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Effects of photoperiod and ageing on the carbon isotope composition of Bryophyllum daigremontianum Berger
Author(s) -
DELEENS E.,
QUEIROZ O.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/1365-3040.ep11589470
Subject(s) - crassulacean acid metabolism , phytotron , phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase , photoperiodism , botany , horticulture , carbon fibers , greenhouse , isotopes of carbon , composition (language) , biology , chemistry , herbaceous plant , zoology , photosynthesis , ecology , total organic carbon , materials science , linguistics , philosophy , composite number , composite material
. Changes in crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in the leaves of Bryophyllum daigremontianum were studied comparatively under closely controlled (phytotron) and semi‐natural (greenhouse) conditions utilizing measurements of natural carbon isotope composition (δ 13 C) of the total leaf matter. Abrupt transfer of plants from long days to short days resulted in an overall increase of CAM in mature leaves (no. 3 from the apex and older) and thus in a higher CAM level for the whole plant. Study during the course of a year in semi‐natural conditions showed that a progressive increase in length of day and day night temperature differences (February ← June) activated CAM but only a passage to short days (June ← October) produced the maximum CAM. Under the experimental conditions employed, the maximum shift from the C 3 ‐type to the C 4 ‐type of metabolism was observed in plants subjected to semi‐natural progressive variations in the environment, i.e. the δ 13 C values indicated that for plants in the greenhouse the total carbon flow entering the cells was mediated by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity.