Genotypic variation for condensed tannin production in trembling aspen (POPULUS TREMULOIDES, salicaceae) under elevated CO₂ and in high‐ and low‐fertility soil

Abstract

The carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis suggests that leaf carbon to nitrogen ratios influence the synthesis of secondary compounds such as condensed tannins. We studied the effects of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide on carbon to nitrogen ratios and tannin production. Six genotypes of Populus tremuloides were grown under elevated and ambient CO(2) partial pressure and high- and low-fertility soil in field open-top chambers in northern lower Michigan, USA. During the second year of exposure, leaves were harvested three times (June, August, and September) and analyzed for condensed tannin concentration. The carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis was supported overall, with significantly greater leaf tannin concentration at high CO(2) and low soil fertility compared to ambient CO(2) and high soil fertility. However, some genotypes increased tannin concentration at elevated compared to ambient CO(2), while others showed no CO(2) response. Performance of lepidopteran leaf miner (Phyllonorycter tremuloidiella) larvae feeding on these plants varied across genotypes, CO(2), and fertility treatments. These results suggest that with rising atmospheric CO(2), plant secondary compound production may vary within species. This could have consequences for plant-herbivore and plant-microbe interactions and for the evolutionary response of this species to global climate change.

Gas Exchange, Leaf Nitrogen, and Growth Efficiency of Populus tremuloides in a CO 2 -Enriched Atmosphere

“…This is perhaps not surprising given the small number of genotypes examined and the relatively short duration of the experiment. We have found CO 2 ϫ genotype interactions in these same genotypes for condensed tannin production (Mansfield et al 1999) and early season photosynthetic rates (X. Wang, unpublished data), both of which might eventually influence biomass accumulation. There has been little other work conducted on intraspecific variation in CO 2 responses within woody plant species.…”

Proanthocyanidins – a final frontier in flavonoid research?

“…This response was shown to be genotype-dependent in trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) (Mansfield et al ., 1999). Sulfur pollution from a steam power station in Japan was shown to be responsible for reduced levels of both proanthocyanidins and hydrolyzable tannins in Japanese Cedar trees, with a resulting increase in insect predation and damage.…”

Metabolic Profiling of the Sink-to-Source Transition in Developing Leaves of Quaking Aspen

“…Phenolic deposition is very characteristic of these species, exhibits wide genetic variation, can begin early during aspen leaf expansion (Kleiner et al, 1999;Kao et al, 2002), and can reach levels that negatively affect aspen stem and branch growth (Lindroth and Hwang, 1996). The allocation of metabolic carbon into such sinks is influenced by plant nutrient status and photosynthesis rate (Bryant et al, 1983;Hemming and Lindroth, 1999;Mansfield et al, 1999) and in young leaves, therefore, may be linked to metabolic development.Metabolic profiling of plants is generally geared toward the extraction of a broad spectrum of biochemical information from multiple sample types by relatively direct analytical means (for review, see Fiehn and Weckwerth, 2003;Sumner et al, 2003). The resolution and precision of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolic profiling for identifying uncommon metabolites and analyzing perturbations in plant metabolism have been demonstrated and promise to be widely accessible (Fiehn et al, 2000b;Roessner et al, 2000).…”

“…Phenolic deposition is very characteristic of these species, exhibits wide genetic variation, can begin early during aspen leaf expansion (Kleiner et al, 1999;Kao et al, 2002), and can reach levels that negatively affect aspen stem and branch growth (Lindroth and Hwang, 1996). The allocation of metabolic carbon into such sinks is influenced by plant nutrient status and photosynthesis rate (Bryant et al, 1983;Hemming and Lindroth, 1999;Mansfield et al, 1999) and in young leaves, therefore, may be linked to metabolic development.…”