Abstract
The initial stimulation of photosynthesis under elevated CO2 concentrations (eCO2) is often followed by a decline in photosynthesis, known as CO2 acclimation. Changes in N levels under eCO2 can have different effects in plants fertilized with nitrate (NO3−) or ammonium (NH4+) as the N source. NO3− assimilation consumes approximately 25% of the energy produced by an expanded leaf, whereas NH4+ requires less energy to be incorporated into organic compounds. Although plant-N interactions are important for the productivity and nutritional value of food crops worldwide, most studies have not compared the performance of plants supplied with different forms of N. Therefore, this study aims to go beyond treating N as the total N in the soil or the plant because the specific N compounds formed from the available N forms become highly engaged in all aspects of plant metabolism. To this end, plant N metabolism was analyzed through an experiment with eCO2 and fertigation with NO3− and/or NH4+ as N sources for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants. The results showed that the plants that received only NO3− as a source of N grew more slowly when exposed to a CO2 concentration of 760 μmol mol−1 than when they were exposed to ambient CO2 conditions. On the other hand, in plants fertigated with only NH4+, eCO2 enhanced photosynthesis. This was essential for the maintenance of the metabolic pathways responsible for N assimilation and distribution in growing tissues. These data show that the physiological performance of tobacco plants exposed to eCO2 depends on the form of inorganic N that is absorbed and assimilated.
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source on total dry matter (a), relative growth rate (b) and root/shoot ratio (c) of tobacco plants. Capital letters compare the effect of CO2 concentration within each N source treatment, and lowercase letters compare the nitrogen treatments at each CO2 concentration. Different letters indicate significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) according to the Scott–Knott test (n = 5 ± SE)
source on the net photosynthesis (A); b stomatal conductance (gs); c quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm); d transpiration (E); e photorespiration of tobacco plants; and f instantaneous water use efficiency (A/E). Each point indicates the mean (n = 5 ± SE)
source on starch (a), protein (b) and free amino acid (c) contents in tobacco plant leaves. Capital letters compare the effect of CO2 concentrations within each nitrogen source treatment, and lowercase letters compare the nitrogen treatments at each CO2 concentration. Different letters indicate significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) according to the Scott–Knott test (n = 5 ± SE)
source on nitrate (NO3−; a) and ammonium (NH4+; b) content in the leaves of tobacco plants. Capital letters compare the effect of CO2 concentrations within each nitrogen treatment, and lowercase letters compare the nitrogen treatments at each CO2 concentration. Different letters indicate significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) according to the Scott–Knott test (n = 5 ± SE).
source on nitrate reductase (NR; a) glutamine synthetase (GS; b) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH; c) activity in the leaves of tobacco plants. Capital letters compare the effect of CO2 concentrations on each nitrogen treatment, and lowercase letters compare nitrogen treatments at each CO2 concentration. Different letters indicate significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) according to the Scott–Knott test (n = 5 ± SE)
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This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001; in part by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG).
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Domiciano, D., Nery, F.C., de Carvalho, P.A. et al. Nitrogen sources and CO2 concentration synergistically affect the growth and metabolism of tobacco plants. Photosynth Res 144, 327–339 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-020-00743-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-020-00743-w