Effects of Nitrogen on the Photosynthetic Apparatus of Clematis vitalba Grown at Several Irradiances

Abstract

Effects of nitrogen supply (N-supply) on the photosynthetic apparatus of Clematis vitalba L. grown at several irradiances were determined by measuring soluble protein content, rubisco activity, photosynthetic pigment content and composition, and the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F_v/F_m). Compared to low irradiance (3 and 10% full sunlight), leaves grown at higher irradiance (up to full sunlight) had up to 5–6 times the soluble protein content and rubisco activity, and up to 2–4 times the total carotenoid content, on both a leaf area and a chlorophyll basis. On a leaf area basis, decreased N-supply reduced soluble protein concentration, rubisco activity and total carotenoid concentration to a greater extent at high compared to low irradiance. On a chlorophyll basis, in contrast, soluble protein and rubisco activity decreased by over 40% with increased N-supply (1.0–0.1 mol m^-3) at high irradiance but N-supply did not influence the concentration of total carotenoids. Leaves grown at high compared to low irradiance had a greater concentration of xanthophyll cycle pigments (V+A+Z), β-carotene and lutein (but not neoxanthin) on a chlorophyll basis, and a slightly lower F_v/F_m. Nitrogen- supply did not influence the composition of the photosynthetic pigment pool, F_v/F_m, or the extent of de-epoxidation of the V+A+Z pool. The results suggest that irradiance-acclimation of C. vitalba can occur regardless of N-supply. Under N limitation at high irradiance, a balance between light capture and photosynthetic capacity is important rather than an increase in xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation. The importance of lutein as a light-harvesting pigment is questioned. A rapid method for the reversed phase-HPLC separation of carotenoids is described.