Knowledge concerning apoplastic ion concentrations is important for the understanding of many processes in plant physiology. Ion-sensitive fluorescent probes in combination with quantitative imaging techniques offer opportunities to localize, visualize, and quantify apoplastic ion dynamics in situ. The application of this technique to the leaf apoplast is complicated because of problems associa...

The effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) on growth, physiology and yield of salt-stressed mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss) cv. Varuna plants were studied. The stress imposed by 25 or 50 mM NaCl reduced substantially leaf area, dry mass, leaf chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate 50 days after emergence. At harvest, although other yield components were gener...

Arthropods at the surface of plants live in particular microclimatic conditions that can differ from atmospheric conditions. The temperature of plant leaves can deviate from air temperature, and leaf temperature influences the eco-physiology of small insects. The activity of insects feeding on leaf tissues, may, however, induce changes in leaf surface temperatures, but this effect was only rare...

Elevated CO2 concentrations (eCO2) trigger various plant responses. Despite intensive studies of these responses, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this work, we investigated when and how leaf physiology and anatomy are affected by eCO2 in rice plants. We analyzed the most recently fully expanded leaves that developed successively after transfer of the plant to eCO2. To discriminate ...

*Correspondence: Alexander S. Lukatkin, Department of Botany, Physiology and Ecology of Plants, N.P. Ogarev Mordovia State University, Bolshevistskaja Str., 68. Saransk 430005, Russia e-mail: [email protected] Chilling temperatures (1–10◦C) are known to disturb cellular physiology, cause oxidative stress via creating imbalance between generation and metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS...

Stomatal regulation of leaf gas exchange with the atmosphere is a key process in plant adaptation to the environment, particularly in semi-arid regions with high atmospheric evaporative demand. Development of stomata, integrating internal signaling and environmental cues sets the limit for maximum diffusive capacity of stomata, through size and density and is under a complex genetic control, th...

It is with deep sorrow that I announce the recent passing of Dr. Alexander Leaf (Figure 1), one of the giants in cardio-renal physiology and medicine. After a short illness, Dr. Leaf died peacefully at his home in Concord, MA on December 24, 2012 at the age of 92 years. Those of us who worked with Alex can personally testify to his sense of humor, his humility, his enthusiasm for research, and ...

Insect herbivory has variable consequences on plant physiology, growth, and reproduction. In some plants, herbivory reduces photosynthetic rate (Pn) activity on remaining tissue of injured leaves. We sought to better understand the influence of leaf injury on Pn of common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca (Asclepiadaceae), leaves. Initially, we tested whether Pn reductions occurred after insect herbi...