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Effect of partial shading on the photosynthetic apparatus and photosystem stoichiometry in sunflower leaves

  • Published:
Photosynthetica

Abstract

The partial shading effect on the photosynthetic apparatus of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) was examined by monitoring oxygen evolution, maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry in dark-adapted leaves (Fv/Fm), the chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations and the Rubisco contents, and leaf mass per area (LMA) at the leaf level and by determining the concentrations of cytochrome (Cyt) f and the reaction centres of photosystem (PS) I and PSII at the thylakoid level. In this experiment, partial shading was defined as the shading of 2nd leaves with shade cloths, and the whole treatment was defined as the covering of the whole individuals with shade cloths. In the leaf level responses, oxygen evolution, LMA, Chl concentrations and Rubisco contents decreased in all shade treatments administered for six days. Fv/Fm remained constant irrespective of the shade treatments. On the other hand, in the thylakoid-level responses, the concentrations of the thylakoid components per unit Chl and the stoichiometry of the two photosystems showed no statistical difference among the shade treatments. The data obtained from the present study indicate that the partial shading affected the leaf-level responses rather than the thylakoid-level responses. The light received at the lower leaves might serve as a factor in the regulation of the leaf properties of the upper leaves due to the whole plant photosynthesis, while this factor did not have an effect at the thylakoid level.

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Abbreviations

C550 :

electrochromic band shift of pheophytin in the PSII reaction centre complex

Chl:

chlorophyll

Cyt:

cytochrome

DCIP:

2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol

DCMU:

3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea

Fm :

maximum fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted leaves

Fℴ :

minimal Chl fluorescence yield in the dark adapted leaves

Fv :

variable fluorescence yield in the dark-adapted leaves

Fv/Fm :

maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry in dark-adapted leaves

LMA:

leaf mass per area

P700 :

the reaction center complex in photosystem I

PART:

partial shading treatment

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PS:

photosystem

QA :

primary quinone acceptor of PSII

WHOLE:

whole shading treatment

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, Miyama 2-2-1, Funabashi, Chiba, 274-8510, Japan

    J. Yamazaki & Y. Shinomiya

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  1. J. Yamazaki
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  2. Y. Shinomiya
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Correspondence to J. Yamazaki.

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Acknowledgements: We express our gratitude to the mentor, Professor Yasumaro Kamimura, for his fruitful discussions and continuous encouragement throughout this work and we dedicate this paper for his 70th birthday. We thank Professor Emiko Maruta for her helpful suggestions. We also thank our collaborators for their excellent technical assistance and many suggestions.

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Yamazaki, J., Shinomiya, Y. Effect of partial shading on the photosynthetic apparatus and photosystem stoichiometry in sunflower leaves. Photosynthetica 51, 3–12 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0073-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-012-0073-z

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