0000000000411773
AUTHOR
Ute Flammersfeld
Investigation on the Photosynthetic Membranes of Spruce Needles in Relation to the Occurrence of Novel Forest Decline I. The Photosynthetic Electron Transport
The investigations described here were carried out in the context of our research project on the physiological, biochemical, and cytomorphological characterization of spruce trees growing in natural habitats and showing damage of varying intensity. Here we report on specific aspects of the photosynthetic apparatus. The aim of the measurements was to analyze whether or not the activity of the photosynthetic electron transport pathway is affected in damaged trees. The investigations were carried out on a 20 to 25-year-old spruce plantation in the Hunsrück mountains and on an 80-year-old spruce plantation in the Westerwald mountains. The photosynthetic electron transport rate was determined by…
Investigation on the Photosynthetic Membranes of Spruce Needles in Relation to the Occurrence of Novel Forest Decline II. The Content of QB-Protein, Cytochrome f, and P-700
In order to obtain an insight into the damage of thylakoid membranes of spruce (Picea abies) trees with damage of varying intensity, investigations were performed on the content of Qв-protein, cytochrome f, and P-700 in chloroplasts of spruce needles from apparently healthy and from damaged trees. Needles from the second and third needle year and the seventh whorl were chosen. The investigations were carried out in 1986 on a 20 to 25-year-old spruce plantation in the Hunsriick mountains and on an 80-year-old spruce plantation in the Westerwald mountains. In damaged trees an unequivocal decrease in the content of Qв-protein, cytochrome f, and P-700 was found, even in needle groups that appea…
Studies of Components of the Thylakoid Membrane of Undamaged and Damaged Spruce Trees at Different Mountain Sites
During a five-year period, components of the thylakoid membrane in needles of the second generation of undamaged and damaged trees of Norway spruce were studied at three different mountain sites in West Germany. Visible signs of damage at these sites are a yellowing of the light-exposed sides of the needles as well as the loss of needles. The goal of this study was to determine damage-induced alterations in composition and physiological reactions of the thylakoid membranes in spruce needles. In order to meet this purpose, contents of chlorophyll a and b, electron transport rate of photosystem II, contents of the D 1 protein, cytochrome f, as well as P-700 were measured. The chlorophyll cont…
Comparative Investigations on the Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain of Spruce (Picea Abies) with Different Degrees of Damage in the Open Air
Several components of the photosynthetic electron transport chain (P-700, cytochrome f, QB-protein) as well as the rate of electron transport and the chlorophyll content of the needles of spruce trees with different degrees of damage were investigated. The investigations were carried out in pair comparison at a location in the Hunsruck (West Germany). The rate of electron transport was determined as photoreduction of 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol. Significant damage to the electron transport system is shown in the thylakoids of the damaged trees compared to the less severely damaged trees. In the spruce trees with more damage, the rates of electron transport are significantly lower. The inve…
Changes in the Constitution of Thylakoid Membranes in Spruce Needles During an Open‐top Chamber Experiment
The goal of the presented paper was to study the emission effects of natural air pollutants on the protein complexes of the thylakoid membrane. The tests were carried out in the frame of a long-term experiment in which spruce trees kept in open-top chambers with unfiltered ambient-air were compared to spruce trees in chambers with purified-air. The reaction centres of photosystem I (P-700), cytochrome f, cytochrome b-563, cytochrome b-559, as well as the oxidation speed of the antennae chlorophylls were quantified. The concentrations of the cytochromes f and b-563 indicate a marked annual rhythm with decreased concentrations during the summer months. The spruce trees in chambers with ambien…