title: Temporal heterogeneity of cold acclimation phenotypes in Arabidopsis leaves.
abstract: To predict the effects of temperature changes on plant growth and performance, it is crucial to understand the impact of thermal history on leaf morphology, anatomy and physiology. Here, we document a comprehensive range of leaf phenotypes in 25/20 degrees C-grown Arabidopsis thaliana plants that were shifted to 5 degrees C for up to 2 months. When warm-grown, pre-existing (PE) leaves were exposed to cold, leaf thickness increased due to an increase in mesophyll cell size. Leaves that were entirely cold-developed (CD) were twice as thick (eight cell layers) as their warm-developed (WD) counterparts (six layers), and also had higher epidermal and stomatal cell densities. After 4 d of cold, PE leaves accumulated high levels of total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC). However, glucose and starch levels declined thereafter, and after 45 d in the cold, PE leaves exhibited similar TNC to CD leaves. A similar phenomenon was observed in delta(13)C and a range of photosynthetic parameters. In cold-treated PE leaves, an increase in respiration (R(dark)) with cold exposure time was evident when measured at 25 degrees C but not 5 degrees C. Cold acclimation was associated with a large increase in the ratio of leaf R(dark) to photosynthesis. The data highlight the importance of understanding developmental thermal history in determining individual phenotypic traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gorsuch
authors.forename: Subedar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.forename: Owen K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Atkin
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D019069:Cell Respiration; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D010788:Photosynthesis; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000166:cytology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D054046:Plant Stomata; D018526:Plant Transpiration; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D005947:Glucose