Photosynthetica 2014, 52(3):430-436 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-014-0051-8

Photosynthesis and ultrastructure of photosynthetic apparatus in tomato leaves under elevated temperature

J. Zhang1,*, X. D. Jiang2, T. L. Li3, X. J. Cao1
1 Key Laboratory of Efficient Irrigation-Drainage and Agricultural Soil-Water Environment in Southern China, Ministry of Education, College of Water Conservancy and Hydropower Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
2 Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education, College of Applied Meteorology, Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disasters, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, China
3 Horticulture Department, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China

The microstructure of leaves and ultrastructure of chloroplasts were examined in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plants treated with elevated temperature. Plants were exposed to 35°C for 30 d after florescence. The plants grown continuously under 25°C served as controls. Compared with the controls, the net photosynthetic rate (P N) in stressed plants decreased significantly. Stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentrations, the rate of transpiration, and the limitation of stomatal conductance showed that the decrease in P N was caused mainly by nonstomatal restrictions. Meanwhile, stomata density increased significantly in the stressed plants. The stomata status of opening and closing became disorganized with a prolonged 35°C exposure. The damage of chloroplast membrane occurred earlier and was more serious in the plants under elevated temperature. At the same time, the thylakoids were loosely distributed with lesser grana, but the number of lipid droplets increased in chloroplasts. The number of starch grains in chloroplasts increased first and then decreased. In addition, the length of the main nerve in leaves increased and the main vein showed distortion in the plants stressed by 35°C. An increase was observed in the number of cells on the abaxial side of the main vein and these cells were overly congregated. The thickness of a vertical section became thinner in the stressed leaves. The cells of the upper epidermis thinned, and the ratio of palisade tissue to spongy tissue decreased. Generally, the photosynthetic apparatus of tomato changed significantly and the changed chloroplast ultrastructure might be one of the important reasons that caused the decrease of P N under 35°C.

Additional key words: chloroplast; gas exchange; heat stress; Lycopersicon esculentum L; microstructure; photosynthetic apparatus

Received: November 27, 2013; Accepted: January 7, 2014; Published: September 1, 2014  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Zhang, J., Jiang, X.D., Li, T.L., & Cao, X.J. (2014). Photosynthesis and ultrastructure of photosynthetic apparatus in tomato leaves under elevated temperature. Photosynthetica, 52(3), 430-436. doi: 10.1007/s11099-014-0051-8
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Berry, J., Bjorkman, O.: Photosynthetic response and adaptation to temperature in higher plants. - Annu. Rev. Plant Phys. 31: 491-543, 1980. Go to original source...
    2. Braun, V., Buchner, O., Neuner, G.: Thermotolerance of photosystem 2 of three alpine plant species under field conditions. - Photosynthetica 40: 587-595, 2002. Go to original source...
    3. Camejo, D., Rodriguez, P., Morales, A. et al.: High temperature effects on photosynthetic activity of two tomato cultivars with different heat susceptibility. - J. Plant Physiol. 162: 281-289, 2005. Go to original source...
    4. Chen, W.R., Zheng, J.S., Li, Y.Q., Guo, W.D.: Effects of high temperature on photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, chloroplast ultrastructure, and antioxidant activities in fingered citron. - Russ. J. Plant Physl.+ 59: 732-740, 2012. Go to original source...
    5. CraftsBrandner, S.J., van de Loo F.J., Salvucci, M.E.: The two forms of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activase differ in sensitivity to elevated temperature. - Plant Physiol. 114: 439-444, 1997. Go to original source...
    6. Farquhar, G.D., Sharkey, T.D.: Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. - Annu. Rev. Plant Phys. 33: 317-345, 1982 Go to original source...
    7. Fu, Q.S., Zhao, B., Wang, X.W. et al.: [The responses of morphological trait, leaf ultrastructure, photosynthetic and biochemical performance of tomato to differential light availabilities.] - Agr. Sci. China 10: 1887-1897, 2011. [In Chinese] Go to original source...
    8. Grigorova, B., Vassileva, V., Klimchuk, D. et al.: Drought, high temperature, and their combination affect ultrastructure of chloroplasts and mitochondria in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves. - J. Plant Interact. 7: 204-213, 2012. Go to original source...
    9. Holá, D., Kutík, J., Kočová, M., Rothová, O.: Low-temperature induced changes in the ultrastructure of maize mesophyll chloroplasts strongly depend on the chilling pattern/intensity and considerably differ among inbred and hybrid genotypes. - Photosynthetica 46: 329-338, 2008. Go to original source...
    10. Holzinger, A., Buchner, O., Luetz, C., Hanson, M.R.: Temperature-sensitive formation of chloroplast protrusions and stromules in mesophyll cells of Arabidopsis thaliana. - Protoplasma 230: 23-30, 2007. Go to original source...
    11. Karim, M.A., Fracheboud, Y., Stamp, P.: Effect of high temperature on seedling growth and photosynthesis of tropical maize genotypes. - J. Agron. Crop Sci. 4: 217-223, 2000. Go to original source...
    12. Karim, M.A., Fracheboud, Y., Stamp, P.: Photosynthetic activity of developing leaves of Zea mays is less affected by heat stress than that of developed leaves. - Physiol. Plantarum 105: 685-693, 1999. Go to original source...
    13. Kutík, J., Holá, D., Kočová, M. et al.: Ultrastructure and dimensions of chloroplasts in leaves of three maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines and their F1 hybrids grown under moderate chilling stress. - Photosynthetica 42: 447-455, 2004. Go to original source...
    14. Lalonde, S., Boles, E., Hellmann, H. et al.: The dual function of sugar carriers: Transport and sugar sensing. - Plant Cell 11: 707-726, 1999. Go to original source...
    15. Li, R.Q., Wang, J.B.: [Plant Stress Cell and Physiology.] Pp. 85-140. Wuhan University Academic Library Press, Wuhan, 2002. [In Chinese]
    16. Mao, S.L., Du, Y.C., Wang, X.X. et al.: [Changes of endogenous abscisic acid and the effect of exogenous ABA on pollen germination under heat stress in tomato.] - Acta Horti. Sin. 32: 234-238, 2005. [In Chinese]
    17. Miao, C., Li, R.Q., Wang, J.B.: [Ultrastructural studies of cabbage leaves under heat stress.] - Acta Bot. Sin. 36: 730-732, 1994. [In Chinese]
    18. Pfeiffer, S., Krupinska, K.: Chloroplast ultrastructure in leaves of Urtica dioica L. analyzed after high-pressure freezing and freeze-substitution and compared with conventional fixation followed by room temperature dehydration. - Microsc. Res. Techniq. 68: 368-376, 2005. Go to original source...
    19. Sam, O., Nunez, M., Ruiz-Sanchez, M.C. et al.: Effect of a brassinosteroid analogue and high temperature stress on leaf ultrastructure of Lycopersicon esculentum. - Biol. Plantarum 44: 213-218, 2001. Go to original source...
    20. Sharkey, T.D.: Effects of moderate heat stress on photosynthesis: importance of thylakoid reactions, Rubisco deactivation, reactive oxygen species, and thermotolerance provided by isoprene. - Plant Cell Environ. 28: 269-277, 2005. Go to original source...
    21. Stobrawa K, Lorenc-Plucińska G.: Changes in carbohydrate metabolism in fine roots of the native European black poplar (Populus nigra L.) in a heavy-metal-polluted environment. - Sci. Total Environ. 373: 157-165, 2007. Go to original source...
    22. Taiz, L., Zeiger, E.: Plant Physiology. 3rd ed. Pp197-203. Sinauer Associate, Inc., Sunderland 2002.
    23. Tang, Q., Shi, J.F.: [Study on the relation between leaf structure and photosynthetic characters of major varieties of tea in the western Sichuan.] - J. Sichuan Agri. Univ. 15: 193-198, 1997. [In Chinese]
    24. Wang, C.J., Liu, G.S., Zhang, C.X. et al.: [Changes in photosynthetic characteristics and chloroplast ultrastructure during the development of tobacco leaf.] - J. Jiangxi Agri. Univ. 32: 254-259, 2010. [In Chinese]
    25. Woodward, F.I., Bazzaz, F.A.: The responses of stomatal density to CO2 partial pressure. - J. Exp. Bot. 39: 1771-1781, 1988. Go to original source...
    26. Wu, H.Y., Shou, S.Y., Zhu, Z.J., Yang, X.T.: [Effect of high temperature stress on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence in sweet pepper (Capsicum fructescens L.).] - Acta Horti. Sin. 28: 517-521, 2001. [In Chinese]
    27. Xu, S., Li, J.L., Zhang, X.Q. et al.: Effects of heat acclimation pretreatment on changes of membrane lipid peroxidation, antioxidant metabolites, and ultrastructure of chloroplasts in two cool-season turfgrass species under heat stress. - Environ. Exp. Bot. 56: 274-285, 2006. Go to original source...
    28. Zhang, F.M.: [Protected Horticulture.] Pp. 230-231. Agric. Univ. Press, Beijing 2010. [In Chinese]
    29. Zhang, J., Jiang, X.D., Li, T.L., Xu, J.: Effect of moderately-high temperature stress and recovery on the photosynthetic characteristics of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.). - J. Hortic. Sci. Biotech. 86: 534-538, 2011. Go to original source...

    Return to the content