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Fatty acid content during reconstitution of the photosynthetic apparatus in the air-dried leaves of Xerophyta scabrida after rehydration

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Biologia Plantarum

Abstract

Desiccation of Xerophyta scabrida caused considerable damage of chloroplast ultrastructure together with a complete loss of chlorophyll. Upon rehydration, the relative water content of the pale-green leaves almost reached that of the dark-green ones, however, the Chl content and photosynthetic activity remained lower. The process of reconstitution of the photosynthetic apparatus in the re-greening leaves was accompanied by changes in fatty acid (FA) content. The amount of the FA methyl esters was more than 2-fold higher in the green leaves as compared to the dry ones and slightly increased after rehydration in the pale-green leaves. Among the three main fatty acids in the leaves, oleic, palmitic and linoleic acid, the latter increased more than 3-fold during rehydration. This acid is concentrated mainly in the glycolipids and this was an indirect indication for the restoration of the photosynthetic apparatus. Our results showed that rehydration of X. scabrida led to a decrease of the saturated FA in parallel with an increase of the unsaturated FA, thus indicating increased membrane permeability. The observed changes in the lipid content can be considered as a characteristic feature of X. scabrida and most probably of other poikilochlorophyllous species.

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Abbreviations

Chl:

chlorophyll

FA:

fatty acids

FAME:

fatty acids methyl esters

FID:

flame ionization detector

F0 :

initial yield of chlorophyll fluorescence in the dark adapted leaves

Fm :

maximum chlorophyll fluorescence of dark adapted leaves

Fm′:

maximum fluorescence in light-adapted leaves

Fs :

steady state fluorescence of light-adapted leaves

Fv :

variable fluorescence of dark adapted leaves

Fv/Fm :

maximum photochemical quantum efficiency of PS 2

Fv′/Fm′:

excitation capture efficiency of PS 2

1 − Fv′/Fm′:

proportion of the energy dissipated as heat in the PS 2 antenna

FR:

far-red

HDT:

homoiochlorophyllous

PDT:

poikilochlorophyllous

PPFD:

photosynthetic photon flux density

PS 1:

photosystem 1

PS 2:

photosystem 2

P700 :

reaction center of PS 1

P680 :

reaction center of PS 2

RWC:

relative water content

Rfd:

chlorophyll fluorescence decrease ratio

ΦPS2 :

quantum yield of Photosystem 2 photochemistry in the light-adapted state

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the project between Hungarian and Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acad. M. Popov Institute of Plant Physiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 21, Sofia, BG-1113, Bulgaria

    K. Georgieva, A. Ivanova, S. Doncheva, S. Petkova & D. Stefanov

  2. Plant Ecological Research Group of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Godollo, Hungary

    E. Péli & Z. Tuba

  3. Institute of Botany and Ecophysiology, Szent István University, Páter 1, Gödöllő, H-2103, Hungary

    Z. Tuba

Authors
  1. K. Georgieva
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  2. A. Ivanova
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  3. S. Doncheva
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  4. S. Petkova
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  5. D. Stefanov
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  6. E. Péli
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  7. Z. Tuba
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Correspondence to K. Georgieva.

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Georgieva, K., Ivanova, A., Doncheva, S. et al. Fatty acid content during reconstitution of the photosynthetic apparatus in the air-dried leaves of Xerophyta scabrida after rehydration. Biol Plant 55, 581–585 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0130-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10535-011-0130-7

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