Comparisons of Photosynthetic Activity and Lamellar Characteristics of Virescent and Normal Green Peanut Leaves

Alberte, R.S. and Hesketh, J.D. and Kirby, J.S. (1976) Comparisons of Photosynthetic Activity and Lamellar Characteristics of Virescent and Normal Green Peanut Leaves. Zeitschrift fur Pflanzenphysiologie , 77 (2). pp. 152-159.

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Abstract

Several characteristics of the chloroplast lamellar system and the photosynthetic activity of virescent and wild type peanut leaves have been compared. The mutant leaves exhibited a 42 % reduction in chlorophyll, a higher chlorophyll a/b ratio, and an alteration in the proportions of the two major chlorophyll-protein complexes of the chloroplast. The mutant leaves showed a reduction in the number of photosystem I reaction center components (the P 700-chlorophyll a-protein) per unit leaf area, and consequently a stoichiometric reduction in the number of photosystem I electron transport assemblages (P 700, cytochromes f and b6). In addition the mutant had a photosynthetic unit size which was 1.5 times larger than the wild type. These findings indicated that the chlorophyll deficient leaves had many fewer, but larger, photosynthetic units than the normal green leaves. As a consequence of these alterations it is suggested that the observed low photosynthetic rates on a leaf area basis (10 mg CO2/dm2-hr) as well as on a chlorophyll basis (8 mg CO2/mg Chl-hr) were likely due to a much reduced capacity of the mutant chloroplasts to produce sufficient quantities of ATP and NADPH to support high levels of carbon fixation. Furthermore, the alterations in chlorophyll-protein content and organization into photosynthetic units can explain the reduction in chlorophyll and higher chlorophyll a/b ratio of the virescent leaves.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: Virescent mutants, Chlorophyll-protein complexes, Photosynthetic unit, Gas exchange
Author Affiliation: Department of Botany, Duke University, USA Agricultural Research Service, U. S. D. A., Cotton Production Research, State College, MS, USA Department of Agronomy, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
Subjects: Soil Science and Microbiology
Statistics and Experimentation
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry > Biochemistry
Divisions: Groundnut
Depositing User: Mr Arbind Seth
Date Deposited: 07 Aug 2013 06:26
Last Modified: 07 Aug 2013 06:26
Official URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S...
URI: http://eprints.icrisat.ac.in/id/eprint/11342

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