EFFECTS OF CO2 ON THE TOLERANCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS TO HEAT STRESS CAN BE AFFECTED BY PHOTOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY AND NITROGEN

Premise of the study: Determining effects of elevated CO2 and N on photosynthetic thermotolerance is critical for predicting plant responses to global warming. Methods: We grew Hordeum vulgare (barley, C-3) and Zea mays (corn, C-4) at current or elevated CO2 (370, 700 ppm) and limiting or optimal soil N (0.5, 7.5 mmol/L). We assessed thermotolerance of net photosynthesis (P-n), photosystem II efficiency in the light (F-v'/F-m'), photochemical quenching (q(p)), carboxylation efficiency (CE), and content of rubisco activase and major heat-shock proteins (HSPs). Key results: For barley, elevated CO2 had no effect on P-n, q(p), and CE at both high and low N and only a positive effect on F-v'/F-m' at high N. However, for corn, P-n, F-v'/F-m', q(p), and CE were decreased substantially by elevated CO2 under high and low N, with greater decreases at high N for all but q(p). The negative effects of high CO2 during heat stress on photosynthesis were correlated with rubisco activase and HSPs content, which decreased with heat stress, especially for low-N corn. Conclusion: These results indicate that stimulatory effects of elevated CO2 at normal temperatures on photosynthesis and growth (only found for high-N barley) may be partly offset by neutral or negative effects during heat stress, especially for C-4 species. Thus, CO2 and N effects on photosynthetic thermotolerance may contribute to changes in plant productivity, distribution, and diversity in future.