The responses to mild root zone salinity stress were investigated in two co-occurring Mediterranean woody evergreens, Quercus ilex L. and Arbutus unedo L., which differ in morpho-anatomical traits and strategies to cope with water deficit. The aim was to explore their strategies to allocate potentially toxic ions at organism level, and the consequential physiological and biochemical adjustments. Water and ionic relations, gas exchange and PSII performance, the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, and the activity of antioxidant defences, were measured. Q. ilex displayed a greater capacity to exclude Na+ and Cl– from the leaf than A. unedo, in part as a consequence of greater reductions in transpiration rates. Salt-induced reductions in CO2 assimilation resulted in Q. ilex suffering from excess of light to a greater extent than A. unedo. Consistently, in Q. ilex effective mechanisms of nonphotochemical quenching, also sustained by the lutein epoxide-lutein cycle, operated in response to salinity stress. Q. ilex also displayed a superior capacity to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) than A. unedo. Our data suggest that the ability to exclude salt from actively growing shoot organs depends on the metabolic cost of sustaining leaf construction, i.e. species-specific leaf life-span, and the relative strategies to cope with salt-induced water stress.Wediscuss how contrasting abilities to restrict the entry and transport of salt in sensitive organs relates with species-specific salt tolerance.

Photosynthetic performance and biochemical adjustments in two co-occurring Mediterranean evergreens, Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo, differing in salt-exclusion ability / Fusaro, L.; Mereu, S.; Brunetti, Cecilia; DI FERDINANDO, Martina; Ferrini, Francesco; Manes, F.; Salvatori, E.; Marzuoli, R.; Gerosa, G.; Tattini, M.. - In: FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY. - ISSN 1445-4408. - STAMPA. - 41:(2014), pp. 391-400. [10.1071/FP13241]

Photosynthetic performance and biochemical adjustments in two co-occurring Mediterranean evergreens, Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo, differing in salt-exclusion ability

BRUNETTI, CECILIA;DI FERDINANDO, MARTINA;FERRINI, FRANCESCO;
2014

Abstract

The responses to mild root zone salinity stress were investigated in two co-occurring Mediterranean woody evergreens, Quercus ilex L. and Arbutus unedo L., which differ in morpho-anatomical traits and strategies to cope with water deficit. The aim was to explore their strategies to allocate potentially toxic ions at organism level, and the consequential physiological and biochemical adjustments. Water and ionic relations, gas exchange and PSII performance, the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, and the activity of antioxidant defences, were measured. Q. ilex displayed a greater capacity to exclude Na+ and Cl– from the leaf than A. unedo, in part as a consequence of greater reductions in transpiration rates. Salt-induced reductions in CO2 assimilation resulted in Q. ilex suffering from excess of light to a greater extent than A. unedo. Consistently, in Q. ilex effective mechanisms of nonphotochemical quenching, also sustained by the lutein epoxide-lutein cycle, operated in response to salinity stress. Q. ilex also displayed a superior capacity to detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) than A. unedo. Our data suggest that the ability to exclude salt from actively growing shoot organs depends on the metabolic cost of sustaining leaf construction, i.e. species-specific leaf life-span, and the relative strategies to cope with salt-induced water stress.Wediscuss how contrasting abilities to restrict the entry and transport of salt in sensitive organs relates with species-specific salt tolerance.
2014
41
391
400
Fusaro, L.; Mereu, S.; Brunetti, Cecilia; DI FERDINANDO, Martina; Ferrini, Francesco; Manes, F.; Salvatori, E.; Marzuoli, R.; Gerosa, G.; Tattini, M....espandi
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Photosynthetic performance and biochemical adjustments in two co-occurring Mediterranean evergreens, Quercus ilex and Arbutus unedo, differing in salt-exclusion ability.pdf

Accesso chiuso

Tipologia: Altro
Licenza: Tutti i diritti riservati
Dimensione 457.57 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
457.57 kB Adobe PDF   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/958789
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 20
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 19
social impact