Abstract
Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef & Deuter ex Hodkinson & Renvoize) is unique among C4 species in its remarkable ability to maintain high photosynthetic productivity at low temperature, by contrast to the related C4 NADP-malic enzyme-type species Zea mays L. In order to determine the in vivo physiological basis of this difference in photosynthesis, water vapor and CO2 exchange and modulated chlorophyll fluorescence were simultaneously monitored on attached leaf segments from plants grown and measured at 25/20°C or 14/11°C (day/night temperature). Analysis of the response of photosynthesis to internal CO2 concentration suggested that ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and/or pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) play a more important role in determining the response to low temperature than does phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc). For both species at both temperatures, the linear relationship between operating efficiency of whole-chain electron transport through photosystem II (ΦPSII) and the efficiency of CO2 assimilation (ΦCO2) was unchanged and had a zero intercept, suggesting the absence of non-photosynthetic electron sinks. The major limitation at low temperature could not be solely at Rubisco or at any other point in the Calvin cycle, since this would have increased leakage of CO2 to the mesophyll and increased ΦPSII/ΦCO2. This in vivo analysis suggested that maintenance of high photosynthetic rates in M. × giganteus at low temperature, in contrast to Z. mays, is most likely the result of different properties of Rubisco and/or PPDK, reduced susceptibility to photoinhibition, and the ability to maintain high levels of leaf absorptance during growth at low temperature.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Illinois Foundation Seeds Inc. (Champaign, IL, USA) for providing the Zea mays FR1064 seeds. We also thank John Szarejko for assistance with the gas-exchange measurements, and members of the Long laboratory for stimulating discussions. This work was supported in part by grants 2000-35100-9057 and 2002-35100-12424 from the United States Department of Agriculture National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program to Stephen P. Long and Stephen P. Moose.
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Appendix
Appendix
List of symbols and abbreviations used
- A :
-
CO2 uptake (photosynthesis; μmol m−2 s−1)
- A 21% :
-
Photosynthesis at ambient O2 (μmol m−2 s−1)
- A 1% :
-
Photosynthesis at low O2 (μmol m−2 s−1)
- A sat :
-
Light-saturated photosynthesis (μmol m−2 s−1)
- A/Ci:
-
Curve of photosynthetic response to Ci
- A/Qabs:
-
Curve of photosynthetic response to Qabs
- α:
-
Leaf absorptance
- C a :
-
Ambient/external [CO2] (μl l−1)
- C i :
-
Internal [CO2] (μl l−1)
- C i, 370 :
-
Operating point of photosynthesis (μmol m−2 s−1)
- CE:
-
Carboxylation efficiency of PEPc
- [CO2]:
-
CO2 concentration (μl l−1)
- ETR:
-
Electron transport rate (μmol m−2 s−1)
- F o :
-
Dark-adapted minimal fluorescence
- Fo′:
-
Minimal fluorescence after the light period
- F m :
-
Dark-adapted maximal fluorescence
- Fm′:
-
Maximal fluorescence during the saturating pulse
- F s :
-
Steady-state fluorescence in the light
- F v :
-
Dark-adapted variable fluorescence
- Fv′:
-
Variable fluorescence in the light
- (Fm′−Fs)/Fv′:
-
Efficiency of open PSII centers
- Fv′/Fm′:
-
Maximum quantum efficiency of PSII
- f :
-
Fraction of absorbed quanta used by PSII
- ΦPSII:
-
Operating efficiency of whole-chain electron transport through PSII
- ΦCO2:
-
Efficiency of CO2 assimilation
- ΦCO2, max:
-
Maximum quantum yield
- g s :
-
Stomatal conductance to water vapor (mol m−2 s−1)
- LED:
-
Light-emitting diode
- l s :
-
Stomatal limitation to photosynthesis (%)
- ME:
-
Malic enzyme
- NPQ:
-
Non-photochemical quenching
- PEPc:
-
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase
- PPDK:
-
Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase
- PSI:
-
Photosystem I
- PSII:
-
Photosystem II
- Q :
-
Incident light (photosynthetic photon flux density; μmol m−2 s−1)
- Q abs :
-
Absorbed light (photosynthetic photon flux density; μmol m−2 s−1)
- R :
-
Leaf reflectance
- R d :
-
Dark respiration rate (μmol m−2 s−1)
- Rubisco:
-
Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase
- τ:
-
Leaf transmittance
- θ:
-
Convexity coefficient of A/Qabs curve
- V pr :
-
CO2-saturated rate of photosynthesis (μmol m−2 s−1)
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Naidu, S.L., Long, S.P. Potential mechanisms of low-temperature tolerance of C4 photosynthesis in Miscanthus × giganteus: an in vivo analysis. Planta 220, 145–155 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1322-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-004-1322-6