No abstract

The basis of inhibition of photosynthesis by single acute 03 exposures was investigated in vivo using analyses based on leaf gas exchange measurements. The fully expanded second leaves of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cv Avalon) were fumigated with either 200 or 400 nanomoles per mole 03 for between 4 and 16 hours. This reduced significantly the light-saturated rate of CO2 uptake and was accompanied by a parallel decrease in stomatal conductance. However, the stomatal limitation, estimated from the relationship between CO2 uptake and the intemal CO2 concentration, only increased significantly during the first 8 hours of exposure to 400 nanomoles per mole 03; no significant increase occurred for any of the other treatments. Analysis of the response of CO2 uptake to the internal CO2 concentration implied that the predominant factor responsible for the reduction in lightsaturated CO2 uptake was a decrease in the efficiency of carboxylation. This was 58 and 21% of the control value after 16 hours at 200 and 400 nanomoles per mole 03, respectively. At saturating concentrations of C02, photosynthesis was inhibited by no more than 22% after 16 hours, indicating that the capacity for regeneration of ribulose bisphosphate was less susceptible to 03. Ozone fumigations also had a less pronounced effect on lightlimited photosynthesis. The maximum quantum yield of CO2 uptake and the quantum yield of oxygen evolution showed no significant decline after 16 hours with 200 nanomoles per mole 03, requiring 8 hours at 400 nanomoles per mole 03 before a significant reduction occurred. The photochemical efficiency of photosystem 11 estimated from the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence and the atrazine-binding capacity of isolated thylakoids demonstrated that photochemical reactions were not responsible for the initial inhibition of CO2 uptake. The results suggest that the apparent carboxylation efficiency appears to be the initial cause of decline in photosynthesis in vivo following acute 03 fumigation.Ozone is widely recognized as a major air pollutant affecting crop yields ( 12

It was tested whether field-grown plants (Phaseolus vulgaris, Zea mays and Helianthus annuus) reflect photoinhibitory effects under natural conditions. Attached leaves were used for determination of the photochemical capacity of Photosystem II (Fv/Fm) by means of a portable fluorimeter (PSM, BioMonitor, S.). For a more qualitative description of Fv/Fm, the modifications of the absolute values F0, Fm as well as of the half-rise time of Fm (T/2) were also considered. By comparing artificially shaded and 'sun exposed' plants, the direct influence of light on the photochemical capacity was investigated. Under low natural light conditions the differences of the photochemical capacity between shaded and 'sun exposed' leaves were negligible in all three species. On a day with full sunlight a decline of Fv/Fm was observable at noon-time in the 'sun exposed' leaves of all three species, although the absolute values differed between the species compared. Additionally, the extent of the recovery of Fv/Fm was varying. Both phenomena could be due to differences in the photosynthetic apparatus (e.g., C3-C4, ontogenetic stage, sun-shade type), to self-shading phenomena (comparing leaf layers of Zea and Helianthus) or to differences in the activity of repair mechanisms possibly caused by other environmental factors (vapour pressure deficit = VPD, drought and temperature phenomena).Nevertheless, the results of the shading experiments and the comparison of species lead to the conclusion that primarily light-induced reduction of the photochemical capacity appears at noon in leaves exposed to full sunlight, a partial restoration of Fv/Fm takes place till the evening. Artifically shaded plants show only a slight alteration of the photochemical capacity.

The responses of CO 2 uptake to environmental variables and to stress effects in vivo have been largely limited to measurements of whole leaves or ‘representative’ portions of the leaf. These responses therefore reflect an average for the photosynthetic cells within a leaf, which may differ in environmental pre-history, stage of development and ontogeny. These differences may also result in variation in responses to stress. Improvements in the resolution and accuracy with which gaseous exchanges can be measured in open and closed systems allow the use of small chambers that facilitate a separation of the contributions made by different parts of the leaf to total CO 2 uptake. In amphistomatous leaves with large internal resistances simultaneous measurements of CO 2 , N 2 O and H 2 O vapour allow separation of the contributions made by the upper and lower mesophyll. These techniques are applied to Zea mays leaves to examine (1) heterogeneity in the responses of CO 2 uptake to light and to internal air-space CO 2 pressure fraction, and (2) heterogeneity in the susceptibility to photoinhibition during chilling.

Prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics at room temperature were measured from intact spruce needles. The fluorescence signal was recorded after varying light pretreatments. During the winter, induction curves showed characteristic changes in both the initial peak of fluorescence FV/FP (FP-FO/FP) and the steady state level Fdr (FP-FT/FP). Winter stress induced decreases in both values which showed close correlation to the light and temperature pre-history of the plants. In February changes in fluorescence induction indicative of a restoration of photosynthesis were detected and these corresponded to a rise of temperature above zero in combination with low light levels. In March increasing light intensity combined with chilling temperatures induced again decreases of both values of chlorophyll fluorescence induction suggesting the occurrence of photoinhibition.