Why some stems are red: cauline anthocyanins shield photosystem II against high light stress.

Red-stemmed plants are extremely common, yet the functions of cauline anthocyanins are largely unknown. The possibility that photoabatement by anthocyanins in the periderm reduces the propensity for photoinhibition in cortical chlorenchyma was tested for Cornus stolonifera. Anthocyanins were induced in green stems exposed to full sunlight. PSII quantum yields (capital EF, Cyrillic(PSII)) and photochemical quenching coefficients were depressed less in red than in green stems, both under a light ramp and after prolonged exposures to saturating white light. These differences were primarily attributable to the attenuation of PAR, especially green/yellow light, by anthocyanins. However, the red internodes also had less chlorophyll and higher carotenoid:chlorophyll ratios than the green, and when the anthocyanic periderm was removed, small differences in the capital EF, Cyrillic(PSII) of the underlying chlorenchyma were retained. Thus, light screening by cauline anthocyanins is important, but is only part of a set of protective acclimations to high irradiance. Hourly measurements of capital EF, Cyrillic(PSII) on established trees under natural daylight indicated a possible advantage of red versus green stems under sub-saturating diffuse, but not direct sunlight. To judge the wider applicability of the hypothesis, responses to high light were compared for red and green stems across five further unrelated species. There was a strong, linear, interspecific correlation between photoprotective advantage and anthocyanin concentration differences among red and green internodes. The photoprotective effect appears to be a widespread phenomenon.

Photoperiodic regulation of a 24-kD dehydrin-like protein in red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.) in relation to freeze-tolerance.

A predominant 24-kD dehydrin-like protein was previously found to fluctuate seasonally within red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea L.) stems. The current study attempted to determine what environmental cues triggered the accumulation of the 24-kD protein and to assess its potential role in winter survival. Controlled photoperiod and field studies confirmed that photoperiod regulates a reduction of stem water content (SWC), freeze-tolerance enhancement and accumulation of the 24-kD protein. Diverse climatic ecotypes, which are known to respond to different critical photoperiods, displayed differential reduction of SWC and accumulation of the 24-kD protein. A time-course study confirmed that prolonged exposure to short days is essential for SWC reduction, 24-kD protein accumulation, and freeze-tolerance enhancement. Water deficit induced 24-kD protein accumulation and enhanced freeze-tolerance under long-day conditions. In all instances, freeze-tolerance enhancement and 24-kD protein accumulation was preceded by a reduction of SWC. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that C. sericea responds to decreasing photoperiod, which triggers a reduction in SWC. Reduced SWC in turn may trigger the accumulation of the 24-kD protein and a parallel increase in freeze-tolerance.

Why leaves turn red in autumn. The role of anthocyanins in senescing leaves of red-osier dogwood.

Why the leaves of many woody species accumulate anthocyanins prior to being shed has long puzzled biologists because it is unclear what effects anthocyanins may have on leaf function. Here, we provide evidence for red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) that anthocyanins form a pigment layer in the palisade mesophyll layer that decreases light capture by chloroplasts. Measurements of leaf absorbance demonstrated that red-senescing leaves absorbed more light of blue-green to orange wavelengths (495-644 nm) compared with yellow-senescing leaves. Using chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements, we observed that maximum photosystem II (PSII) photon yield of red-senescing leaves recovered from a high-light stress treatment, whereas yellow-senescing leaves failed to recover after 6 h of dark adaptation, which suggests photo-oxidative damage. Because no differences were observed in light response curves of effective PSII photon yield for red- and yellow-senescing leaves, differences between red- and yellow-senescing cannot be explained by differences in the capacities for photochemical and non-photochemical light energy dissipation. A role of anthocyanins as screening pigments was explored further by measuring the responses PSII photon yield to blue light, which is preferentially absorbed by anthocyanins, versus red light, which is poorly absorbed. We found that dark-adapted PSII photon yield of red-senescing leaves recovered rapidly following illumination with blue light. However, red light induced a similar, prolonged decrease in PSII photon yield in both red- and yellow-senescing leaves. We suggest that optical masking of chlorophyll by anthocyanins reduces risk of photo-oxidative damage to leaf cells as they senesce, which otherwise may lower the efficiency of nutrient retrieval from senescing autumn leaves.