Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1978 Mar;61(3):472–473. doi: 10.1104/pp.61.3.472

Relationship between Chloroplast Membrane Fatty Acid Composition and Photosynthetic Response to a Chilling Temperature in Four Alfalfa Cultivars 1

Timothy R Peoples 1,2,2, David W Koch 1,2,2, Samuel C Smith 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC1091892  PMID: 16660317

Abstract

The photosynthetic responses of four alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars to 10 and 22 C air temperatures were examined and the relationship between the photosynthetic response at 10 C and the fatty acid composition of the chloroplast membranes was determined. Chilling-resistant cultivars exhibited moderate reductions in photosynthesis at 10 C, compared to 22 C, and contained a significantly greater percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the chloroplast membrane and a greater double bond index than the chilling-sensitive cultivars. The chilling-sensitive cultivars exhibited severe reductions in photosynthesis at 10 C, compared to 22 C. The reduction in photosynthesis at 10 C is shown to be negatively correlated (r = −0.94) with the double bond index of the chloroplast membranes of the cultivars observed.

The results support the hypothesis that reduced photosynthesis due to chilling temperatures is influenced by the unsaturated fatty acid composition of the chloroplast membrane which affect temperature-induced phase changes in chloroplast membrane lipids.

Full text

PDF
472

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Friedman K. J. Role of lipids in the Neurospora crassa membrane. I. Influence of fatty acid composition on membrane lipid phase transitions. J Membr Biol. 1977 Apr 7;32(1-2):33–47. doi: 10.1007/BF01905208. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Lyons J. M., Asmundson C. M. Solidification of unsaturated/saturated fatty acid mixtures and its relationship to chilling sensitivity in plants. J Am Oil Chem Soc. 1965 Dec;42(12):1056–1058. doi: 10.1007/BF02636905. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Lyons J. M., Raison J. K. Oxidative activity of mitochondria isolated from plant tissues sensitive and resistant to chilling injury. Plant Physiol. 1970 Apr;45(4):386–389. doi: 10.1104/pp.45.4.386. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Lyons J. M., Wheaton T. A., Pratt H. K. Relationship between the Physical Nature of Mitochondrial Membranes and Chilling Sensitivity in Plants. Plant Physiol. 1964 Mar;39(2):262–268. doi: 10.1104/pp.39.2.262. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Murata N. Relationships between the Transition of the Physical Phase of Membrane Lipids and Photosynthetic Parameters in Anacystis nidulans and Lettuce and Spinach Chloroplasts. Plant Physiol. 1975 Oct;56(4):508–517. doi: 10.1104/pp.56.4.508. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Raison J. K., Lyons J. M., Thomson W. W. The influence of membranes on the temperature-induced changes in the kinetics of some respiratory enzymes of mitochondria. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1971 Jan;142(1):83–90. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(71)90261-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Shneyour A., Raison J. K., Smillie R. M. The effect of temperature of the rate of photosynthetic electron transfer in chloroplasts of chilling-sensitive and chilling-resistant plants. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1973 Jan 18;292(1):152–161. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(73)90259-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Plant Physiology are provided here courtesy of Oxford University Press

RESOURCES