. 60, 1028–1033 (1973)
Kutzelnigg, H., Meyer, B., Schötz, F.: Untersuchungen an Plastom-Mutanten von Oenothera. II. Überblick über die Ultrastruktur der mutierten Plastiden. Biol. Zbl. (in press)
Larcher, W., Heber, U., Santarius, K. A.: Limiting temperatures for life functions. In: Temperature and life, p. 195–292, Precht, H. ed. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1973
Lewis, F. J., Tuttle, G. M.: Osmotic properties of some plant cells at low temperatures. Amer. J. Bot. 34, 405–416 (1920)
Parker, J., Philpott, D. E.: An electron microscopic study of chloroplast condition in summer and winter in Pinus strobus. Protoplasma 53, 575–583 (1961)
Parker, J., Philpott, D. E.: Seasonal continuity of chloroplasts in white pine and rhododendron. Protoplasma 56, 355–361 (1963)
Perry, T. O., Baldwin, G. W.: Winter breakdown of the photosynthetic apparatus of evergreen species. Forest Sci. 12, 298–300 (1966)
Schmidt, E.: Baumgrenzenstudien am Feldberg im Schwarzwald. Tharandt. Forstl. Jb. 87, 1–43 (1936)
Senser, M., Dittrich, P., Kandler, O., Thanbichler, A., Kuhn, B.: Isotopenstudien über den Einfluß der Jahreszeit auf den Oligosaccharidumsatz bei Coniferen. Ber. dtsch. bot. Ges. 84, 445–455 (1971)
Spurr, A. R.: A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 26, 31–43 (1969)
Taylor, A. O., Craig, A. S.: Plants under climatic stress. Plant Physiol. 47, 719–725 (1971)
Wooding, F. B. P., Northcote, D. H.: Association of the endoplasmatic reticulum and the plastids in Acer and Pinus. Amer. J. Bot. 52, 526–534 (1965)
Zacharowa, T. M.: Über den Gasstoffwechsel der Nadelholzpflanzen im Winter. Planta (Berl.) 8, 68–83 (1929)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Senser, M., Schötz, F. & Beck, E. Seasonal changes in structure and function of spruce chloroplasts. Planta 126, 1–10 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389354
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00389354