Annals of Botany 2009 103(4):i; doi:10.1093/aob/mcp017
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ContentSnapshots
Photosynthesis under drought and salt stress (Review)
Photosynthetic response
to drought and salinity is highly complex.
Chaves et al. (pp. 551–560) consider that organizing and interpreting the existing physiological
and molecular data are essential in order to discuss similarities
and differences in plants' responses to these stresses and to
understand the many contrasting results obtained. It seems clear
that plants perceive and respond to drought and salt by quickly
altering gene expression in parallel with physiological and
biochemical processes.
Photosynthesis, metabolism and water deficit (Review)
Water deficit inhibits
photosynthesis by causing stomatal closure and metabolic damage.
Lawlor and Tezara (pp. 561–579) analyse the literature,
concluding that decreased CO
2 availability in bright light leads
to formation of reactive oxygen species. These damage ATP synthase,
decreasing ATP content and RuBP generation. Photosynthesis becomes
insensitive to elevated CO
2. Changes in photosynthetic components
and metabolites are explained by this model.
Plant mitochondria and drought tolerance (Review)
Atkin and Macherel (pp. 581–597) provide an overview of the impacts of water stress on mitochondrial
respiration (
R), covering responses in whole plants, individual
organs, cells and organelles. Mechanistic explanations are provided
to account for the variable response of respiration to water
stress. Moreover, the review proposes a model by which mitochondrial
R enables survival and rapid recovery of productivity under
water stress conditions.
Redox control of plant gene expression (Review)
Beside its primary
function as a light-energy fixation device, photosynthesis serves
as an environmental sensor that controls a number of plant acclimation
responses including gene xpression.
Pfannschmidt et al. (pp. 599–607) summarize our current knowledge and experimental approaches
in order to gain a deeper understanding of these complex regulation
events.
Transcription factors and responses to abiotic stress (Review)
Many transcription
factors are known to mediate plant responses to abiotic stresses.
However,
Saibo et al. (pp. 609–623) show that only a few
have already been reported to regulate the expression of genes
associated with photosynthesis and related metabolism in response
to stress. These transcription factors play an important role
in both stomatal and non-stomatal limitations to CO
2 photosynthetic
assimilation.
DNA transfer between chloroplast and nucleus (Review)
Transfer of DNA between
the chloroplast and nucleus has been demonstrated in many studies,
but what role does stress play in this process?
Cullis et al. (pp. 625–633) review the processes by which the nuclear genome acquires and
removes chloroplast fragments with a particular focus on the
role and effects of a stressful environment.
C4 photosynthesis and water stress (Review)
Ghannoum (pp. 635–644) argues that although the CO
2 concentrating mechanism offers
C
4 photosynthesis a greater buffering capacity against CO
2 shortages
brought about by partial stomatal closure under water stress,
the biochemistry of C
4 photosynthesis is as – or even
more – sensitive than that of C
3 photosynthesis. A greater
sensitivity of the C
3 relative to the C
4 cycle emerges as a
probable site of metabolic limitation under water stress.
CAM and fitness under water deficit stress (Review)
In 83 % of facultative
CAM and CAM-cycling species,
Herrera (pp. 645–653) finds
that drought-induced dark CO
2 fixation represents on average
only 11 % of daytime CO
2 assimilation of watered plants. Rather
than contributing to increased carbon balance in some species,
facultative and cycling CAM contribute to increased water-use
efficiency, water absorption, prevention of photoinhibition
and reproduction.
Photosynthesis and arthropod herbivory (Review)
Insects devour vast
quantities of plant tissues, often leaving holes, tears and
folds in leaves. Beyond these visible manifestations, a reduction
of photosynthesis and increased water loss in damaged leaves
represent a hidden cost of herbivory.
Nabity et al. (pp. 655–663) consider that, in some cases, the loss of photosynthetic capacity
in remaining tissues has a greater impact than the actual removal
of tissue.
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Ann Bot 2009 103: 551-560.
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