Seasonal influences on carbohydrate metabolism in the CAM bromeliad Aechmea 'Maya': consequences for carbohydrate partitioning and growth

Abstract

Throughout the different seasons Aechmea 'Maya' showed considerable plasticity in the timing and magnitude of C(3) and C(4) carboxylation processes over the diel cycle. Under low PPFD (i.e. winter and autumn) it appears that there was a constraint on the amount of carbohydrate exported during the day in order to maintain a consistent pool of transient carbohydrate reserves. This gave remarkable seasonal consistency in the amount of storage reserves available at night, thereby optimizing biomass gain throughout the year. The data have important practical consequences for horticultural productivity of CAM plants and suggest a scenario for reconciling carbohydrate partitioning between competing sinks of nocturnal acidification and export for growth.

CAM Photosynthesis in Bromeliads and Agaves: What Can We Learn from These Plants?

“…In the long term, the plant recovered a small part of the capacity to assimilate CO 2 , when compared to the levels observed for control plants [107]. Accordingly, this species had a similar response when the four seasons were taken into account, with a higher level of carbon assimilation in more illuminated seasons (summer and spring) than in darker ones (winter and autumn - [108]). …”

“…In fact, some Type III bromeliads have been intensively studied in terms of photosynthetic plasticity. For instance, Aechmea 'Maya', which is a cross between A. fasciata and A. tessmanii, expresses CAM photosynthesis and has been used as a model for analyzing the impacts of several environmental factors (e.g., light, nutrition, CO 2 availability) on the CAM behavior and carbohydrate partitioning [106][107][108]. Interestingly, when maintained under elevated concentrations of CO 2 , this species increased the CO 2 uptake during Phases II and IV, but the nocturnal uptake of CO 2 remained similar to control conditions [106].…”

Sedoheptulose accumulation under CO2 enrichment in leaves of Kalanchoë pinnata: a novel mechanism to enhance C and P homeostasis?

“…5), and as such these reactions might compete with direct Rubisco assimilation for P i during the transition phases II and IV, leading to P i limitation in the chloroplast. It is clear that the production and transport of PEP are crucial for the functioning of CAM plants to provide consistent carbohydrate storage each day to ensure the continuation of nocturnal carboxylation via PEP carboxylase (Ceusters et al ., 2010; Borland et al ., 2011). As such, the formation of sedoheptulose is not only beneficial with regard to carbon allocation under elevated CO 2 but also contributes to P i homeostasis.…”

Morpho-physiological changes in pineapple plantlets [Ananas comosus (L.) merr.] during acclimatization

“…The decline in transpiration and increase in CO 2 fixation by day 45 might indicate the plant was adapted to the new conditions during acclimatization phase and maybe of plants having Crassulacean acid metabolism (ZHU; BARTHOLOMEW; GOLDSTEIN, 2005). Ceusters et al, (2010) found in bromeliad, a photosynthetic plasticity in response to a range of environmental factors that include [CO2], water availability, light intensity and temperature. Cote, Folliot and Andre (1993) found that in vitro pineapple plants required a few months and a plant fresh weight of about 30 g to complete the transition from C3-dependent photosynthesis to predominantly CAM assimilation.…”