Environmental regulation of stomatal response in the Arabidopsis Cvi-0 ecotype

Planta. 2011 Sep;234(3):555-63. doi: 10.1007/s00425-011-1424-x. Epub 2011 May 7.

Abstract

The Arabidopsis Cape Verde Islands (Cvi-0) ecotype is known to differ from other ecotypes with respect to environmental stress responses. We analyzed the stomatal behavior of Cvi-0 plants, in response to environmental signals. We investigated the responses of stomatal conductance and aperture to high [CO₂] in the Cvi-0 and Col-0 ecotypes. Cvi-0 showed constitutively higher stomatal conductance and more stomatal opening than Col-0. Cvi-0 stomata opened in response to light, but the response was slow. Under low humidity, stomatal opening was increased in Cvi-0 compared to Col-0. We then assessed whether low humidity affects endogenous ABA levels in Cvi-0. In response to low humidity, Cvi-0 had much higher ABA levels than Col-0. However, epidermal peels experiments showed that Cvi-0 stomata were insensitive to ABA. Measurements of organic and inorganic ions in Cvi-0 guard cell protoplasts indicated an over-accumulation of osmoregulatory anions (malate and Cl⁻). This irregular anion homeostasis in the guard cells may explain the constitutive stomatal opening phenotypes of the Cvi-0 ecotype, which lacks high [CO₂]-induced and low humidity-induced stomatal closure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abscisic Acid / metabolism*
  • Air Pollutants
  • Arabidopsis / drug effects
  • Arabidopsis / physiology*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Cabo Verde
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Ecotype*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genetic Variation
  • Plant Epidermis / drug effects
  • Plant Stomata / genetics*
  • Plant Stomata / physiology*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects

Substances

  • Air Pollutants
  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Abscisic Acid