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Rapid modulation of ultraviolet shielding in plants is influenced by solar ultraviolet radiation and linked to alterations in flavonoids
Author(s) -
Barnes Paul W.,
Tobler Mark A.,
KeefoverRing Ken,
Flint Stephan D.,
Barkley Anne E.,
Ryel Ronald J.,
Lindroth Richard L.
Publication year - 2016
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/pce.12609
Subject(s) - ultraviolet , ultraviolet radiation , electromagnetic shielding , radiation , modulation (music) , optoelectronics , ultraviolet a , materials science , physics , environmental science , optics , chemistry , medicine , radiochemistry , composite material , dermatology , acoustics
The accumulation of ultraviolet (UV)‐absorbing compounds (flavonoids and related phenylpropanoids) and the resultant decrease in epidermal UV transmittance (T UV ) are primary protective mechanisms employed by plants against potentially damaging solar UV radiation and are critical components of the overall acclimation response of plants to changing solar UV environments. Whether plants can adjust this UV sunscreen protection in response to rapid changes in UV, as occurs on a diurnal basis, is largely unexplored. Here, we use a combination of approaches to demonstrate that plants can modulate their UV‐screening properties within minutes to hours, and these changes are driven, in part, by UV radiation. For the cultivated species Abelmoschus esculentus , large (30–50%) and reversible changes in T UV occurred on a diurnal basis, and these adjustments were associated with changes in the concentrations of whole‐leaf UV‐absorbing compounds and several quercetin glycosides. Similar results were found for two other species ( Vicia faba and Solanum lycopersicum ), but no such changes were detected in Zea mays . These findings reveal a much more dynamic UV‐protection mechanism than previously recognized, raise important questions concerning the costs and benefits of UV‐protection strategies in plants and have practical implications for employing UV to enhance crop vigor and quality in controlled environments.