Abstract
Leaf senescence can be induced by numerous factors. In order to explore the relationship between root respiration and leaf senescence, we utilized different types of phloem girdling to control the root respiration of Alhagi sparsifolia and its physiological response. Our results showed that both girdling and inhibition of root respiration led to a decline of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, transpiration rate, chlorophyll (Chl) a, Chl b, carotenoid (Car) content, Chl a/b, Chl/Car, water potential, and Chl a fluorescence, as well as to an increase of abscisic acid (ABA), proline, and malondialdehyde content in leaves and to upregulation of senescence-associated gene expression. Our present work implied that both inhibition of root respiration and girdling can induce leaf senescence. In comparison with phloem girdling, the leaf senescence caused by inhibition of root respiration was less significant. The reason for girdling-induced senescence was ABA and carbohydrate accumulation. Senescence induced by inhibition of root respiration occurred due to leaf water stress resulting from inhibition of water absorption.
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Abbreviations
- ABA:
-
abscisic acid
- ABS/RC:
-
absorption flux (of antenna Chls) per RC (also a measure of PSII apparent antenna size)
- Car:
-
carotenoids
- Chl:
-
chlorophyll
- CS:
-
cross section of the sample
- DIo/RC:
-
dissipation flux per RC
- DM:
-
dry mass
- E :
-
transpiration rate
- ETo/RC:
-
electron transport flux (further than \({Q_{{A^ - }}}\)) per RC
- Fv/Fm :
-
maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII
- FM:
-
fresh mass
- G1:
-
girdling with one branch left
- G2:
-
girdling with two branches left
- g s :
-
stomatal conductance
- JA:
-
jasmonic acid
- MDA:
-
malondialdehyde
- Mo :
-
approximated initial slope of the fluorescence transient
- N1:
-
nongirdling with one branch left
- N2:
-
nongirdling with two branches left
- OEC:
-
oxygen-evolving complex
- PIabs :
-
performance index on absorption basis
- P N :
-
net photosynthetic rate
- PQ:
-
plastoquinone
- Pro:
-
proline
- RC:
-
reaction center
- RC/CS:
-
density of RCs (\({Q_{{A^ - }}}\)reducing PSII reaction centers)
- SA:
-
salicylic acid
- SAGs:
-
senescence-associated genes
- Sm :
-
normalised total complementary area above the OJIP transient (reflecting single-turnover QA reduction events)
- TBA:
-
thiobarbituric acid
- TRo/RC:
-
trapped energy flux (leading to QA reduction) per RC
- ψo :
-
probability that a trapped exciton moves an electron into the electron transport chain beyond \({Q_{{A^ - }}}\) (at t = 0)
- φEo :
-
quantum yield for electron transport (at t = 0)
- φPo :
-
maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry
- Ψleaf :
-
leaf water potential
- ΨM :
-
midday water potential
- ΨP :
-
predawn water potential
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Acknowledgments: We thank the anonymous reviewers for valuable comments. We also express gratitude to Zhuyu Gu for assistance with experiment, and Jake Carpenter for polishing the English in this manuscript. This research was supported by National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (41571057), Key Program of Joint Funds of the National Natural Sciences Foundation and the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China (U1203201), and the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (41371516).
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Tang, GL., Li, XY., Lin, LS. et al. Inhibition of root respiration induces leaf senescence in Alhagi sparsifolia . Photosynthetica 55, 588–602 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0674-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0674-z