Abstract. The effects of a slowly-imposed drought stress on gas-exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, biochemical and physiological parameters of Vitis vinifera L. leaves (cv. Aragonez, syn. Tempranillo) growing in a commercial vineyard (South Portugal) were evaluated. Relative to well-watered plants (predawn water potential, Ψ PD = -0.13 ± 0.01 MPa), drought-stressed plants (Ψ PD = -0.97 ± 0.01 MPa) had lower photosynthetic rates (ca 70%), stomatal conductance, and PSII activity (associated with a higher reduction of the quinone A pool and lower efficiency of PSII open centres). Stomatal limitation to photosynthesis was increased in drought-stressed plants relative to well-watered plants by ca 44%. Modelled responses of net photosynthesis to internal CO 2 indicated that drought-stressed plants had significant reductions in maximum Rubisco carboxylation activity (ca 32%), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate regeneration (ca 27%), and triose phosphate (triose-P) utilization rates (ca 37%) relative to well-watered plants. There was good agreement between the effects of drought on modelled biochemical parameters, and in vitro activities of key enzymes of carbon metabolism, namely Rubisco, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, ribulose-5-phosphate kinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphate phosphatase. Quantum yields measured under both ambient (35 Pa) and saturating CO 2 (100 Pa) for drought-stressed plants were decreased relative to well-watered plants, as well as maximum photosynthetic rates measured at light and CO 2 saturating conditions (three times ambient CO 2 levels). Although stomatal closure was a strong limitation to CO 2 assimilation under drought, comparable reductions in electron transport, CO 2 carboxylation, and utilization of triose-P capacities were also adaptations of the photosynthetic machinery to dehydration that slowly developed under field conditions. Results presented in this study confirm that modelling photosynthetic responses based on gas-exchange data can be successfully used to predict metabolic limitations to photosynthesis.
Water deficit (WD) in Lupinus albus L. brings about tissue-specific responses that are dependent on stress intensity. Carbohydrate metabolism is very sensitive to changes in plant water status. Six days from withholding water (DAW), sucrose, glucose and fructose levels of the leaf blade had already increased over 5-fold, and the activities of SS and INV(A) had increased c. 1.5-2 times. From 9 DAW on, when stress intensity was more pronounced, these effects were reversed with fructose and glucose concentrations as well as INV(A) activity dropping in parallel. The stem (specifically the stele) responded to the stress intensification with striking increases in the concentration of sugars, N and S, and in the induction of thaumatin-like-protein and an increase in chitinase and peroxidase. At 13 DAW, the plants lost most of the leaves but on rewatering they fully recovered. Thus, the observed changes appear to contribute to a general mechanism of survival under drought, the stem playing a key role in that process.
Potted cuttings of three Eucalyptus globulus Labill. clones (AR3, CN44, MP11) were either well watered or subjected to one of two soil water deficit regimes for six months in a greenhouse. Reductions in lateral branching, leaf production and leaf expansion were the leading contributors to the large differences observed in biomass production between well-watered and water-stressed plants. Although no significant differences among clones were observed in dry matter accumulation or in the magnitude of the response to soil water deficits, sensitivity of lateral branching, leaf initiation and whole-plant foliage to water stress was significantly lower in CN44 than in AR3 and MP11. When the confounding effect of differences in plant size resulting from the different watering regimes was removed, allometric analysis indicated that the genotypes differed in biomass allocation patterns. In addition to a drought-induced reduction in leaf number, water deficits also resulted in smaller leaves because leaf expansion was inhibited during dehydration events. Resumption of leaf expansion following stress relief occurred in all of the clones, but was particularly evident in severely stressed plants of Clone AR3, possibly as a result of the osmotic adjustment observed in this genotype.
We compared the metabolic responses of leaves and roots of two Eucalyptus globulus Labill. clones differing in drought sensitivity to a slowly imposed water deficit. Responses measured included changes in concentrations of soluble and insoluble sugars, proline, total protein and several antioxidant enzymes. In addition to the general decrease in growth caused by water deficit, we observed a decrease in osmotic potential when drought stress became severe. In both clones, the decrease was greater in roots than in leaves, consistent with the observed increases in concentrations of soluble sugars and proline in these organs. In roots of both clones, glutathione reductase activity increased significantly in response to water deficit, suggesting that this enzyme plays a protective role in roots during drought stress by catalyzing the catabolism of reactive oxygen species. Clone CN5 has stress avoidance mechanisms that account for its lower sensitivity to drought compared with Clone ST51.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.