Changes in Activity of Energy Dissipating Mechanisms in Wheat Flag Leaves During Senescence

J. Dai; H. Gao; Y. Dai; Q. Zou

doi:10.1055/s-2004-817845

Plant Biology, Table of Contents

Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2004; 6(2): 171-177
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-817845

Original Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Changes in Activity of Energy Dissipating Mechanisms in Wheat Flag Leaves During Senescence

J. Dai¹ , H. Gao¹ , Y. Dai¹ , Q. Zou¹

¹Department of Plant Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, P.R. China

Abstract

Excitation energy dissipation, including the xanthophyll cycle, during senescence in wheat flag leaves grown in the field was investigated at midday and in the morning. With progress of senescence, photosynthesis (Pn) and actual PSII photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) decreased markedly at midday. The decrease in extent of Pn was greater than that of ΦPSII. However, there was no significant decline in Pn and ΦPSII observed in the morning, except in leaves 60 days after anthesis. The kinetics of xanthophyll cycle activity, thermal dissipation (NPQ), and q_f observed at midday during senescence exhibited two distinct phases. The first phase was characterized by an increase of xanthophyll cycle activity, NPQ, and q_f during the first 45 days after anthesis. The second phase took place 45 days after anthesis, characterized by a dramatic decline in the above parameters. However, the qI, observed both at midday and in the morning, always increased along with senescence. A larger proportion of NPQ insensitive to DTT (an inhibitor of the de-epoxidation of V to Z) was also observed in severely senescent leaves. In the morning, only severely senescent leaves showed higher xanthophyll cycle activity, NPQ, q_f, and qI. It was demonstrated that, at the beginning of senescence or under low light, wheat leaves were able to dissipate excess light energy via NPQ, depending on the xanthophyll cycle. However, the xanthophyll cycle was insufficient to protect leaves against photodamage under high light, when leaves became severely senescent. The ratio of (Fj - Fo)/(Fp - Fo) increased gradually during the first 45 days after anthesis, but dramatically increased 45 days after anthesis. We propose that another photoprotection mechanism might exist around reaction centres, activated in severely senescent leaves to protect leaves from photodamage.

Key words

Wheat - senescence - chlorophyll fluorescence - non-photochemical quenching - pH gradient - photosystem II (PSII) - xanthophyll cycle

Full Text

References

1 Arnon D. L.. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts: polyphenoloxidase in Bera vulgaris L. Plant Physiol.. (1949); 24 1-15
2 Björkman O., Demmig-Adams B.. Regulation of photosynthetic light energy capture, conversion and dissipation in leaves of high plants. Schulze, E. and Caldwell, M. M., eds. Ecophysiology of Photosynthesis. Berlin; Springer-Verlag (1995): 17-47
3 Bowler C., Montagu W. V., Inzé D.. Superoxide dismutase and stress tolerance. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol.. (1992); 43 83-116
4 Crafts-Brandner S. J., Salvucci M. E., Egli D. B.. Changes in ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase and ribulose 5-phosphate kinase abundance and photosynthetic capacity during leaf senescence. Photosynthesis Research. (1990); 23 223-230
5 Demmig-Adams B.. Carotenoid and photoprotection in plants: a role for the carotenoid zeaxanthin. Biochim Biophys Acta. (1990); 1020 1-24
6 Demmig-Adams B., Adams III., W. W.. Photoprotection and other responses of plants to high light stress. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology. (1992); 43 599-626
7 Demmig-Adams B., Adams W. W., Barker D. H., Logan B. A., Bowling D. R., Verhoeven A. S.. Using chlorophyll fluorescence to assess the fraction of absorbed light allocated to thermal dissipation of excess excitation. Physiol. Plant. (1996); 98 253-264
8 Eskling M., Arvidsson P. O., Akerlund H. E.. The xanthophylls cycle, its regulation and components. Physiol Plant. (1997); 100 806-816
9 Genty B., Harbinson J., Briantais J. M., Baker N. R.. The relationship between non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence and the rate of photosystem 2 photochemistry in leaves. Photosynthesis Research. (1989); 25 249-257
10 Gilmore A. M.. Mechanistic aspects of xanthophyll cycle-dependent photoprotection in higher plant chloroplast and leaves. Physiologia Plantarum. (1997); 99 197-209
11 Grover A.. How do senescing leaves lose photosynthetic activity?. Current Science. (1993); 64 226-234
12 Grover A., Mohany P.. Leaf senescence-induced alterations in structure and function of higher plant chloroplasts. Abrol, Y. P., Mohany, P., and Govindjee, eds. Photosynthesis: Photoreaction to Plant Productivity. The Netherlands; Kluwer Academic Publishers (1992): 225-255
13 Grover A., Sabat S. C., Mohany P.. Effect of temperature on photosynthetic activities of senescent detached wheat leaves. Plant and Cell Physiology. (1986); 27 117-126
14 Horton P., Ruban A. V., Walters R. G.. Regulation of light-harvesting in green plants. Plant Physiol.. (1994); 106 415-420
15 Humbeck K., Quast S., Krupinaska K.. Functional and molecular changes in the photosynthetic apparatus during senescence of flag leaves from field-grown barley plants. Plant Cell and Environment. (1996); 19 337-344
16 Jiang C. D., Gao H. Y., Zou Q.. Enhanced thermal energy dissipation depending on xanthophyll cycle and D1 protein turnover in iron-deficient maize leaves under high irradiance. Photosynthetica. (2001); 39 269-274
17 Johnson G. N., Young A. J., Scholes J. D., Horton P.. The dissipation of excess excitation energy in British plant species. Plant Cell Environment. (1993); 16 673-679
18 Krause G. H.. Photoinhibition of photosynthesis. An evaluation of damage and protective mechanism. Physiol. Plant. (1988); 74 566-574
19 Krause G. H., Weis E.. Chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthesis: The basics. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol.. (1991); 42 313-349
20 Li X. P., Björkman O., Shih C., Grossman A. R., Rosenquist M., Jansson S., Niyogi K. K.. A pigment-binding protein essential for regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting. Nature. (2000); 403 391-395
21 Long S. P., Humphries S., Falkowski P. G.. Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in nature. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecule Biology. (1994); 45 633-662
22 Lowry O. H., Rosebrough N. J., Farr A. L., Randall R. J.. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J. Boil. Chem.. (1951); 22 265-275
23 Lu C. M., Zhang J. H.. Modifications in photosystem II photochemistry in senescent leaves of maize plants. Journal of Experimental Botany. (1998); 49 1671-1679
24 Mae T., Thomas H., Gay A. P., Makino A., Hidema J.. Leaf development in Lohum tenulentum: photosynthesis and photosynthetic proteins in leaves senescing under different irradiances. Plant and Cell Physiology. (1993); 34 391-399
25 McCormac D. J., Bruce D., Greenberg B. M.. State transition, light-harvesting antenna phosphorylation and light-harvesting antenna migration in vivo in the higher plant Spriodela oligorrhiza. . Biochim. Biophys. Acta. (1994); 1058 87-106
26 Munné-Bosch S., Alegre L.. The xanthophyll cycle is induced by light irrespective of water status in field-grown lavender (Lavandula stoechas). . Physiologica Plantarum. (2000); 108 147-151
27 Okada K., Inoue Y., Satoh K., Katoch S.. Effects of light on degradation of chlorophyll and proteins during senescence of detached rice leaves. Plant and Cell Physiology. (1992); 33 1183-1191
28 Öquist C., Chow W. S., Anderson J. M.. Photoinhibition of photosynthesis represents a mechanism for the long-term regulation of photosystem II. Planta. (1992); 186 450-460
29 Peterson R. B., Havir E. A.. A nonphotochemical-quenching-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana process normal pigment composition and xanthophyll-cycle activity. Planta. (2000); 210 205-214
30 Strasser R. J., Srivastava A., Govindjee. Polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence transient in plants and cyanobacteria. Photochem. Photobiol.. (1995); 61 32-42
31 Srivastava A., Strasser R. J.. Stress and stress management of land plants during a regular day. J. Plant Physiol.. (1996); 148 445-455
32 Thayer S. S., Björkman O.. Leaf xanthophyll content and composition in sun and shade determined by HPLC. Photosynthesis Research. (1990); 23 331-343
33 Verhoeven A. S., Adams III. W. W., Demmig-Adams B.. Enhanced employment of the xanthophyll cycle and thermal energy dissipation in spinach exposed to high light and N stress. Plant Physiology. (1997); 113 817-824
34 Verhoeven A. S., Adams III. W. W., Demmig-Adams B., Groce R., Bassi R.. Xanthophyll cycle pigment localization and dynamics during exposure to low temperature and light stress in Vinca major. Plant Physiology. (1999); 120 727-738
35 Walters R. G., Ruban A. V., Horton P.. Identification of proton-active residues in a higher plant light-harvesting complex. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. (1996); 93 14204-14209
36 Woolhouse H. W.. The biochemistry and regulation of senescence in chloroplast. Canadian Journal of Botany. (1984); 62 2934-2942
37 Williams W. P., Allen J. F.. State 1/state 2 changes in higher plants and algae. Photosynth. Res.. (1987); 13 19-45

H. Gao

Department of Plant Science
Shandong Agricultural University

Tai'an, Shandong, 271018

P.R. China

Email: gaohy@sdau.edu.cn

Section Editor: J. T. M. Elzenga