Mild ozone exposure alters (14)C dynamics in foliage of Pinus taeda L.

To explore the physiological mechanisms underlying ozone-induced growth reductions in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), seedlings were exposed to sub-ambient (charcoal-filtered), ambient or twice-ambient ozone in open-top chambers for three growing seasons. In the final year of exposure, current-year needle fascicles were labeled with (14)CO(2) and the incorporation of (14)C into biochemical fractions was followed for 48 hours. Irrespective of ozone treatment, losses of (14)C-assimilates from foliage to respiration and translocation were minimal during the first 3 hours, whereas more than 60% of the label was lost during the next 45 hours. Radiolabel in sugar decreased rapidly after a lag period, roughly paralleling the pattern of total (14)C loss. The amount of (14)C label in starch and lipids plus pigments remained constant throughout the 48-hour chase period, whereas the amount of (14)C label in other fractions showed a net decrease over the 48-hour chase period. Ozone treatments altered foliar carbon dynamics in two ways: (1) ozone exposure increased foliar (14)C retention up to 21% for the first 5 hours after labeling, but not thereafter, and (2) ozone exposure decreased partitioning of (14)C into starch and increased partitioning of (14)C into organic acids, residue, and lipids plus pigments, indicating an intensified partitioning of carbon to injury and repair processes. Both short-term carbon retention and diversion of carbon from storage compounds to repair processes are foliar mechanisms by which ozone exposure could decrease growth in loblolly pine seedlings.

Biochemical composition of loblolly pine reflects pollutant exposure.

Under experimental conditions, the growth of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is often responsive to ozone at near-ambient concentrations. However, little is known of the biochemical changes associated with this or other pollutants. Loblolly pine seedlings in open-top chambers were exposed to combinations of ozone (sub-ambient, ambient, or twice-ambient), acidic precipitation (pH 3.8 or pH 5.2) and soil magnesium (0.15 or 0.32 microg g(-1) exchangeable Mg) for three growing seasons. The effects of these treatments were greater in foliage than in stems or roots. The largest treatment effect was a 50% decrease in the starch concentration of current-year foliage from the twice-ambient ozone treatment compared with current-year foliage from the sub-ambient ozone treatment. Responses to ozone were consistent with the hypothesis that ozone-induced growth reductions are associated with depletion of carbohydrate reserves resulting from injury compensation and repair processes or reduced carbon fixation or both. Addition of acidic precipitation, and to a small extent Mg, decreased sugar concentrations of tissues; however, this effect appeared to be mediated by nutrient addition rather than by acidity per se. Given the role of carbohydrates in plant resistance to environmental stress, the sensitivity of carbohydrates to experimental treatments demonstrates the potential for indirect effects of ozone, acidic precipitation, and soil properties on stress resistance. Noncarbohydrate constituents were largely unresponsive to the experimental treatments. These findings imply that tissue carbohydrate analysis may be useful for assessing the impacts of pollutants in forest ecosystems.

Sucrose synthase and invertase in isolated vascular bundles.

Vascular bundles were isolated from grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) during periods of rapid sucrose translocation into fruit. Invertase and sucrose synthase activities were assayed in these strands and compared with immediately adjacent tissues (inner most peel and segment epidermis) and phloem-free juice sacs during four growing seasons. Although sucrose synthase was present in sink cells, the significantly greater activity in vascular strands (per unit fresh weight and protein) indicated that the role of this enzyme in translocation may include a vascular function in addition to its proposed involvement in metabolism of importing cells.

Sucrose-metabolizing enzymes in transport tissues and adjacent sink structures in developing citrus fruit.

Juice tissues of citrus lack phloem; therefore, photosynthates enroute to juice sacs exit the vascular system on the surface of each segment. Areas of extensive phloem unloading and transport (vascular bundles + segment epidermis) can thus be separated from those of assimilate storage (juice sacs) and adjacent tissues where both processes occur (peel). Sugar composition, dry weight accumulation, and activities of four sucrose-metabolizing enzymes (soluble and cell-wall-bound acid invertase, alkaline invertase, sucrose synthase, and sucrose phosphate synthase) were measured in these transport and sink tissues of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) to determine more clearly whether a given enzyme appeared to be more directly associated with assimilate transport versus deposition or utilization. Results were compared at three developmental stages. Activity of sucrose (per gram fresh weight and per milligram protein) extracted from zones of extensive phloem unloading and transport was significantly greater than from adjacent sink tissues during the stages (II and III) when juice sacs grow most rapidly. In stage II fruit, activity of sucrose synthase also significantly surpassed that of all other sucrose-metabolizing enzymes in extracts from the transport tissues (vascular bundles + segment epidermis). In contrast, sucrose phosphate synthase and alkaline invertase at this stage of growth were the most active enzymes from adjacent, rapidly growing, phloem-free sink tissues (juice sacs). Activity of these two enzymes in extracts from juice sacs was significantly greater than that form the transport tissues (vascular bundles + segment epidermis). Soluble acid invertase was the most active enzyme in extracts from all tissues of very young fruit (stage I), including nonvascular regions, but nearly disappeared prior to the onset of juice sac sugar accumulation. The physiological function of high sucrose synthase activity in the transport tissues during rapid sucrose import remains to be determined.