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Photosynthetic Activity of Non-Primary Photosynthetic Organs
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Photosynthetic Activity of Non-Primary Photosynthetic Organs

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 12419

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. William L. Bauerle

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Interests: plant ecophysiology; stress physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight and quantify the extent to which non-primary photosynthetic plant organs function autonomously regarding their carbon requirement. Like leaves, photosynthetic plant organs contain chlorophyll and can share similarities with leaf morphology and anatomy. It has been shown that non-primary photosynthetic plant organs are a source of assimilated carbon at the organ, plant, agricultural, and ecological scales. Little is known, however, about the response of non-leaf photosynthesis to changes in environmental conditions. The purpose of this Special Issue is to shed light on the physiological responses of non-primary photosynthetic organs and quantify their contribution to their own carbon demands. The Special Issue, therefore, welcomes research that explores the non-leaf plant organ photosynthetic activity response to and interaction with the environment. Exploiting the functions of extra photosynthetic plant organs could create opportunities to improve plant–environmental interactions; much remains to be discovered regarding non-primary photosynthetic organ carbon assimilation responses to the environment. Developing this understanding will be particularly relevant for crop improvements.

Prof. Dr. William L. Bauerle
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bract
  • carbon balance
  • floral photosynthesis
  • fruit photosynthesis
  • inflorescence
  • non-foliar photosynthesis
  • root photosynthesis
  • stem photosynthesis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1837 KiB  
Article
Humulus lupulus L. Strobilus Photosynthetic Capacity and Carbon Assimilation
by William L. Bauerle
Plants 2023, 12(9), 1816; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091816 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2242
Abstract
The economic value of Humulus lupulus L. (hop) is recognized, but the primary metabolism of the hop strobilus has not been quantified in response to elevated CO2. The photosynthetic contribution of hop strobili to reproductive effort may be important for growth [...] Read more.
The economic value of Humulus lupulus L. (hop) is recognized, but the primary metabolism of the hop strobilus has not been quantified in response to elevated CO2. The photosynthetic contribution of hop strobili to reproductive effort may be important for growth and crop yield. This component could be useful in hop breeding for enhanced performance in response to environmental signals. The objective of this study was to assess strobilus gas exchange, specifically the response to CO2 and light. Hop strobili were measured under controlled environment conditions to assess the organ’s contribution to carbon assimilation and lupulin gland filling during the maturation phase. Leaf defoliation and bract photosynthetic inhibition were deployed to investigate the glandular trichome lupulin carbon source. Strobilus-level physiological response parameters were extrapolated to estimate strobilus-specific carbon budgets under current and future atmospheric CO2 conditions. Under ambient atmospheric CO2, the strobilus carbon balance was 92% autonomous. Estimated strobilus carbon uptake increased by 21% from 415 to 600 µmol mol−1 CO2, 14% from 600 to 900 µmol mol−1, and another 8%, 4%, and 3% from 900 to 1200, 1500, and 1800 µmol mol−1, respectively. We show that photosynthetically active bracts are a major source of carbon assimilation and that leaf defoliation had no effect on lupulin production or strobilus photosynthesis, whereas individual bract photosynthesis was linked to lupulin production. In conclusion, hop strobili can self-generate enough carbon assimilation under elevated CO2 conditions to function autonomously, and strobilus bracts are the primary carbon source for lupulin biosynthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Activity of Non-Primary Photosynthetic Organs)
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Review

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29 pages, 2471 KiB  
Review
Fruit Photosynthesis: More to Know about Where, How and Why
by Andreia Garrido, Artur Conde, João Serôdio, Ric C. H. De Vos and Ana Cunha
Plants 2023, 12(13), 2393; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12132393 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 8201
Abstract
Not only leaves but also other plant organs and structures typically considered as carbon sinks, including stems, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds, may exhibit photosynthetic activity. There is still a lack of a coherent and systematized body of knowledge and consensus on the [...] Read more.
Not only leaves but also other plant organs and structures typically considered as carbon sinks, including stems, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds, may exhibit photosynthetic activity. There is still a lack of a coherent and systematized body of knowledge and consensus on the role(s) of photosynthesis in these “sink” organs. With regard to fruits, their actual photosynthetic activity is influenced by a range of properties, including fruit anatomy, histology, physiology, development and the surrounding microclimate. At early stages of development fruits generally contain high levels of chlorophylls, a high density of functional stomata and thin cuticles. While some plant species retain functional chloroplasts in their fruits upon subsequent development or ripening, most species undergo a disintegration of the fruit chloroplast grana and reduction in stomata functionality, thus limiting gas exchange. In addition, the increase in fruit volume hinders light penetration and access to CO2, also reducing photosynthetic activity. This review aimed to compile information on aspects related to fruit photosynthesis, from fruit characteristics to ecological drivers, and to address the following challenging biological questions: why does a fruit show photosynthetic activity and what could be its functions? Overall, there is a body of evidence to support the hypothesis that photosynthesis in fruits is key to locally providing: ATP and NADPH, which are both fundamental for several demanding biosynthetic pathways (e.g., synthesis of fatty acids); O2, to prevent hypoxia in its inner tissues including seeds; and carbon skeletons, which can fuel the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites important for the growth of fruits and for spreading, survival and germination of their seed (e.g., sugars, flavonoids, tannins, lipids). At the same time, both primary and secondary metabolites present in fruits and seeds are key to human life, for instance as sources for nutrition, bioactives, oils and other economically important compounds or components. Understanding the functions of photosynthesis in fruits is pivotal to crop management, providing a rationale for manipulating microenvironmental conditions and the expression of key photosynthetic genes, which may help growers or breeders to optimize development, composition, yield or other economically important fruit quality aspects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Activity of Non-Primary Photosynthetic Organs)
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Other

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8 pages, 1217 KiB  
Brief Report
Humulus lupulus L. Strobilus In Situ Photosynthesis and Respiration Temperature Responses
by William L. Bauerle and Michael Hazlett
Plants 2023, 12(10), 2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12102030 - 19 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
The primary metabolism and respiration of the hop strobilus has not been quantified in response to daily temperature fluctuations. The objective of this study was to assess strobilus gas exchange, specifically the response to temperature fluctuations. Hop strobilus were measured under controlled environment [...] Read more.
The primary metabolism and respiration of the hop strobilus has not been quantified in response to daily temperature fluctuations. The objective of this study was to assess strobilus gas exchange, specifically the response to temperature fluctuations. Hop strobilus were measured under controlled environment conditions to assess the organ’s contribution to carbon assimilation and respiration during the maturation phase. Strobilus-specific daily carbon budgets were estimated in response to temperature fluctuation. The optimal temperature for net carbon gain occurred at 15.7 °C. Estimated strobilus carbon uptake decreased approximately 41% per 5 °C increase in temperature above 20 °C. Daily temperatures within 10–27 °C resulted in a net positive strobilus daily carbon balance, whereas temperature increases beyond 27 °C increasingly exhaust strobilus carbon reserves. The Q10 temperature coefficient (the rate respiration increases every 10 °C rise in temperature) approximately doubled per 10 °C rise in temperature from 7–40 °C (1.94–2) with slightly reduced values at lower temperatures. In conclusion, we show that photosynthetically active bracts maintain a positive strobilus carbon balance at moderate temperatures and as mean daily temperatures progressively exceed 27 °C, strobilus net carbon reserves are precipitously exhausted due to ever-increasing respiration rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photosynthetic Activity of Non-Primary Photosynthetic Organs)
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