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European deciduous oaks are closely related and are known for their strong emission of volatile isoprenoids. They are chemo-taxonomically diverse, but hybridise frequently. Four-year-old oak seedlings growing together in a model ecosystem facility under near-natural conditions were studied. The leaves were morphologically classified in the three oak species Quercus robur, Q. pubescens and Q. petraea (with four provenances each) and further investigated by a molecular-genetic approach. Q. robur was morphologically and genetically clearly different from Q. pubescens and Q. petraea, whereas Q. pubescens and Q. petraea individuals used in this study were morphologically and genetically more similar. There was a minor impact of among and within species variability on isoprene synthesis, isoprene emission and photosynthesis. Isoprene emission rates normalised to 25 °C leaf temperature ranged from 5.78 to 10.66 nmol m(-2)  s(-1) , whereas photosynthesis ranged from 12.8 to 17.6 μmol m(-2)  s(-1) . On cloudy days, among the provenances of each species, only net photosynthesis of the Q. robur provenance Hünenberg was reduced and isoprene synthase activity of the Q. pubescens provenance Promotogno increased. On sunny days, photosynthesis did not differ among the provenances. Over all provenances, gas exchange on cloudy days did not differ significantly from sunny days. In the combined data of cloudy and sunny days, no differences between the studied provenances and oak species were detected in isoprene emission and photosynthesis. Thus, isoprene emission and photosynthesis rates were remarkably stable among oak species and provenances. The results indicate that taxonomic differences in the studied oak species are not reflected in isoprene emission and photosynthesis, probably because of the high plasticity of gene expression resulting in high phenotypic flexibility., (© 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

In the present study, we combined transient temperature and light stress (sunfleck) and comparably analyzed photosynthetic gas exchange in Grey poplar which has been genetically modified in isoprene emission capacity. Overall, we demonstrate that for poplar leaves the ability to emit isoprene is crucial to maintain photosynthesis when exposed to sunflecks. Net CO2 assimilation and electron transport rates were strongly impaired in sunfleck-treated non-isoprene emitting poplars. Similar impairment was not detected when the leaves were exposed to high light (lightflecks) only. Within 10 h non-isoprene emitting poplars recovered from sunfleck-related impairment as indicated by chlorophyll fluorescence and microarray analysis. Unstressed leaves of non-isoprene emitting poplars had higher ascorbate contents, but also higher contents of malondialdehyde than wild-type. Microarray analyses revealed lipid and chlorophyll degradation processes in the non-isoprene emitting poplars. Thus, there is evidence for an adjustment of the antioxidative system in the non-isoprene emitting poplars even under normal growth conditions.

In the present study, biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions and photosynthetic gas exchange of salt-sensitive (Populus x canescens (Aiton) Sm.) and salt-tolerant (Populus euphratica Oliv.) isoprene-emitting and non-isoprene-emitting poplars were examined under controlled high-salinity and high-temperature and -light episode (‘sunfleck’) treatments. Combined treatment with salt and sunflecks led to an increased isoprene emission capacity in both poplar species, although the photosynthetic performance of P. × canescens was reduced. Indeed, different allocations of isoprene precursors between the cytosol and the chloroplast in the two species were uncovered by means of 13CO2 labeling. Populus × canescens leaves, moreover, increased their use of ‘alternative’ carbon (C) sources in comparison with recently fixed C for isoprene biosynthesis under salinity. Our studies show, however, that isoprene itself does not have a function in poplar survival under salt stress: the non-isoprene-emitting leaves showed only a slightly decreased photosynthetic performance compared with wild type under salt treatment. Lipid composition analysis revealed differences in the double bond index between the isoprene-emitting and non-isoprene-emitting poplars. Four clear metabolomics patterns were recognized, reflecting systemic changes in flavonoids, sterols and C fixation metabolites due to the lack/presence of isoprene and the absence/presence of salt stress. The studies were complemented by long-term temperature stress experiments, which revealed the thermotolerance role of isoprene as the non-isoprene-emitting leaves collapsed under high temperature, releasing a burst of BVOCs. Engineered plants with a low isoprene emission potential might therefore not be capable of resisting high-temperature episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effects of water limitations on the emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds are not well understood. Experimental approaches studying drought effects in natural conditions are still missing. To address this question, a throughfall displacement experiment was set up in a natural forest of Quercus ilex, an evergreen Mediterranean oak emitting monoterpenes. Mature trees were exposed in 2005 and 2006 either to an additional drought, to irrigation or to natural drought (untreated control). In both years, absolute monoterpene emission rates as well as the respective standard factors of the trees exposed to normal and additional drought strongly declined during the drought periods. Monoterpene emissions were lower in year 2006 than in year 2005 (factor 2) due to a more pronounced summer drought period in this respective year. We observed a significant difference between the irrigation and additional drought or control treatment: irrigated trees emitted 82% more monoterpenes during the drought period 2006 than the trees of the other treatments. However, no significant effect on monoterpene emission was observed between normal and additional drought treatments, despite a significant effect on leaf water potential and photochemical efficiency. During the development of drought, monoterpene emissions responded exponentially rather than linearly to decreasing leaf water potential. Emissions rapidly declined when the water potential dropped below -2MPa and photosynthesis was persistently inhib ited. Monoterpene synthase activities measured in vitro showed no clear reduction during the same period. From our results we conclude that drought significantly reduces monoterpene fluxes of Mediterranean evergreen forest into the atmosphere due to a sustained inhibition of photosynthetic carbon assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European oaks have been reported to emit isoprene or monoterpenes derived from recently fixed photosynthetic carbon. The emission type is plant species specific and can be used as chemo-taxonomic marker. In the present article the isoprenoid biochemical properties of mature Quercus × turneri‘Pseudoturneri’ hybrids resulting from a crossing of a Mediterranean evergreen monoterpene-emitting species (subgenus Sclerophyllodrys; Quercus ilex L.) and an isoprene-emitting deciduous oak species (subgenus Lepidobalanus; Quercus robur L.) are described. Both species are compared with respect to the capacity for isoprenoid synthesis and the actual isoprenoid emission pattern of different tree-types. The analysis showed that the oak hybrid combines properties of both parental species. Furthermore, it could be shown that the enzyme activities of isoprene synthase and monoterpene synthases are reflected in the isoprenoid emission pattern of the hybrids as well as in the observed emission rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Gray poplar leaves emit high amounts of isoprene. In this context, we investigated the degree to which photosynthesis delivers necessary precursors for chloroplast isoprene biosynthesis, and whether this energy-consuming pathway could be involved in protecting the photosynthetic electron transport system. Such protection could result from consumption of a surplus in ATP and NADPH, generated under constricted net assimilation caused by high leaf temperatures and high light intensities. During the course of the day triose phosphate (TP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMADP) concentrations showed pronounced diurnal variations closely related to net assimilation and isoprene emission rates, while other variables, e.g. energy (ATP/ADP) and redox (NADPH/NADP) ratio, as well as phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate strongly scattered related to changing temperature and light intensities. Intra-day positive correlations were found mainly between leaf concentrations of TP and DMADP, and sucrose, ATP/ADP ratio and net assimilation rates. Under non-saturating light (200–400μmolphotonsm−2 s−1), leaf DMADP pools were positively correlated mainly with PEP, starch, and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (F26BP). Under saturating light, correlations improved and additionally involved sucrose, TP, and the ratio of NADPH/NADP. Study of temperature response curves showed that net assimilation and isoprene emission were negatively correlated to each other. This disconnection was mostly visible by the transient change of DMADP contents with maximum levels at 25°C. At higher temperatures, declining pools of DMADP, TP and pyruvate indicated that DMADP consumption overcompensated DMADP production resulting in highest isoprene emission rates at declining pool sizes of precursors. In parallel to the reduction of net assimilation increases of NADPH/NADP and ATP/ADP ratios also portended that the MEP pathway dissipates a surplus of ATP and NADPH which cannot be used for carbon reduction under limited CO2 supply. Taken together we thus assume that DMADP/isoprene biosynthesis constitutes a way to avoid damage to the photosynthetic electron transport chain when CO2 reduction limits photosynthetic electron transport. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]