Thermal Analysis of Stomatal Response under Salinity and High Light

oleh: Aleksandra Orzechowska, Martin Trtílek, Krzysztof Michał Tokarz, Renata Szymańska, Ewa Niewiadomska, Piotr Rozpądek, Katarzyna Wątor

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-04-01

Deskripsi

A non-destructive thermal imaging method was used to study the stomatal response of salt-treated <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> plants to excessive light. The plants were exposed to different levels of salt concentrations (0, 75, 150, and 220 mM NaCl). Time-dependent thermograms showed the changes in the temperature distribution over the lamina and provided new insights into the acute light-induced temporary response of <i>Arabidopsis</i> under short-term salinity. The initial response of plants, which was associated with stomatal aperture, revealed an exponential growth in temperature kinetics. Using a single-exponential function, we estimated the time constants of thermal courses of plants exposed to acute high light. The saline-induced impairment in stomatal movement caused the reduced stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Limited transpiration of NaCl-treated plants resulted in an increased rosette temperature and decreased thermal time constants as compared to the controls. The net CO<sub>2</sub> assimilation rate decreased for plants exposed to 220 mM NaCl; in the case of 75 mM NaCl treatment, an increase was observed. A significant decline in the maximal quantum yield of photosystem II under excessive light was noticeable for the control and NaCl-treated plants. This study provides evidence that thermal imaging as a highly sensitive technique may be useful for analyzing the stomatal aperture and movement under dynamic environmental conditions.