ABSTRACT
The limiting step of photosynthesis changes depending on CO(2) concentration and, in theory, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency at a respective CO(2) concentration is maximized if nitrogen is redistributed from non-limiting to limiting processes. It has been shown that some plants increase the capacity of ribulose-1,5-bisphoshate (RuBP) regeneration (evaluated as J(max) ) relative to the RuBP carboxylation capacity (evaluated as V(cmax) ) at elevated CO(2) , which is in accord with the theory. However, there is no study that tests whether this change is accompanied by redistribution of nitrogen in the photosynthetic apparatus. We raised a perennial plant, Polygonum sachalinense, at two nutrient availabilities under two CO(2) concentrations. The J(max) to V(cmax) ratio significantly changed with CO(2) increment but the nitrogen allocation among the photosynthetic apparatus did not respond to growth CO(2) . Enzymes involved in RuBP regeneration might be more activated at elevated CO(2) , leading to the higher J(max) to V(cmax) ratio. Our result suggests that nitrogen partitioning is not responsive to elevated CO(2) even in species that alters the balance between RuBP regeneration and carboxylation. Nitrogen partitioning seems to be conservative against changes in growth CO(2) concentration.
