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Protection by the epidermis of photosynthesis against UV‐C radiation estimated by chorophyll a fluorescence
Author(s) -
Shimazaki Kenichiro,
Igarashi Tetsuya,
Kondo Noriaki
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1988.tb04937.x
Subject(s) - epidermis (zoology) , pisum , vicia faba , photosynthesis , absorbance , fluorescence , biology , botany , irradiation , chlorophyll fluorescence , commelinaceae , sativum , photoprotection , biophysics , chemistry , chromatography , anatomy , physics , quantum mechanics , nuclear physics
The epidermis of Argenteum mutant of Pisum sativum L. and Vicia faba L. was shown to be effective in protecting mesophyll photosynthesis from UV‐C irradiation (peak 254 nm; 1.5 W m −2 ). These plants were chosen because it is easy to peel the epidermis from both sides of the leaf in Argenteum and the abaxial side in Vicia . Chlorophyll a fluorescence induction was decreased to the same extent by UV‐C radiation in both leaf sides when the epidermis was removed. The fluorescence from the leaf with the epidermis inact was not affected. With irradiation of leaves with higher intensity (3.4 W m −2 ) of UV‐C, the variable fluorescence was decreased by UV‐C impinging on the abaxial side, but not the adaxial side in either of the plant species. A methanol extract from the mutant Pisum epidermis had a high absorbance in the UV region, and the absorbance was more than two‐fold larger in adaxial epidermis than in abaxial epidermis. These results indicate that the epidermal layer, which contains substances that have high UV absorbance, protects mesophyll photosynthesis against UV radiation.