Photosynthetica 1997, 33(14):505-512 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1006801210502

Effects of prolonged drought stress and nitrogen deficiency on the respiratory O2 uptake of bean and pepper leaves

M.A. González-Meler1, R. Matamala1, J. Peñuelas2
1 Botany Department, Developmental, Cell and Molecular Biology Group, Duke University, Durham, U.S.A
2 CREAF, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autonoma, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain

We analyzed the combined effects of mild drought stress and severe nitrogen (N) deprivation on respiration of acclimated mature leaves of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Garrofal) and peppers (Capsicum annuum L., pure line B6). Rates of oxygen uptake were measured polarographically, and inhibitors were added to the closed cuvette to compare the effects of environmental stress on the cytochrome (cyt) and alternative pathways of mitochondrial respiration. Dark oxygen uptake was decreased by the water deficit treatment in both plants, and in the case of N limitation leaf respiration rates (RD) of peppers were also reduced. RD of leaves of beans and peppers grown under N-limiting conditions did not follow the decrease in leaf N concentration, since RD expressed per unit of tissue N was considerably higher in the N-stressed leaves. Values obtained with specific inhibitors of the two terminal oxidases of mitochondrial respirations suggested that the cyt pathway of respiration was affected by mild drought and severe N stress. When plants were exposed to both environmental stresses, leaf respiration response was similar to that under N limitation, in this case the most severe stress.

Additional key words: biomass; Capsicum annuum; carbon and nitrogen contents; cytochrome pathway; Phaseolus vulgaris; salicylhydroxamic acid; water stress

Prepublished online: January 1, 1998; Published: December 1, 1997  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
González-Meler, M.A., Matamala, R., & Peñuelas, J. (1997). Effects of prolonged drought stress and nitrogen deficiency on the respiratory O2 uptake of bean and pepper leaves. Photosynthetica, 34(4), 505-512. doi: 10.1023/A:1006801210502
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. Amthor, J.S.: Respiration and Crop Productivity.-Springer-Verlag, New York-Berlin-Heidelberg-London-Paris-Tokyo 1989.
    2. Bingham, I.I., Farrar, J.F.: Activity and capacity of respiratory pathways in barley roots deprived of organic nutrients.-Plant Physiol. Biochem. 27: 847-854, 1989.
    3. Boot, R.G.A., Schildwacht, P.M., Lambers, H.: Partitioning of nitrogen and biomass at a range of N-addition rates and their consequences for growth and gas exchange in two perennial grasses from inland dunes.-Physiol. Plant. 86: 152-160, 1992. Go to original source...
    4. Bouma, T.J., De Visser, R., Janssen, J.H.J.A., De Kock, M.J., Van Leeuwen, P.H., Lambers, H.: Respiratory energy requeriments and rate of protein turnover in vivo determined by the use of an inhibitor of protein synthesis and a probe to assess its effect.-Physiol. Plant. 92: 585-594, 1994. Go to original source...
    5. Brown, K.W., Thomas, J.C.: The influence of water stress preconditioning on dark respiration.-Physiol. Plant. 49: 205-209, 1980. Go to original source...
    6. Byrd, G.T., Sage, R.F., Brown, R.H.: A comparison of dark respiration between C3 and C4 plants.-Plant Physiol. 100: 191-198, 1992. Go to original source...
    7. Day, D.A., Krab, K., Lambers, H., Moore, A.L., Siedow, J.N., Wagner, A.M., Wiskich, J.T.: The cyanide-resistant oxidase: To inhibit or not to inhibit, that is the question.-Plant Physiol. 110: 1-2, 1996. Go to original source...
    8. González-Meler, M.A.: Effects of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide on Plant Respiration.-PhD. Thesis. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona 1995.
    9. Hanks, R.J., Rasmussen, V.P.: Predicting crop production as related to plant water stress.-Adv. Agron. 35: 193-215, 1982. Go to original source...
    10. Kishitani, S., Shibles, R.: Respiration rates of soybean cultivars.-Crop Sci. 26: 580-583, 1986. Go to original source...
    11. Lambers, H.: Respiration in intact plants and tissues: its regulation and dependence on environmental factors, metabolism and invaded organisms.-In: Douce, R., Day, D.A. (ed.): Higher Plant Cell Respiration. Pp. 418-473. Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York-Tokyo 1985. Go to original source...
    12. Lambers, H., Freijsen, N., Poorter, H., Hirose, T., Van der Werf, A.: Analyses of growth based on net assimilation rate and nitrogen productivity. Their physiological background.-In: Lambers, H., Cambridge, H., Konings, H., Pons, T.L. (ed.): Causes and Consequences of Variation in Growth Rate and Productivity of Higher Plants. Pp. 1-17. SPB Academic Publ., The Hague 1990.
    13. Makino, A., Osmond, B.: Effects of nitrogen nutrion on nitrogen partitioning between chloroplasts and mitochondria in pea and wheat.-Plant Physiol. 96: 355-362, 1991. Go to original source...
    14. Matthews, M.A., Boyer, J.S.: Acclimation of photosynthesis to low leaf water potentials.-Plant Physiol. 74: 161-166, 1984. Go to original source...
    15. McCree, K.J.: Whole plant carbon balance during osmotic adjustment to drought and salinity stress.-Aust. J. Plant Physiol. 13: 33-43, 1986. Go to original source...
    16. Millar, A.H., Atkin, O.K., Lambers, H., Wiskich, J.T., Day, D.A.: A critique of the use of inhibitors to estimate partitioning of electrons between mitochondrial respiratory pathways in plants.-Physiol. Plant. 95: 523-532, 1995. Go to original source...
    17. Paul, M.J., Stitt, M.: Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus deficiencies on levels of carbohydrates, respiratory enzymes and metabolites in seedlings of tobacco and their response to exogenous sucrose.-Plant Cell Environ. 16: 1047-1057, 1993. Go to original source...
    18. Penning de Vries, F.W.T.: The cost of maintenance processes in plant cells.-Ann. Bot. 39: 77-92, 1975. Go to original source...
    19. Peñuelas, J., Biel, C., Estiarte, M.: Changes in biomass, chlorophyll content and gas exchange of beans and peppers under nitrogen and water stress.-Photosynthetica 29: 535-542, 1993a.
    20. Peñuelas, J., Biel, C., Estiarte, M., Filella, I., Matamala, R., Serrano, L., Savé, R.: Growth and composition of nitrogen and water stressed pepper plants, their assessment by remote sensing and their herbivory effects.-In: Jackson, M.B., Black, C.R. (ed.): Interacting Stresses on Plants in a Changing Climate. Pp. 617-631. Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York 1993b. Go to original source...
    21. Peñuelas, J., Matamala, R.: Elemental composition of beans and peppers under nitrogen and water stress.-Plant Physiol. (Life Sci. Adv.) 13: 273-278, 1994.
    22. Ribas-Carbó, M., Berry, J.A., Yakir, D., Giles, L., Robinson, S.A., Lennon, A.M., Siedow, J.N.: Electron partitioning between the cytochrome and alternative pathways in plant mitochondria.-Plant Physiol. 109: 829-837, 1995. Go to original source...
    23. Sen Gupta, A., Berkowitz, G.A.: Chloroplast osmotic adjustments allows for acclimation of photosynthesis to low water potentials.-Plant Physiol. 88: 200-206, 1989. Go to original source...
    24. Van der Werf, A., Welschen, R., Lambers, H.: Respiratory losses increase with decreasing inherent growth rate of a species and with decreasing nitrate supply A search for explanations for these observations.-In: Lambers, H., van der Plas, L.H.W. (ed.): Molecular, Biochemical and Physiological Aspects of Plant Respiration. Pp. 421-432. SPB Academic Publ., The Hague 1992.
    25. Wilson, D. R., van Bavel, C.H.M., McCree, K.J.: Carbon balance of water-deficient grain sorghum plants.-Crop Sci. 20: 153-159, 1980. Go to original source...
    26. Zagdañska, B.: Respiratory energy demand for protein turnover and ion transport in wheat leaves upon water deficit.-Physiol. Plant. 95: 428-436, 1995. Go to original source...

    Return to the content