Effects of mechanical-stress induced changes in plant body size on photosynthetic function: mechanisms and biological significance

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570049
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: SAKAI Atsushi 奈良女子大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (30235098)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 接触形態形成 / 光合成 / 窒素 / 物理的ストレス / 踏圧 / 食害回避 / 補償光合成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plants change their body sizes in response to mechanical stress (MS) such as trampling. During the process of decrease/increase of plant body size in response to the application/elimination of MS, nitrogen within the plant body might be concentrated/diluted accordingly, which, in turn, result in lower/higher photosynthetic potentials. Such a “chain reaction” appeared to be more popular among perennial clonal plants and relatively rare among plants with high MS sensitivity.
Under MS, photosynthetic production of a plant/stand as a whole declines as a result of miniaturization. However, increase in photosynthetic potential per area resulting from nitrogen enrichment should partly compensate for the reductions in the total photosynthetic productivity. Moreover, the MS-induced miniaturization was found to increase survivability of plants dramatically under certain circumstances.

Free Research Field

植物生理学