Effects of Heat Stress during Seed Filling Stage on Brassica napus Seed Oil Accumulation and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Characteristics

As global temperature rise,the threat of heat stress to rapeseed production is becoming more obvious.Exploring the response characteristics of two important biological pathways,oil accumulation and photosynthesis,to heat stress during B.napus seed filling is helpful in the genetic improvement of heat-tolerant rapeseed.The effects of heat stress on seed oil accumulation and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of 29 B.napus germplasms with different oil content and environmental sensitivity,including 6 rapeseed varieties which exhibited environmentsensitive/insensitive and with high,medium or low oil content,were tested by whole plant heat stress or the in vitro silique culture system.Both assay exhibited similar trend on oil content of the rapeseed germplasms.The heat effect on the chlorophyll fluorescence kinetic parameters F_(v)/F_(m),ETR and Y(Ⅱ)were also consistent.Heat stress significantly decreased oil content,although there was abundant genetic variation on heat tolerance among the genotypes.Correlation analysis showed that the decrease rate of F_(v)/F_(m) of silique heat-stressed B.napus developing seed was positive correlative to the decrease rate of mature seed oil content of the whole plant heat-stressed rapeseed(R=0.9214,P-value<0.01).Overall,the results indicated that heat stress inhibited oil accumulation and photosynthesis in B.napus developing seed.The decrease rate of chlorophyll fluorescence parameter F_(v)/F_(m) of heat-stressed developing seed could be used as the index of heat tolerant rapeseed identification.Further,two heat insensitive rapeseed varieties with high oil content were identified.

Relationships between leaf color changes,pigment levels,enzyme activity,photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure of Liquidambar formosana Hance

Liquidambar formosana Hance is an attractive landscape tree species because its leaves gradually change from green to red,purple or orange in autumn.In this study,the red variety of L.formosana was used to establish a quantitative model of leaf color.Physiological changes in leaf color,pigment levels,enzyme activity,photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure were monitored.The relationship between leaf color and physiological structure indices was quantitatively analyzed to systematically explore the mechanisms behind leaf color.Our data showed that with a decrease in external temperatures,chloroplast numbers and sizes gradually decreased,thylakoid membranes became distorted,and chlorophyll synthesis was blocked and gradually decreased.As a result,chloroplast membranes could not be biosynthesized normally;net photosynthesis,maximum and actual photochemical efficiency,and rate of electron transfer decreased rapidly.Excess light energy caused leaf photoinhibition.With intensification of photoinhibition,leaves protected themselves using two mechanisms.In the first,anthocyanin synthesis was promoted by increasing chalcone isomerase and flavonoid glycosyltransferase activities and soluble sugar content so as to increase anthocyanin to filter light and eliminate reactive oxygen species to reduce photoinhibition.In the second,excessive light energy was consumed in the form of heat energy by increasing the non-photochemical quenching coefficient.These processes tuned the leaves red.

Characteristics of Photosynthetic Fluorescence of Dominant Submerged Plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in Winter

Based on the investigation of the species and frequency of submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake in the winter of 2013,chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic fluorescence characteristics of the dominant submerged plants were studied using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging method. The results indicate that the major submerged plants of Nanjishan Wetland in Poyang Lake in winter included Hydrilla verticillata,Vallisneria natans,Najas minor,Potamogeton pectinatus,Nymphoides peltatum,Myriophyllum verticillatum and so on,and the dominant species were mainly H. verticillata and V. natans in different submerged plant communities. The chlorophyll content of H. verticillata is higher than that of V.natans,and the photosynthesis intensity of H. verticillata is stronger than that of V. natans. The value of Ca / Cb of H. verticillata is not large,which shows that the light-harvesting capacity of H. verticillata＇s chlorophyll is considerable in different sampling sites. The highest value of QY-max of V.natans is up to 0. 732,while the lowest value is only 0. 465; the highest value of QY-max of H. verticillata is 0. 677,while the lowest value is 0. 556.All values of QY-max of the submerged plants were lower than 0. 8,which shows that the submerged plants in Nanjishan Wetland of Poyang Lake may be subjected to certain external stress,which indicates that the external stress might cause some damage for the PSII reaction centers.

Response of leaf photosynthetic characteristics of Syringa oblata and Syringa reticulata var.mandshurica to chilling stress

Syringa species not only have good ornamental properties but also play an important role in the landscaping and environmental purification of cities.To investigate the chilling stress resistance of Syringa oblata Lindl.and Syringa reticulata var.mandshurica and provide theoretical grounds for the practical cultivation of Syringa species,in vitro leaves were used to study photosynthetic gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters.After nine hours of chilling,decreasing rates of net photosynthesis,stomatal conductance,and transpiration in S.reticulata var.mandshurica leaves were significantly greater than that of the S.oblata,while intercellular CO2 concentrations in S.oblata leaves were higher than those in S.reticulata var.mandshurica.The quantum yield of PSII reaction center(APSII)declined in S.reticulata and light capture efficiency(Fv 0/Fm 0)was stable.However,reduction percentages of Fv 0/Fm 0,APSII,and Fv/Fm in S.oblata were significant higher than those of S.reticulata var.mandshurica.After nine hours of chilling,the relative variable fluorescence of VJ and VI of S.oblata increased and the increasing rate of VJ was greater than VI.In contrast,the change of VJ and VI in S.reticulata var.mandshurica leaves was relatively small.This suggests that chilling primarily damaged the electron transport process of QA to QB at the receptor site of the PSII reaction center.Photosynthetic capacity of S.oblata was more sensitive to chilling stress compared to S.reticulate var.mandshurica,which the limitations were mainly due to non-stomatal factors such as the decrease in electron transport efficiency,activity in the PSII reaction center,and the destruction of the photodamage defense system.

Effects of flooding stress on the photosynthetic apparatus of leaves of two Physocarpus cultivars

We applied under pot-culture conditions and the double-casing pot method to study the characteristics of photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence in the leaves of Physocarpus amurensis Maxim （PA） and Physocarpus opulifolius under flooding stress. Our results indicate a significantly higher flooding tolerance of P. opulifolius compared to P. amurensis. Especially in P. amurensis, the limitation of non-stomatal factors played a major role in the advanced stages of flooding stress, observed as a rapid increase of the intercellular C02 con- centration （Ci） and a decrease of the stomatal limitation value （Ls）. The maximal PSII photochemical efficiencies （Fv/Fm） and actual photochemical efficiency （60PSU） in the leaves of P. opulifolius were extent of decrease during the than in P. amurensis. In significantly higher, and the flooding process was smaller addition, the non-chemical quenching （NPQ） in the leaves of P. opulifolius significandy increased from the 10th day under flooding stress, while the variation of NPQ in the leaves of P. amurensis was much smaller. This indicates that the leaves of P. opulifolius had not only higher PSII photochemical activity, but also improved tolerance to flooding stress, which may be caused by its ability to dissipate excess excitation energy by starting NPQ. At the 16th day under flooding stress, the PLABS significantly decreased with greater extent of decrease than Fv/Fm in the leaves of both Physocarpus, but the decreasing extent of PIABS in P. opulifolius was significantly smaller than in P. amurensis. In the 16th day under flooding stress, the fluorescence at J and I point （VJ and V1） in P. amurensis were significantly higher, and the extent of increase in VJ was greater than V1. However, the variations of VJ and V1 in the leaves of P. opulifolius were smaller, suggesting that the damage sites of flooding stress to PSII in the leaves of P. amurensis were mainly located in the electron transport process from QA at the PSII receptor side to QB- Flooding stress reduced the proportion （φEo） of luminous energy absorbed by the PSII reaction center for the electron transport following Q2, while the maximum quantum yield （φDo） of non-photochemical quenching increased. However, the TRo/RC and ETo/RC in the leaves of P. amurensis decreased accompanied by a dramatic increase of energy （DIo/RC） from the dissipation in the reaction center. This further indicated that the function of the PSII reaction center in the leaves of P. amurensis was significantly lower than in P. opulifolius.