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Sex-specific carbon and nitrogen partitioning under N deposition in Populus cathayana

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Abstract

Key message

Females of Populus cathayana allocated increased N to soluble proteins, while males keep N allocation pattern unchanged under N enrichment.

Abstract

In our study, Populus cathayana as a model species is employed to detect the sex-specific responses in growth, photosynthetic nitrogen (N) use efficiency (PNUE), carbon (C) and N partitioning when exposed to 0, 7.5 and 15 g N m−2 year−1 on the basis of local N deposition level. Our results showed that females had higher responses in photosynthesis and growth than males when exposed to N deposition, and also exhibited higher PNUE than males when exposed to high level of N deposition, suggesting that plasticity in the females may enhance the capacity of young seedlings to acquire resources. Moreover, we found that females mainly allocated increased N to soluble proteins and detergent-soluble proteins, but not to cell-wall proteins, while males maintained original partitioning pattern of N and also accumulated excessive N in the form of free amino acids. Females also allocated more fraction of leaf N to carboxylation (P C), bioenergetics (P B), and then more fraction of leaf N to all components of photosynthetic machinery (P T) than males under high level of N deposition. Such sex-specific N allocation strategy may correlate with sex-related PNUE. These results indicated that there is a higher critical N demand in females, and females could use N nutrient more efficiently than males under high N deposition. We also found that higher shift from starch to soluble sugars, such as sucrose, occurred in females than in males under N enrichment. By contrast, excessive accumulation of starch and non-structural carbohydrate in females relative to males was observed under control conditions, which might inhibit female photosynthesis rate. Accordingly, we suggested that the different leaf C and N partitioning patterns could explain the sex-specific responses in growth. Therefore, females may obtain advantageous position in the process of intraspecific competition when exposed to high level of N deposition because they have higher light capture (total leaf area) ability and utilization efficiency (PNUE) than the males that confer the ability for fast growth and thus are likely to be more responsive to N enrichment. Our results suggested that it could be important to look at the stronger growth response of the females over the males under N enrichment at both the leaf and the plant scale.

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Abbreviations

BD:

Basal diameter

C:

Carbon

Chl:

Chlorophyll content

DMA:

Dry matter accumulation

FAA:

Free amino acids

LA:

Leaf area

N:

Nitrogen

Na :

Leaf N concentration on area basis

Nm :

Leaf N concentration on mass basis

NSC:

Non-structural carbohydrate

P C :

The fraction of leaf N allocated to carboxylation

P B :

The fraction of leaf N allocated to bioenergetics

P C+B :

The fraction of leaf N allocated to both carboxylation and bioenergetics

P L :

The fraction of leaf N allocated to light-harvesting components

P n :

Net photosynthetic rate

PNUE:

Photosynthetic N use efficiency

PPFD:

Photosynthetic photon flux density

P T :

The fraction of leaf N allocated to all components of photosynthetic machinery

SDS:

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

SH:

Shoot height

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB416901); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31300513, No. 31270650, No. 31100289); the Application Foundation Project in Sichuan Province (No. 2013JY0083); the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2012M521707); the Young Talent Team Program of Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (SDSQB-2012-01).

Conflict of interest

All authors have read and approved the final manuscript and have no conflicts of interest in regard to this research or its funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Lianghua Chen & Baoli Duan

  2. Institute of Ecological Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China

    Lianghua Chen

  3. Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 416, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Tingfa Dong

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  1. Lianghua Chen
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Correspondence to Baoli Duan.

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Communicated by M. Adams.

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Chen, L., Dong, T. & Duan, B. Sex-specific carbon and nitrogen partitioning under N deposition in Populus cathayana . Trees 28, 793–806 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-0992-3

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