The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zona- tion of intertidal seaweeds. We examined Porphyra umbilicalis （Linnaeus） Kiitzing thalli from the...The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zona- tion of intertidal seaweeds. We examined Porphyra umbilicalis （Linnaeus） Kiitzing thalli from the vertical extremes in elevation of an intertidal population （i.e. upper and lower intertidal zones） to determine whether Porphyra thalli acclimate to different vertical elevations on the shore with different patterns of nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase （NR） and glutamine synthetase （GS） activities in response to different degrees of emersion stress. We found that the nitrate uptake and NR recovery in the emersed tissues took longer in lower intertidal sub-population than in upper intertidal sub-population; and GS activity was also significantly affected by emersion and, interestingly, such an activity was enhanced by emersion of thalli from both upper and lower intertidal zones. These results sug- gested that intta-population variability in post-emersion recovery of physiological functions such as nutrient uptake and NR activity enables local adaptation and contributes to the wide vertical distribution ofP. umbilicalis. The high GS activity during periodic emer- sion stress may be a protective mechanism enabling P umbilicalis to assimilate nitrogen quickly when it again becomes available, and may also be an evidence ofphotorespiration during emersion.展开更多
基金supported by grants to C.Yarish from the Perkin Elmer Analytical Division of E,G & G,Wellesley,MA,USA,Connecticut Sea Grant College Program (2001-2003)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Aquaculture Initiative (DOC/U.S.A.+2 种基金2001-2004)awards to J.K. Kim from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology,University of Connecticut (Ronald Bamford Award)from the Connecticut Museum of Natural History (Henry N. Andrew and Francis Rice Trainor Awards)
文摘The physical stresses associated with emersion have long been considered major factors determining the vertical zona- tion of intertidal seaweeds. We examined Porphyra umbilicalis （Linnaeus） Kiitzing thalli from the vertical extremes in elevation of an intertidal population （i.e. upper and lower intertidal zones） to determine whether Porphyra thalli acclimate to different vertical elevations on the shore with different patterns of nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase （NR） and glutamine synthetase （GS） activities in response to different degrees of emersion stress. We found that the nitrate uptake and NR recovery in the emersed tissues took longer in lower intertidal sub-population than in upper intertidal sub-population; and GS activity was also significantly affected by emersion and, interestingly, such an activity was enhanced by emersion of thalli from both upper and lower intertidal zones. These results sug- gested that intta-population variability in post-emersion recovery of physiological functions such as nutrient uptake and NR activity enables local adaptation and contributes to the wide vertical distribution ofP. umbilicalis. The high GS activity during periodic emer- sion stress may be a protective mechanism enabling P umbilicalis to assimilate nitrogen quickly when it again becomes available, and may also be an evidence ofphotorespiration during emersion.
