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Reduced nitrogen allocation to expanding leaf blades suppresses ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase synthesis and leads to photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 in rice

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Photosynthetica

Abstract

Net photosynthetic rate (P N) measured at elevated CO2 concentration (C e), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), and nitrogen (N) content in rice leaves decreased significantly after exposure to long term C e. The reduction in P N, Rubisco, and leaf N at C e was similar for the last fully expanded leaf blade (LFELB) and expanding leaf blade (ELB). Spatial leaf N content in the ELB was highest in the zone of cell division, sharply declined as cell expansion progressed and gradually increased with cell maturation. Maximum reduction in spatial leaf N and Rubisco content was found at C e only within cell expansion and maturation zones. The spatial leaf N content correlated well with the amount of Rubisco synthesized during leaf expansion, suggesting that N deposition into the expanding leaf blade may be the key for Rubisco synthesis and possibly photosynthetic acclimation to C e.

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Abbreviations

C a :

ambient CO2 concentration

C e :

elevated CO2 concentration

DAP:

days after planting

DM:

dry mass

ELB:

expanding leaf blade

FM:

fresh mass

LER:

leaf blade elongation rates

LFELB:

last fully expanded leaf blade

N:

nitrogen

P N :

net photosynthetic rate

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

Rubisco:

ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

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  1. Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Private Box 260, Horsham, VIC, 3401, Australia

    S. Seneweera

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  1. S. Seneweera
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Correspondence to S. Seneweera.

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Seneweera, S. Reduced nitrogen allocation to expanding leaf blades suppresses ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase synthesis and leads to photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 in rice. Photosynthetica 49, 145–148 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-011-0006-2

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