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Nicolas-Espinosa J, Yepes-Molina L, Martinez-Bernal F, Fernandez-Pozurama M, Carvajal M. Deciphering the effect of salinity and boron stress on broccoli plants reveals that membranes phytosterols and PIP aquaporins facilitate stress adaptation. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 338:111923. [PMID: 37972760 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Abiotic stresses, such as salinity and boron toxicity/deficiency, are prevalent in arid and semi-arid regions where broccoli is largely cultivated. This study aimed to investigate the physiological response of broccoli leaves to these stresses, focusing on parameters such as growth, relative water content, stomatal conductance, and mineral concentration after 15 days of treatment application. The effects of individual and combined stresses of salinity and boron (deficiency and toxicity) were examined. Additionally, the study explored the molecular aspects of PIP aquaporins in relation to their presence in the plasma membrane and their interaction with the lipid environment. The results showed that the combined stress of salinity and boron deficiency resulted in a significant reduction in plant biomass, suggesting a specific adaptation to this stress combination. Changes in stomatal conductance and mineral nutrient levels indicated that the adaptation mechanisms were associated with water and boron concentration in the leaves. The expression patterns of PIP aquaporins varied among the different stress treatments, either individually or in combination. Furthermore, the presence of aquaporins in the plasma membrane and microsomal fraction highlighted the potential regulatory roles of trafficking along with the membrane composition, particularly the concentration of phytosterols. The results underscore the importance of water transport by aquaporins and their interaction with the sterol composition in the membranes, in facilitating salinity-boron stress adaptation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Nicolas-Espinosa
- Aquaporins Group. Plant Nutrition Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Lucia Yepes-Molina
- Aquaporins Group. Plant Nutrition Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Fuensanta Martinez-Bernal
- Aquaporins Group. Plant Nutrition Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Miriam Fernandez-Pozurama
- Aquaporins Group. Plant Nutrition Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Micaela Carvajal
- Aquaporins Group. Plant Nutrition Department, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), Campus Universitario de Espinardo, Edificio 25, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
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Guo X, Schrader J, Shi P, Jiao Y, Miao Q, Xue J, Niklas KJ. Leaf-age and petiole biomass play significant roles in leaf scaling theory. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1322245. [PMID: 38179478 PMCID: PMC10764501 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1322245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Foliage leaves are essential for plant survival and growth, and how plants allocate biomass to their leaves reveals their economic and ecological strategies. Prior studies have shown that leaf-age significantly influences leaf biomass allocation patterns. However, unravelling the effects of ontogeny on partitioning biomass remains a challenge because it is confounded by the effects of environmental factors. Here, we aim to elucidate whether leaf-age affects the allocation to the lamina and petiole by examining leaves of known age growing in the same general environmental context. We sampled 2698 Photinia serratifolia leaves developing in the same environment from April to November 2021, representing eight leaf-ages (n > 300 for each leaf-age). Petiole and lamina biomass, and lamina area were measured to evaluate the scaling relationships using reduced major axis regression protocols. The bootstrap percentile method was used to determine the differences in scaling exponents among the different leaf-ages. ANOVA with Tukey's HSD was used to compare the ratios of petiole and lamina biomass to lamina area across the leaf-ages. Correlation tests were used to determine if exponents, intercepts, and ratios differed significantly across the different leaf-ages. The data indicated that (i) the ratio of petiole and lamina biomass to lamina area and the scaling exponent of lamina biomass versus lamina area correlate positively with leaf-age, and (ii) the scaling exponent of petiole biomass versus lamina area correlates negatively with leaf-age. Leaf maturation process involves an inverse proportional allocation between lamina and petiole biomass for expanding photosynthetic area. This phenomenon underscores the effect of leaf-age on biomass allocation and the importance of adopting an ontogenetic perspective when entertaining plant scaling theories and unravelling the principles governing shifts in biomass allocation throughout the leaf lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuchen Guo
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Julian Schrader
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peijian Shi
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yabing Jiao
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qinyue Miao
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jianhui Xue
- Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, College of Biology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Avalos G, Cambronero M, Alvarez-Vergnani C. Divergence in functional traits in seven species of neotropical palms of different forest strata. Oecologia 2023; 203:323-333. [PMID: 37875736 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05466-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Functional traits are morphological and physiological characteristics that determine growth, reproduction, and survival strategies. The leaf economics spectrum proposes two opposing life history strategies: species with an "acquisitive" strategy grow fast and exploit high-resource environments, while species with a "conservative" strategy emphasize survival and slow growth under low resource conditions. We analyzed intra and interspecific variation in nine functional traits related to biomass allocation and tissue quality in seven Neotropical palm species from understory and canopy strata. We expected that the level of resources of a stratum that a species typically exploits would determine the dominance of either the exploitative or conservative strategy, as well as degree of divergence in functional traits between species. If this is correct, then canopy species will show an acquisitive strategy emphasizing traits targeting a larger size, whereas understory species will show a conservative strategy with traits promoting efficient biomass allocation and survival in the shade. Two principal components (57.22% of the variation) separated palm species into: (a) canopy species whose traits were congruent with the acquisitive strategy and emphasized large size (i.e., diameter, height, carbon content, and leaf area), and (b) understory species whose traits were associated with efficient biomass allocation (i.e., dry mass fraction -DMF- and tissue density). As we unravel the variation in functional traits in palms, which make up a substantial proportion of the tropical flora, we gain a deeper understanding of how plants adapt to environmental gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Avalos
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Ecological Resilience Studies, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 534G, Beverly, MA, 01915, USA.
| | - Milena Cambronero
- The School for Field Studies, Center for Ecological Resilience Studies, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 534G, Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
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Deng JY, Wang YJ, Chen LF, Luo T, Wang R, Chen XY. Functional trait divergence associated with heteromorphic leaves in a climbing fig. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1261240. [PMID: 37794929 PMCID: PMC10546399 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1261240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Plants that display heteroblasty possess conspicuous variations in leaf morphology between their juvenile and adult phases, with certain species retaining juvenile-like leaves even in adulthood. Nevertheless, the ecological advantages of maintaining two or more distinct leaf types in heteroblastic plants at the adult stage remain unclear. Method The aim of this study is to examine the adaptive significance of heteroblastic leaves sampled from branches with divergent functions (sterile and fertile branches) of mature Ficus pumila individuals by comparing their morphological, anatomical, and physiological characteristics. Result Leaves on sterile branches (LSs) exhibited a significantly larger specific leaf area, thinner palisade and spongy tissues, lower chlorophyll contents, and lower light saturation points than leaves on fertile branches (LFs). These results demonstrate that LSs are better adapted to low light environments, while LFs are well equipped to take advantages of high light conditions. However, both LFs and LSs have a low light compensation point with no significant difference between them, indicating that they start to accumulate photosynthetic products under similar light conditions. Interestingly, significant higher net photosynthetic rate was detected in LFs, showing they have higher photosynthetic capacity. Furthermore, LFs produced significant more nutrients compared to LSs, which may associate to their ability of accumulating more photosynthetic products under full light conditions and higher photosynthetic capacity. Discussion Overall, we observed a pattern of divergence in morphological features of leaves on two functional branches. Anatomical and physiological features indicate that LFs have an advantage in varied light conditions, providing amounts of photosynthetic products to support the sexual reproduction, while LSs adapt to low light environments. Our findings provide evidence that heteroblasty facilitates F. pumila to utilize varying light environments, likely associated with its growth form as a climbing plant. This strategy allows the plant to allocate resources more effectively and optimize its overall fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Yin Deng
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Jin Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu-Fan Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tong Luo
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Wang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control & Ecological Security, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control & Ecological Security, Shanghai, China
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de Tombeur F, Raven JA, Toussaint A, Lambers H, Cooke J, Hartley SE, Johnson SN, Coq S, Katz O, Schaller J, Violle C. Why do plants silicify? Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:275-288. [PMID: 36428125 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Despite seminal papers that stress the significance of silicon (Si) in plant biology and ecology, most studies focus on manipulations of Si supply and mitigation of stresses. The ecological significance of Si varies with different levels of biological organization, and remains hard to capture. We show that the costs of Si accumulation are greater than is currently acknowledged, and discuss potential links between Si and fitness components (growth, survival, reproduction), environment, and ecosystem functioning. We suggest that Si is more important in trait-based ecology than is currently recognized. Si potentially plays a significant role in many aspects of plant ecology, but knowledge gaps prevent us from understanding its possible contribution to the success of some clades and the expansion of specific biomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix de Tombeur
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France; School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.
| | - John A Raven
- Division of Plant Science, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, UK; School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; Climate Change Cluster, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Aurèle Toussaint
- Department of Botany, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Julia Cooke
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Sue E Hartley
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Scott N Johnson
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia
| | - Sylvain Coq
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Ofir Katz
- Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Mount Masada, Tamar Regional Council, Israel; Eilat Campus, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat, Israel
| | - Jörg Schaller
- Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
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