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Down co-regulation of light absorption, photochemistry, and carboxylation in Fe-deficient plants growing in different environments

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Abstract

The regulation of photosynthesis through changes in light absorption, photochemistry, and carboxylation efficiency has been studied in plants grown in different environments. Iron deficiency was induced in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) by growing plants hydroponically in controlled growth chambers in the absence of Fe in the nutrient solution. Pear (Pyrus communis L.) and peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) trees were grown in field conditions on calcareous soils, in orchards with Fe deficiency-chlorosis. Gas exchange parameters were measured in situ with actual ambient conditions. Iron deficiency decreased photosynthetic and transpiration rates, instantaneous transpiration efficiencies and stomatal conductances, and increased sub-stomatal CO2 concentrations in the three species investigated. Photosynthesis versus CO2 sub-stomatal concentration response curves and chlorophyll fluorescence quenching analysis revealed a non-stomatal limitation of photosynthetic rates under Fe deficiency in the three species investigated. Light absorption, photosystem II, and Rubisco carboxylation efficiencies were down-regulated in response to Fe deficiency in a coordinated manner, optimizing the use of the remaining photosynthetic pigments, electron transport carriers, and Rubisco.

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Abbreviations

A :

net CO2 uptake rate per unit leaf area

α:

leaf absorptance

C a :

CO2 ambient concentration

ε:

apparent carboxylation efficiency

Chl:

chlorophyll

C i :

CO2 sub-stomatal concentration

E:

transpiration rate

ΦPSII and Φexc. :

actual and intrinsic photosystem II efficiencies, respectively

FO and FO′:

minimal Chl fluorescence yield in the dark or during energization, respectively

FM and FM′:

maximal Chl fluorescence yield in the dark or during energization, respectively

FR:

far-red

F S :

Chl fluorescence at steady-state photosynthesis

FV and FV′:

FM – FO and FM′ – FO′, respectively

g s :

stomatal conductance

Γ:

CO2 compensation pressure

J max :

in vivo maximum rate of electron transport driving regeneration of RuBP

NPQ:

non-photochemical quenching

PAR:

photosynthetic active radiation

PCA:

principal component analysis

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PSI and PSII:

photosystems I and II, respectively

qP:

photochemical quenching

ROS:

reactive oxygen species

Rubisco:

ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase

RuBP:

ribulose bisphosphate

V + A + Z:

violaxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin

V c,max :

in vivo maximum rate of Rubisco carboxylation

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Acknowledgments

We thank Aurora Poc for her excellent technical assistance in growing the sugar beet plants, Dr. E. Gil-Pelegrín for use of equipment, Dr. J. Flexas for his advices in the analysis of the A/C i response curves, and Dr. J.J. Camarero for his help with the PCA analysis. This work was supported by grants AGL 2003-01999 to A.A., AGL 2004-00194, and Isafruit from the Commission of European Communities to J.A. A.L. was recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Institute of International Cooperation (ICI-MAE).

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  1. Ajmi Larbi

    Present address: Institut de l’Olivier, Route de l’Aeroport, Km 1.5., B.P. 1087, 3000, Sfax, Tunisia

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  1. Department of Plant Nutrition, Aula Dei Experimental Station, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Apdo. 202, Zaragoza, E-50080, Spain

    Ajmi Larbi, Anunciación Abadía, Javier Abadía & Fermín Morales

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Correspondence to Fermín Morales.

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Larbi, A., Abadía, A., Abadía, J. et al. Down co-regulation of light absorption, photochemistry, and carboxylation in Fe-deficient plants growing in different environments. Photosynth Res 89, 113–126 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-006-9089-1

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