TopPlant, Cell & Environment Virtual Special Issue Library

Table of Contents

Canopy adjustments to light

Adjustment of leaf photosynthesis to shade in a natural canopy: rate parameters
Laisk, A; Eichelmann, H; Oja, V; Rasulov, B; Padu, E; Bichele, I; Pettai, H; Kull, O
Volume 28, Issue 3, Page 375 - March 2005
Laisk and colleagues use advanced gas exchange and optical techniques to explore the differences between sun and shade leaves of three species occupying different niches within a canopy They were able to measure photosynthetic rate parameters such as stomatal and mesophyll resistance and rate constants for some of the electron transport reactions.

Adjustment of leaf photosynthesis to shade in a natural canopy: reallocation of nitrogen
Eichelmann, H; Oja, V; Rasulov, B; Padu, E; Bichele, I; Pettai, H; Mand, P; Kull, O; Laisk, A
Volume 28, Issue 3, Page 389 - March 2005
Eichelmann and colleagues examine the adaptation to light in an overstory tree, an understory tree, and a herb. Photosystem 1 and rubisco per leaf area varied through the canopy more than did photosystem 2.

Net primary production and light use efficiency in a mixed coniferous forest in Sweden
Lagergren, F; Eklundh, L; Grelle, A; Lundblad, M; Molder, M; Lankreijer, H; Lindroth, A
Volume 28, Issue 3, Page 412-423, Mar 2005
Eddy correlation was used to measure carbon flux in a coniferous forest to test models of net primary productivity used in remote sensing estimates of ecosystem carbon exchange. Canopy photosynthesis could be saturated by 6MJm^-2d^-1. remote sensing estimates could overestimate net primary productivity.

Differences in the success of sugar maple and red maple seedlings on acid soils are influenced by nutrient dynamics and light environment
St Clair, SB; Lynch, JP
Volume 28, Issue 7, Page 874-885, Jul 2005
Photosynthetic and growth responses of red maple were superior to sugar maple seedlings on acidic, non-glaciated soils under high and low light environments. Regeneration and health of sugar maple seedlings may be particularly low on nutrient poor soils in canopy gaps where high light may exacerbate nutrient stress.

Leaf growth dynamics of two congener gymnosperm tree species reflect the heterogeneity of light intensities given in their natural ecological niche
Lai, IL; Scharr, H; Chavarria-Krauser, A; Kusters, R; Wu, JT; Chou, CH; Schurr, U; Walter, A
Volume 28, Issue 12, Page 1496-1505, Dec 2005
Congener gymnosperm tree species native to Taiwan cloud forests were studied. The differences observed in growth dynamics of the two species correlate with the ecological amplitude in light intensity that each species experiences under natural conditions.

Leaf level adjustments to light

Complex adjustments of photosynthetic potentials and internal diffusion conductance to current and previous light availabilities and leaf age in Mediterranean evergreen species Quercus ilex
U Niinemets, A Cescatti, M. Rodeghiero & T. Tosens
Volume 29, Issue 6, Page 1159-1178, Jun 2006
This work addresses changes that occur as new leaves grow and shade older leaves. A large potential for photosynthetic acclimation to changes in leaf light environment was found but structural diffusion limitations in older leaves resulting from leaf structural acclimation to previous rather than to current light environment was also found.

Mathematical review of literature to assess alternative electron transports and interphotosystem excitation partitioning of steady-state C3 photosynthesis under limiting light
X. Yin, J. Harbinson & P.C. Struik
In this work, methods for estimating the flux of electron through alternative pathways such as cyclic transport and the water-water cycle are developed. Equations presented here can be used to calculate what if certain pathways were increased or decreased.

Shade avoidance and the regulation of leaf inclination in Arabidopsis
Jack L. Mullen, Cynthia Weinig & Roger P. Hangarter
Volume 29, Issue 6, Page 1099-1106, Jun 2006
Arabidopsis leaves can grow away from the ground when shaded and more horizontal in full sunlight. The data showed that regulation of leaf orientation is a complex response, dependent on integration of multiple photoreceptors, hormonal signals and gating by the circadian clock.

Leaf anatomy as a constraint for photosynthetic acclimation: differential responses in leaf anatomy to increasing growth irradiance among three deciduous trees
Oguchi, R; Hikosaka, K; Hirose, T
Volume 28, Issue 7, Page 916-927, Jul 2005
Light acclimation potential is primarily determined by the availability of unoccupied cell surface into which chloroplasts expand, as well as by the plasticity of the mesophyll that allows an increase in its surface area.

Electron transport adjustments to light

Photoprotection mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana acclimate to high light by increasing photosynthesis and specific antioxidants
Talila Golan, Patricia Müller-Moulé & Krishna K. Niyogi
Volume 29, Issue 5, Page 879 - May 2006
Mutants deficient in non-photochemical quenching, zeaxanthin synthesis, or lutein synthesis were able to grow at 1800 µmol photons m^-2s^-1 and exhibited no major symptoms of photooxidative stress. The authors conclude that double mutants affected in both tocopherol levels and qE would represent interesting material for investigations of HL acclimation.

Up-regulation of a photosystem II core protein phosphatase inhibitor and sustained D1 phosphorylation in zeaxanthin-retaining, photoinhibited needles of overwintering Douglas fir
Ebbert, V; Adams, WW; Mattoo, AK; Sokolenko, A; Demmig-Adams, B
Volume 28, Issue 2, Page 232-240, Feb 2005
Overwintering needles of Douglas Fir can exhibit sustained nonphotochemical quenching. This paper shows that this is associated with changes in phosphorylation status of PS2.

Winter acclimation of PsbS and related proteins in the evergreen Arctostaphylos uva-ursi as influenced by altitude and light environment
C. Ryan Zarter, William W. Adams Iii, Volker Ebbert, Iwona Adamska², Stefan Jansson & Barbara Demmig-Adams
Volume 29, Issue 5, Page 869-878, May 2006
Photosynthetic regulation at high altitude involved a decrease in PSII components and increase of several anti-early-light-inducible protein (Elip)- and anti-high-light-inducible protein (Hlip)-reactive bands and a warm-sustained retention of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin (Z + A). These factors may contribute to the high stress resistance of evergreens and their ability to maintain green, yet photochemically inactive, leaves for an entire winter season.

Stimulation of chlororespiration by heat and high light intensity in oat plants
María José Quiles
Volume 29, Issue 8, Page 1463-1470, Aug 2006
Immunoblot analysis of thylakoid membranes revealed an increase in the amount of the NDH-type electron transport proteins in response to high light intensity and/or heat treatments. The results support a role for chlororespiration in the protection against high irradiance and moderate heat.