title: Foliar abscisic acid content underlies genotypic variation in stomatal responsiveness after growth at high relative air humidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stomata formed at high relative air humidity (RH) respond less to abscisic acid (ABA), an effect that varies widely between cultivars. This study tested the hypotheses that this genotypic variation in stomatal responsiveness originates from differential impairment in intermediates of the ABA signalling pathway during closure and differences in leaf ABA concentration during growth.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stomatal anatomical features and stomatal responsiveness to desiccation, feeding with ABA, three transduction elements of its signalling pathway (H2O2, NO, Ca(2+)) and elicitors of these elements were determined in four rose cultivars grown at moderate (60 %) and high (90 %) RH. Leaf ABA concentration was assessed throughout the photoperiod and following mild desiccation (10 % leaf weight loss).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stomatal responsiveness to desiccation and ABA feeding was little affected by high RH in two cultivars, whereas it was considerably attenuated in two other cultivars (thus termed sensitive). Leaf ABA concentration was lower in plants grown at high RH, an effect that was more pronounced in the sensitive cultivars. Mild desiccation triggered an increase in leaf ABA concentration and equalized differences between leaves grown at moderate and high RH. High RH impaired stomatal responses to all transduction elements, but cultivar differences were not observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High RH resulted in decreased leaf ABA concentration during growth as a result of lack of water deficit, since desiccation induced ABA accumulation. Sensitive cultivars underwent a larger decrease in leaf ABA concentration rather than having a higher ABA concentration threshold for inducing stomatal functioning. However, cultivar differences in stomatal closure following ABA feeding were not apparent in response to H2O2 and downstream elements, indicating that signalling events prior to H2O2 generation are involved in the observed genotypic variation.
authors.affiliation: Århus University, Department of Food Science, Kirstinebjergvej 10, DK-5792 Årslev, Denmark.
authors.forename: Habtamu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Giday
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fanourakis
authors.forename: Katrine H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kjaer
authors.forename: Inge S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Fomsgaard
authors.forename: Carl-Otto
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Ottosen
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D003890:Desiccation; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006813:Humidity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D018526:Plant Transpiration; D027826:Rosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D000040:Abscisic Acid
keywords: Abscisic acid signal transduction; Rosa hybrida; calcium; hydrogen peroxide; methyl jasmonate; nitric oxide; salicylic acid; stomatal closure; stomatal malfunction; transpiration