Soil Salinity Differentiates Winter Triticale Genotypes in Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics of Seedlings and Consequently Their Yield.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that both the winter triticale genotype and salinity treatment influence the photosynthesis efficiency and content of metabolites and proteins, including antioxidant enzymes, under field conditions, as well as that these parameters are correlated with yielding capacity. The research material involved four genotypes differing in their tolerance to stress in previous tests. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and antioxidant activity were assessed in the seedlings.

Foliar spraying with amino acids and their chitosan nanocomposites as promising way to alleviate abiotic stress in iceberg lettuce grown at different temperatures.

We analyzed the effects of foliar spraying with amino acids, chitosan (CHS) and nanocomposites (NCs) of chitosan with the amino acids proline, L-cysteine and glycine betaine (CHS-Pro NCs; CHS-Cys NCs, CHS-GB NCs, respectively) on the changes in the physiological and biochemical parameters of iceberg lettuce grown at the control temperature (20 °C) and under chilling conditions (4 °C). The physicochemical parameters of the phospholipid monolayers (PLs) extracted from plants showed the effects of the treatments on the properties of the monolayers, namely, the packing density and flexibility. We observed increased accumulation of proline at 4 °C, and differences in the concentrations of sugars in most of the analyzed variants were a consequence of the lowered temperature and/or the use of organic compounds.

Heat Pre-Treatment Modified Host and Non-Host Interactions of Powdery Mildew with Barley Brassinosteroid Mutants and Wild Types.

High temperatures associated with climate change may increase the severity of plant diseases. This study investigated the effect of heat shock treatment on host and non-host barley powdery mildew interactions using brassinosteroid (BR) mutants of barley. Brassinosteroids are plant steroid hormones, but so far little is known about their role in plant-fungal interactions.

Plasticity of L. in Adaptation to Extreme Environmental Conditions.

This study aimed at characterizing some adaptive changes in L. exposed to harsh conditions of a desert-like environment generating physiological stress of limited water availability and exposure to strong light. It was clearly shown that the plants were capable of adapting their root system and vascular tissues to enable efficient vegetative performance.

Water-Deficit Stress in the Epiphytic Elkhorn Fern: Insight into Photosynthetic Response.

Progressive climate changes cause disturbance of water relations in tropical rainforests, where epiphytic ferns are an important element of biodiversity. In these plants, the efficiency of photosynthesis is closely related to the efficiency of water transport. In addition, due to the lack of contact with the soil, epiphytes are extremely susceptible to water-deficit stress.

Leaf chlorophyll fluorescence and reflectance of oakleaf lettuce exposed to metal and metal(oid) oxide nanoparticles.

Background: Most nanoparticles (NPs) have a significant impact on the structure and function of the plant photosynthetic apparatus. However, their spectrum of action varies significantly, from beneficial stimulation to toxicity, depending on the type of NPs, the concentration used and plant genotypic diversity. Photosynthetic performance can be assessed through chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) measurements.

Influence of bisphenol A on growth and metabolism of Vicia faba ssp. minor seedlings depending on lighting conditions.

The effect of one of anthropogenic pollutants, i.e., 4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol, called 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane (BPA), at 30 and 120 mg L concentrations in the darkness (DK) or dark/light (DK/LT) on growth and selected elements of metabolism of seedlings and leaf discs of Vicia faba ssp.

Alterations in Primary Carbon Metabolism in Cucumber Infected with pv : Local and Systemic Responses.

The reconfiguration of the primary metabolism is essential in plant-pathogen interactions. We compared the local metabolic responses of cucumber leaves inoculated with pv () with those in non-inoculated systemic leaves, by examining the changes in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides pools, the concentration of soluble carbohydrates and activities/gene expression of carbohydrate metabolism-related enzymes, the expression of photosynthesis-related genes, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle-linked metabolite contents and enzyme activities. In the infected leaves, induced a metabolic signature with an altered [NAD(P)H]/[NAD(P)] ratio; decreased glucose and sucrose contents, along with a changed invertase gene expression; and increased glucose turnover and accumulation of raffinose, trehalose, and -inositol.

Mechanism of kinetin-induced death of Vicia faba ssp. minor root cortex cells.

Cell death (CD) may be induced by endogenous or exogenous factors and contributes to all the steps of plant development. This paper presents results related to the mechanism of CD regulation induced by kinetin (Kin) in the root cortex of Vicia faba ssp. minor.

At the Edges of Photosynthetic Metabolic Plasticity-On the Rapidity and Extent of Changes Accompanying Salinity Stress-Induced CAM Photosynthesis Withdrawal.

The common ice plant ( L.) is a facultative crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plant, and its ability to recover from stress-induced CAM has been confirmed. We analysed the photosynthetic metabolism of this plant during the 72-h response period following salinity stress removal from three perspectives.

Cooling effect of fungal stromata in the symbiosis.

The stromata of fungi are structures covering part of the stem of grasses. Under the fungal layer, still green tissues of the plant survive, although the development of the new leaves is inhibited. Stromata are the places where conidia and ascospores develop.

Ecophysiological Variability of (Chaix) DC. Green Alder Leaves in the Bieszczady Mountains (Poland).

(Chaix) DC., green alder, is a fast-growing shrub that grows expansively in the European mountainside. In Poland, naturally occurs only in the Bieszczady Mountains (south-eastern part of the country), above the upper forest border.

Powdery Mildew-Induced Hormonal and Photosynthetic Changes in Barley Near Isogenic Lines Carrying Various Resistant Genes.

The present work focused on the characterization of some physiological mechanisms activated upon powdery mildew inoculation of the susceptible barley cultivar Ingrid and its near-isogenic lines (NILs) carrying various resistant genes (, and ). After inoculation with f. sp.

The response of a model C/CAM intermediate semi-halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L. to elevated cadmium concentrations.

Many areas exhibiting increased concentrations of soluble salts are simultaneously polluted with heavy metals (HM), and halophytes with extended tolerance to heavy metal toxicity seem to represent a promising tool for their phytoremediation. In this study, the response of the soil-grown C-CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) intermediate halophyte Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (common ice plant) to increased concentrations of Cd (0.01-1 mM) was investigated.

Spatial referencing of chlorophyll fluorescence images for quantitative assessment of infection propagation in leaves demonstrated on the ice plant: pathosystem.

Background: Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis is one of the non-invasive techniques widely used to detect and quantify the stress-induced changes in the photosynthetic apparatus. Quantitative information is obtained as a series of images and the specific fluorescence parameters are evaluated inside the regions of interest outlined separately on each leaf image. As the performance of photosynthesis is highly heterogeneous over a leaf surface, the areas of interest selected for generating numeric data are crucial for a reliable analysis.

Medical activated charcoal tablets as a cheap tool for passive monitoring of gaseous I activity in air of nuclear medicine departments.

It is well known that monitoring of radioactivity released from nuclear medicine departments is necessary to ensure the radiological safety of patients and personnel. Unfortunately, equipment for air sampling is often expensive, loud and is not suitable to use in hospitals. Our goal was to find cheap and simple system for passive monitoring of I activity concentration in the air of nuclear medicine departments.

Withdrawal from functional Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is accompanied by changes in both gene expression and activity of antioxidative enzymes.

In Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is seemingly reversible, but unequivocal evidence for functional CAM withdrawal has yet to be shown. In this study, we confirmed the rapid downregulation of PEPC1 expression just 1 h after the removal of NaCl from the plant growth media. At the same time, the Δ malate values in desalted plants rapidly (1 d) re-established to values typical for C plants.

Foliar application of selenium for protection against the first stages of mycotoxin infection of crop plant leaves.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the application of selenium (Se) ions directly to the leaf surface can protect plants against infection by the fungal toxin zearalenone (ZEA). The experiments were performed for the most common and agronomically important crops such as wheat, oat, and barley (both tolerant and sensitive varieties) because mycotoxin accumulation in plants is the cause of many diseases in animals and people.

Results: ZEA at a concentration of 10 µmol L either alone or in combination with Se (5 µmol L Na SeO ) was applied to the second leaf of seedlings.

Seasonal variations of leaf chlorophyll-protein complexes in the wintergreen herbaceous plant Ajuga reptans L.

The chlorophyll and carotenoid content, and the spectra of low-temperature fluorescence of the leaves, chloroplasts and isolated pigment-protein complexes in the perennial herbaceous wintergreen plant Ajuga reptans L. (bugle) in different seasons of the year were studied. During winter, these plants downregulate photosynthesis and the PSA is reorganised, including the loss of chlorophyll, possible reductions in the number of functional reaction centres of PSII, and changes in aggregation of the thylakoid protein complexes.

Determination of element composition and extraterrestrial material occurrence in moss and lichen samples from King George Island (Antarctica) using reactor neutron activation analysis and SEM microscopy.

Seven lichens (Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra) and nine moss samples (Sanionia uncinata) collected in King George Island were analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis, and concentration of major and trace elements was calculated. For some elements, the concentrations observed in moss samples were higher than corresponding values reported from other sites in the Antarctica, but in the lichens, these were in the same range of concentrations.

Photosynthetic activity of vascular bundles in Plantago media leaves.

Photosynthetic processes in the leaf lamina and midribs of Plantago media were investigated using plants grown in high light (HL) or low light (LL) conditions. The fluorescence parameters, which indicate photochemical/photosynthetic activity, were different in HL and LL grown plants, but no major differences between lamina and midribs were found. An OJIP test (chlorophyll a fluorescence transient induction) of LL grown plants, indicative of the chloroplast electron transport chain, also showed both tissues to be similar.

Photosynthesis-related characteristics of the midrib and the interveinal lamina in leaves of the C3-CAM intermediate plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.

Background And Aims: Leaf veins are usually encircled by specialized bundle sheath cells. In C4 plants, they play an important role in CO2 assimilation, and the photosynthetic activity is compartmentalized between the mesophyll and the bundle sheath. In C3 and CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) plants, the photosynthetic activity is generally attributed to the leaf mesophyll cells, and the vascular parenchymal cells are rarely considered for their role in photosynthesis.

Veinal-mesophyll interaction under biotic stress.

According to microscopic observations, germinating hyphae of Botrytis cinerea, though easily penetrating Mesembryanthemum crystallinum mesophyll tissue, are limited in growth in mid-ribs and only occasionally reach vascular bundles. In mid-ribs of C3 and CAM leaves, we found significantly lower rbcL (large RubisCO subunit) abundance. Moreover, in CAM leaves, minute transcript contents for pepc1 (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase) and nadpme1 (malic enzyme) genes found in the mid-ribs suggest that they perform β-carboxylation at a low rate.

Plastoquinone redox state modifies plant response to pathogen.

The role of PQ (plastoquinione) redox state in establishment of response to pathogen infection (Botrytis cinerea) was tested along the regulation of main antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase - SOD, catalase - CAT) and photochemistry of PSII (photosystem II) in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants performing C3 and CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) carbon metabolism. The redox state of PQ was modified by two inhibitors of photosynthetic electron transport resulting in a more oxidised (3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea; DCMU) or reduced (2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone; DBMIB) PQ redox state simulating darkness and high light conditions, respectively. Irrespective of the type of treatment (mock inoculation or pathogen inoculation) SOD activity depended on the PQ pool.