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Photosynthetic parameters of Ulmus minor plantlets affected by irradiance during acclimatization

Biologia Plantarum volume 57, pages 33–40 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

In order to set up large-scale acclimatization protocols of micropropagated plants, an in-depth knowledge of their physiological responses during in vitro to ex vitro transfer is required. This work describes the photosynthetic performance of Ulmus minor micropropagated plants during acclimatization at high irradiance (HI; 200 ± 20 μmol m−2 s−1 or low irradiance (LI; 100 ± 20 μmol m−2 s−1). During this experiment, leaf pigment content, chlorophyll a fluorescence, gas exchange, stomata morphology, the activity of the Calvin cycle enzymes and saccharides were measured in persistent and new leaves. The results indicated that HI induces a higher photosynthetic performance compared to LI. Therefore, plants acclimatized under HI are likely to survive better after field transfer.

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Abbreviations

Car:

carotenoids

Chl:

chlorophyll

DM:

dry mass

ci/ca :

ratio of intercellular to atmospheric CO2 concentration

E:

transpiration rate

Fv/Fm :

variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (maximal efficiency of PSII)

gs :

stomatal conductance

HI:

high irradiance

LI:

low irradiance

PN :

net photosynthetic rate

PSII:

photosystem 2

qN:

non-photochemical quenching

qP:

photochemical quenching

RH:

relative humidity

RuBisCO:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

sFBPase:

stromal fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase

ΦPSII :

effective quantum efficiency of PSII

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    M. C. Dias, G. Pinto, S. Silva & C. Santos

  2. Centre for Research and Technology in Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB) and Department of Biology and Environment, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    C. M. Correia & J. Moutinho-Pereira

Authors
  1. M. C. Dias
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  2. G. Pinto
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  3. C. M. Correia
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  4. J. Moutinho-Pereira
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  5. S. Silva
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  6. C. Santos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. C. Dias.

Additional information

Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through a post-doctoral fellowship of M.C. Dias (SFRH/BPD/41700/2007) and S. Silva (SFRH/BPD/74299/2010). The authors acknowledge Dr. K. Bennett for her assistance in proofreading the manuscript.

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Dias, M.C., Pinto, G., Correia, C.M. et al. Photosynthetic parameters of Ulmus minor plantlets affected by irradiance during acclimatization. Biol Plant 57, 33–40 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0234-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-012-0234-8

Additional key words

  • Calvin cycle enzymes
  • chlorophyll
  • elm
  • fluorescence
  • micropropagation
  • net photosynthetic rate
  • stomata
  • transpiration rate