Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Plant Physiology logoLink to Plant Physiology
. 1992 Apr;98(4):1429–1436. doi: 10.1104/pp.98.4.1429

Theoretical Considerations when Estimating the Mesophyll Conductance to CO2 Flux by Analysis of the Response of Photosynthesis to CO2 1

Peter C Harley 1,2,3, Francesco Loreto 1,2,3, Giorgio Di Marco 1,2,3, Thomas D Sharkey 1,2,3
PMCID: PMC1080368  PMID: 16668811

Abstract

The conductance for CO2 diffusion in the mesophyll of leaves can limit photosynthesis. We have studied two methods for determining the mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion in leaves. We generated an ideal set of photosynthesis rates over a range of partial pressures of CO2 in the stroma and studied the effect of altering the mesophyll diffusion conductance on the measured response of photosynthesis to intercellular CO2 partial pressure. We used the ideal data set to test the sensitivity of the two methods to small errors in the parameters used to determine mesophyll conductance. The two methods were also used to determine mesophyll conductance of several leaves using measured rather than ideal data sets. It is concluded that both methods can be used to determine mesophyll conductance and each method has particular strengths. We believe both methods will prove useful in the future.

Full text

PDF
1429

Selected References

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

  1. Bongi G., Loreto F. Gas-Exchange Properties of Salt-Stressed Olive (Olea europea L.) Leaves. Plant Physiol. 1989 Aug;90(4):1408–1416. doi: 10.1104/pp.90.4.1408. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Jordan D. B., Ogren W. L. A Sensitive Assay Procedure for Simultaneous Determination of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase and Oxygenase Activities. Plant Physiol. 1981 Feb;67(2):237–245. doi: 10.1104/pp.67.2.237. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Loreto F., Harley P. C., Di Marco G., Sharkey T. D. Estimation of Mesophyll Conductance to CO(2) Flux by Three Different Methods. Plant Physiol. 1992 Apr;98(4):1437–1443. doi: 10.1104/pp.98.4.1437. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Mott K. A., O'leary J. W. Stomatal Behavior and CO(2) Exchange Characteristics in Amphistomatous Leaves. Plant Physiol. 1984 Jan;74(1):47–51. doi: 10.1104/pp.74.1.47. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Parkhurst D. F., Mott K. A. Intercellular Diffusion Limits to CO(2) Uptake in Leaves : Studies in Air and Helox. Plant Physiol. 1990 Nov;94(3):1024–1032. doi: 10.1104/pp.94.3.1024. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Sage R. F. A Model Describing the Regulation of Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase, Electron Transport, and Triose Phosphate Use in Response to Light Intensity and CO(2) in C(3) Plants. Plant Physiol. 1990 Dec;94(4):1728–1734. doi: 10.1104/pp.94.4.1728. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Sharkey T. D., Imai K., Farquhar G. D., Cowan I. R. A Direct Confirmation of the Standard Method of Estimating Intercellular Partial Pressure of CO(2). Plant Physiol. 1982 Mar;69(3):657–659. doi: 10.1104/pp.69.3.657. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Yeoh H. H., Badger M. R., Watson L. Variations in K(m)(CO(2)) of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylase among Grasses. Plant Physiol. 1980 Dec;66(6):1110–1112. doi: 10.1104/pp.66.6.1110. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Yeoh H. H., Badger M. R., Watson L. Variations in Kinetic Properties of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate Carboxylases among Plants. Plant Physiol. 1981 Jun;67(6):1151–1155. doi: 10.1104/pp.67.6.1151. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES