Abstract
Previous studies of transgenerational plasticity have demonstrated that long-term overgrazing experienced by Leymus chinensis, an ecologically dominant, rhizomatous grass species in eastern Eurasian temperate grassland, significantly affects its clonal growth in subsequent generations. However, there is a dearth of information on the reasons underlying this overgrazing-induced memory effect in plant morphological plasticity. We characterized the relationship between a dwarf phenotype and photosynthesis function decline of L. chinensis from the perspective of leaf photosynthesis by using both field measurement and rhizome buds culture cultivated in a greenhouse. Leaf photosynthetic functions (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate) were significantly decreased in smaller L. chinensis individuals that were induced to have a dwarf phenotype by being heavily grazed in the field. This decreased photosynthetic function was maintained a generation after greenhouse tests in which grazing was excluded. Both the responss of L. chinensis morphological traits and photosynthetic functions in greenhouse were deceased relative to those in the field experiment. Further, there were significant decreases in leaf chlorophyll content and Rubisco enzyme activities of leaves between bud-cultured dwarf and non-dwarf L. chinensis in the greenhouse. Moreover, gene expression patterns showed that the bud-cultured dwarf L. chinensis significantly down-regulated (by 1.86–5.33-fold) a series of key genes that regulate photosynthetic efficiency, stomata opening, and chloroplast development compared with the non-dwarf L. chinensis. This is among the first studies revealing a linkage between long-term overgrazing affecting the transgenerational morphological plasticity of clonal plants and physiologically adaptive photosynthesis function. Overall, clonal transgenerational effects in L. chinensis phenotypic traits heavily involve photosynthetic plasticity.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Heavily grazed dwarf L. chinensis had lower net photosynthetic rate.
- Taxon
- L. chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Treatment
- heavily grazede0
- Outcome
- net photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Leaf photosynthetic functions (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate) were significantly decreased in smaller L. chinensis individuals that were induced to have a dwarf phenotype by being heavily grazed in the field.”
Claim · model-written summary
Heavily grazed dwarf L. chinensis had lower stomatal conductance.
- Taxon
- L. chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Treatment
- heavily grazede0
- Outcome
- stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Leaf photosynthetic functions (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate) were significantly decreased in smaller L. chinensis individuals that were induced to have a dwarf phenotype by being heavily grazed in the field.”
Claim · model-written summary
Heavily grazed dwarf L. chinensis had lower intercellular carbon dioxide concentration.
- Taxon
- L. chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Treatment
- heavily grazede0
- Outcome
- intercellular carbon dioxide concentratione0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Leaf photosynthetic functions (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate) were significantly decreased in smaller L. chinensis individuals that were induced to have a dwarf phenotype by being heavily grazed in the field.”
Claim · model-written summary
Heavily grazed dwarf L. chinensis had lower transpiration rate.
- Taxon
- L. chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Treatment
- heavily grazede0
- Outcome
- transpiration ratee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Setting
- fielde0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Leaf photosynthetic functions (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and transpiration rate) were significantly decreased in smaller L. chinensis individuals that were induced to have a dwarf phenotype by being heavily grazed in the field.”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced photosynthetic function persisted one generation after grazing exclusion.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensise1
- Outcome
- decreased photosynthetic functione0
- Qualifier
- a generation after greenhouse tests in which grazing was excludede0
Verbatim
e0“This decreased photosynthetic function was maintained a generation after greenhouse tests in which grazing was excluded.”
e1“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Morphological traits declined in greenhouse compared with field.
Verbatim
e0“Both the responss of L. chinensis morphological traits and photosynthetic functions in greenhouse were deceased relative to those in the field experiment.”
Claim · model-written summary
Photosynthetic function declined in greenhouse compared with field.
Verbatim
e0“Both the responss of L. chinensis morphological traits and photosynthetic functions in greenhouse were deceased relative to those in the field experiment.”
Claim · model-written summary
Bud-cultured dwarf plants had less leaf chlorophyll content than non-dwarf plants.
Verbatim
e0“Further, there were significant decreases in leaf chlorophyll content and Rubisco enzyme activities of leaves between bud-cultured dwarf and non-dwarf L. chinensis in the greenhouse.”
Claim · model-written summary
Bud-cultured dwarf plants had less Rubisco enzyme activities than non-dwarf plants.
Verbatim
e0“Further, there were significant decreases in leaf chlorophyll content and Rubisco enzyme activities of leaves between bud-cultured dwarf and non-dwarf L. chinensis in the greenhouse.”
Claim · model-written summary
Dwarf plants down-regulated photosynthesis, stomatal, and chloroplast genes by 1.86–5.33-fold.
Verbatim
e0“the bud-cultured dwarf L. chinensis significantly down-regulated (by 1.86–5.33-fold) a series of key genes that regulate photosynthetic efficiency, stomata opening, and chloroplast development compared with the non-dwarf L. chinensis.”
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See all 5 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.