Nocturnal versus diurnal CO2 uptake: how flexible is Agave angustifolia?
Winter, Klaus, Garcia, Milton, and Holtum, Joseph A.M. (2014) Nocturnal versus diurnal CO2 uptake: how flexible is Agave angustifolia? Journal of Experimental Botany, 65 (13). pp. 3695-3703.
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Abstract
Agaves exhibit the water-conserving crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathway. Some species are potential biofuel feedstocks because they are highly productive in seasonally dry landscapes. In plants with CAM, high growth rates are often believed to be associated with a significant contribution of C3 photosynthesis to total carbon gain when conditions are favourable. There has even been a report of a shift from CAM to C3 in response to overwatering a species of Agave. We investigated whether C3 photosynthesis can contribute substantially to carbon uptake and growth in young and mature Agave angustifolia collected from its natural habitat in Panama. In well-watered plants, CO2 uptake in the dark contributed about 75% of daily carbon gain. This day/night pattern of CO2 exchange was highly conserved under a range of environmental conditions and was insensitive to intensive watering. Elevated CO2 (800 ppm) stimulated CO2 fixation predominantly in the light. Exposure to CO2-free air at night markedly enhanced CO2 uptake during the following light period, but CO2 exchange rapidly reverted to its standard pattern when CO2 was supplied during the subsequent 24h. Although A. angustifolia consistently engages in CAM as its principal photosynthetic pathway, its relatively limited photosynthetic plasticity does not preclude it from occupying a range of habitats, from relatively mesic tropical environments in Panama to drier habitats in Mexico.
Item ID: | 34009 |
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Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
ISSN: | 1460-2431 |
Keywords: | Agave, biofuel, climate change, crassulacean acid metabolism, C3 photosynthesis, CO2 response, drought stress, temperature response |
Additional Information: | This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Funders: | Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, James Cook University (JCU) |
Date Deposited: | 16 Jul 2014 00:19 |
FoR Codes: | 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0607 Plant Biology > 060705 Plant Physiology @ 100% |
SEO Codes: | 97 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 970106 Expanding Knowledge in the Biological Sciences @ 100% |
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