JXB Advance Access originally published online on January 16, 2006
Journal of Experimental Botany 2006 57(3):699-709; doi:10.1093/jxb/erj061
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RESEARCH PAPER |
Differential adaptation of two varieties of common bean to abiotic stress
II. Acclimation of photosynthesis
1Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
2Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: p.horton{at}sheffield.ac.uk
The photosynthetic characteristics of two contrasting varieties of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) have been determined. These varieties, Arroz and Orfeo, differ in their productivity under stress conditions, resistance to drought stress, and have distinctly different stomatal behaviour. When grown under conditions of high irradiance and high temperature, both varieties displayed evidence of photosynthetic acclimation at the chloroplast levelthere was an increase in chlorophyll a/b ratio, a decreased content of Lhcb proteins, and an increased xanthophyll cycle pool size. Both varieties also showed reduced chlorophyll content on a leaf area basis and a decrease in leaf area. Both varieties showed an increase in leaf thickness but only Arroz showed the characteristic elongated palisade cells in the high light-grown plants; Orfeo instead had a larger number of smaller, rounded cells. Differences were found in stomatal development: whereas Arroz showed very little change in stomatal density, Orfeo exhibited a large increase, particularly on the upper leaf surface. It is suggested that these differences in leaf cell structure and stomatal density give rise to altered rates of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. Whereas, Arroz had the same photosynthetic rate in plants grown at both low and high irradiance, Orfeo showed a higher photosynthetic capacity at high irradiance. It is suggested that the higher yield of Orfeo compared with Arroz under stress conditions can be explained, in part, by these cellular differences.
Key words: Abiotic stress, acclimation, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), drought, photosynthesis, stomata
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