Chlorophyll content, photosynthetic efficiency and genetic markers in two sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) genotypes under drought stress

Abstract

-Drought is a limiting factor in fruit production today. Identification of sour cherry genotypes tolerant to drought will enable the sustainability of fruit production. The aim of our study was to select sour cherry genotypes according to their genetic background as well as drought tolerance and investigate possible mechanisms of drought tolerance through the changes in photosynthetic apparatus (i.e. photosynthetic pigment content) and photosynthesis process assessed through the chlorophyll fluorescence transient. All of them together with molecular markers (SSRs and AFLPs), relative water content (RWC) as indicator of plant water status distinguish two genotypes (Kelleris 16 and OS), which are the opposite in regards to drought tolerance. Down-regulation of photosynthesis in drought-treated Kelleris 16 plants was seen as changes in antenna complexes of PSII (decreased total chlorophylls content (a+b) and chlorophylls ratio (a/b)). Despite unchanged maximum quantum yield of PSII in drought-treated leaves of genotype OS, overall photosynthetic performance expressed as PI ABS was down-regulated in both investigated genotypes. However, decrement of PI ABS was much pronounced in genotype Kelleris 16, mainly because of changes in a certain fraction of RCs, which become dissipative centres, seen as increase in ABS/RC and DI 0 /RC, in order to avoid photooxidative damage of photosynthetic apparatus. Also, electron transport, seen as decrease in ET 0 /(TR 0 -ET 0 ) and ET 0 /RC, was impaired which lead to impaired CO 2 fixation and photosynthesis. The described changes in the functioning of photosynthetic apparatus in drought-treated plants of Kelleris 16 constitute the main distinction between the two investigated genotypes regarding drought adaptation mechanisms.

Identification of genomic loci associated with 21chlorophyll fluorescence phenotypes by genome-wide association analysis in soybean

“…The energy flux for electron transport per reaction center, ET 0 /RC, was associated with four MPL, and the other three phenotypes with 2 MPL each. The majority of studies that report ET 0 /RC have focused on the effects of different stress factors and found inconsistent responses of ET 0 /RC [ 80 – 82 ] for instance, Mathur et al, observed that heat stress of wheat lead to increases of ET 0 /RC that were due to the reduced number of active reaction centers [ 83 ]. Little is known about genotypic variation in ET 0 /RC and the influences observed by Mathur et al [ 83 ] indicate that the turnover of damaged reaction centers could be involved.…”

Strigolactone-induced senescence of a bamboo leaf in the dark is alleviated by exogenous sugar

“…1a). In addition to leaf yellowing, the decrease in chlorophyll (Chl) content but not in the photosynthetic efficiency of the PSII system (Fm/Fv) [13][14][15] was confirmed (Fig. 1b, c), suggesting that the leaf segments undergo senescence under light together with the degradation of Chl but retain a functional PSII system.…”

Comparative Study of Drought Stress Effects on Traditional and Modern Apple Cultivars

“…Lack of water in plants induces oxidative stress [ 5 , 6 ], overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the superoxide radical (O 2 − ) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), which cause lipid peroxidation and damages the membrane, proteins, chlorophyll, nucleic acids and cell death [ 7 , 8 ]. Drought can cause a significant reduction and damage in photosynthesis and chlorophyll degradation [ 9 , 10 ]. According to Chaves et al [ 11 ], the negative effects of drought on plant physiology are dependent on the intensity and duration of the drought stress and the genetic capacity of the plant to cope and survive in this stress conditions.…”