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Relationship between quantum efficiency of PSII and cold-induced plant resistance to fungal pathogens

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Abstract

The aim of the presented work was to study whether the efficiency of photosynthesis may influence resistance of hardened plants to disease. Seedlings of spring barley, meadow fescue and winter oilseed rape were chilled at 5 °C for 2, 4 or 6 weeks and at these deadlines the changes in cell membrane permeability (expressed as electrolyte leakage), chlorophyll fluorescence (initial fluorescence - F0, maximal fluorescence - Fm, quantum yield of PSII - Fv/Fm) and net photosynthesis rate (FN) were measured. Also, the influence of cold on the degree of plant resistance to economically important pathogens -Bipolaris sorokiniana or Phoma lingam was estimated. Two, four or six week-hardened plants were artificially infected: barley and fescue by B. sorokiniana, and oilseed rape by P. lingam.

Hardening at 5 °C stimulated resistance of barley, fecue and rape to their specific pathogens. Six-week long acclimation was the most effective for plant resistance. Cold significantly changed cell membrane permeability and decreased chlorophyll fluorescence (F0, Fm and Fv/Fm) of all studied plant species, while net photosynthesis rate was found to decrease only in barley. The results indicate that cold-induced resistance of plants to pathogens was correlated with a decrease in cell membrane permeability. In the case of fescue and barley a significant connection between the quantum yield of PSII and their resistance to B. sorokiniana was shown. Additionally, the resistance of barley to fungus was depended on net photosynthesis rate. In general this research shows that the efficiency of photosynthesis may be used as an indicator of plant resistance to disease.

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Abbreviations

ASI:

Average Severity Index (the degree of plant resistance to pathogen)

cs :

stomatal conductance [mmol (CO2) m−2 s−1]

EL:

electrolyte leakage

F0 :

the initial level of chlorophyll fluorescence

Fm :

maximal fluorescence

FN :

net photosynthesis rate [µmol (CO2) m−2 s−1]

Fv/Fm :

quantum efficiency of PSII, where Fv=Fm−F0

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density [µmol m−2 s−1]

PSII:

photosystem II

RH:

relatively humidity

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, Agricultural University of Cracow, Podłu na 3, 30-239, Kraków, Poland

    Agnieszka Pła ek

  2. Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Economics, Agricultural University of Cracow, Podłu na 3, 30-239, Kraków, Poland

    Marcin Rapacz & Katarzyna Hura

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  1. Agnieszka Pła ek
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  2. Marcin Rapacz
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  3. Katarzyna Hura
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Correspondence to Agnieszka Pła ek.

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Pła ek, A., Rapacz, M. & Hura, K. Relationship between quantum efficiency of PSII and cold-induced plant resistance to fungal pathogens. Acta Physiol Plant 26, 141–148 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-004-0003-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-004-0003-1

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