Abstract
Leaf water potentials of Phaseolus vulgaris L. plants exposed to a -3.0 bar root medium were reduced to between -7 and -9 bars within 25 min and remained constant for the next several hours. This treatment led to considerable variation between leaves in both abscisic-acid (ABA) content and Rs, although the two were well correlated after a 5-h treatment. There was an apparent 7-fold increase in leaf ABA levels necessary to initiate stomatal closure when plants were exposed to a -3.0 bar treatment, but when plants were exposed to a -5.0 bar stress Rs values increased prior to any detectable rise in ABA levels. To explain these seemingly contradictory results, we suggest that the rate of ABA synthesis in the leaf, rather than the total ABA content, determines the status of the stomatal aperture.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ABA:
-
abscisic acid
- PEG:
-
polyethylene glycol
- Rs :
-
stomatal diffusion resistance of lower leaf surface
- ψ:
-
leaf water potential
References
Beardsell, M.F., Cohen, D.: Relationships between leaf water status, abscisic acid levels and stomatal resistance in maize and sorghum. Plant Physiol. 56, 207–212 (1975)
Cummins, W.R.: The metabolism of abscisic acid in relation to its reversible action on stomata in leaves of Hordeum vulgare L. Planta (Berl.) 114, 159–167 (1973)
Harrison, M.A., Walton, D.C.: Abscisic acid metabolism in waterstressed bean leaves. Plant Physiol. 56, 250–254 (1975)
Riron, R.W.P., Wright, S.T.C.: The role of endogenous abscisic acid in the response of plants to stress. J. exp. Bot. 24, 769–81 (1973)
Hsiao, T.C.: Plant responses to water stress. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 24, 519–570 (1973)
Jordan, W.R., Brown, K.W., Thomas, J.C.: Leaf age as a determinant in stomatal control of water loss from cotton during water stress. Plant Physiol. 56, 595–599 (1975)
Loveys, B.R., Kriedemann, P.E.: Rapid changes in abscisic acid-like inhibitors following alterations in vine leaf water potential. Physiol. Plantarum 28, 476–479 (1973)
Loveys, B.R., Kriedemann, P.E.: Internal control of stomatal physiology and photosynthesis. I. Stomatal regulation and associated changes in endogenous levels of abscisic and phaseic acids. Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 1, 407–415 (1974)
Michel, B.E., Kaufmann, M.R.: The osmotic potential of polyethylene glycol 6000. Plant Physiol. 51, 914–916 (1973)
Milborrow, B.V.: The chemistry and physiology of abscisic acid. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 25, 259–307 (1974)
Raschke, K.: Stomatal action. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 26, 309–340 (1975a)
Raschke, K.: Simultaneous requirement of carbon dioxide and abscisic acid for stomatal closing in Xanthieum strumarium L. Planta (Berl.) 125, 243–259 (1975b)
Zabadal, T.J.: A water potential threshold for the increase of abscisic acid in leaves. Plant Physiol. 53, 125–127 (1974)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Walton, D.C., Galson, E. & Harrison, M.A. The relationship between stomatal resistance and abscisic-acid levels in leaves of water-stressed bean plants. Planta 133, 145–148 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391912
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00391912