Abstract
Increasing amounts of experimental evidence show that anthocyanins provide physiological protection to plants under stress. However, the difference in photoprotection mediated by anthocyanins and other photoprotective substances in different seasons is still uncertain. To determine the relationship between anthocyanin accumulation and the photoprotective effects in different seasons, Castanopsis chinensis and Acmena acuminatissima, whose anthocyanin accumulation patterns differ in different seasons, were used as materials to explain how plants adapt to different seasons; as such, their physiological and biochemical responses were analyzed. Young leaves of C. chinensis and A. acuminatissima presented different colors in the different seasons. In summer, the young leaves of C. chinensis were purplish red, while those of A. acuminatissima were light green. In winter, the young leaves of C. chinensis were light green, while those of A. acuminatissima were red. Compared with the young red leaves, the young light green leaves that did not accumulate anthocyanins had higher flavonoid and phenolics contents, total antioxidant capacity, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and relative membrane leakage, and a slower recovery rate in the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) after high-light treatment. In addition, the net photosynthesis rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (gs), and the effective quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) of the young leaves in winter were significantly lower than those in summer, while the activities of catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), and superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) were significantly higher than those in summer. These data indicate that to adapt to seasonal changes anthocyanins, other antioxidative substances and antioxidative enzymes, as well as components involved in the safe dissipation of excitation energy as heat need to cooperate with one another.
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The relationship between anthocyanin accumulation and photoprotection in young leaves of two dominant tree species in subtropical forests in different seasons.
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This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31870374, 31570398). The study was also supported by the Guangdong Province Natural Science Foundation (2017A030313167, 2015A030311023).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. C-LP conceived the idea and designed the experiments. Z-CY performed most of the experiments. W-L, X-TZ, Y-NL and M-LC provided technical assistance. Z-CY analyzed the data; Z-CY and W-L wrote the manuscript. C-LP and WSC corrected the manuscript. All the authors approved the final manuscript.
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Zheng-Chao Yu and Wei Lin share co-first authorship and have contributed equally to this work.
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Yu, ZC., Lin, W., Zheng, XT. et al. The relationship between anthocyanin accumulation and photoprotection in young leaves of two dominant tree species in subtropical forests in different seasons. Photosynth Res 149, 41–55 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-020-00781-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-020-00781-4