Under chronic stress, carotenoid-based colouration has often been shown to fade. However, the ecological and physiological mechanisms that govern colouration still remain largely unknown. Colour changes may be directly induced by the stressor (for example through reduced carotenoid intake) or due to the activation of the physiological stress response (PSR, e.g. due to increased blood corticoste...

We performed experiments on male Australian painted dragon lizards (Ctenophorus pictus) to test the hypothesis that carotenoids can scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), protecting the organism from oxidative stress, and that this capacity is reflected in skin colours involved in signalling. Subsequent to 4 weeks of carotenoid treatment we used flow cytometry to analyse unspecified ROS (H(2)O...

Possible crosstalk between the carotenoid and porphyrin biosynthetic pathways under photooxidative conditions was investigated by using their biosynthetic inhibitors, norflurazon (NF) and oxyfluorfen (OF). High levels of protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX) accumulated in rice plants treated with OF, whereas Proto IX decreased in plants treated with NF. Both NF and OF treatments resulted in greater dec...

vicia sativa l., an annual winter growing leguminous plant, is a valuable source of protein and minerals for cattle. drought is one of the key stress factors that influence plant growth and development. in order to investigate common vetch physiological and molecular responses under normal irrigation (n) and two levels of drought stress [s1= 30% and s2= 10% field capacity (fc)], a greenhouse exp...

Oxidative stress has been suggested as a proximate cost of reproduction and hence as a major constraint in the evolution of life histories, and it is therefore thought that antioxidants alleviate the effects of reproductive effort on oxidative stress. Furthermore, carotenoid-based ornaments have been proposed to mirror male ability to resist oxidative stress. Using a full-factorial experimental...

Drought is the major abiotic stress that decreases plant water status, inhibits photosynthesis, induces oxidative stress, restricts growth and finally lead to the reduction of wheat yield. It has been proven that drought priming during vegetative growth stage could enhance tolerance to drought stress at grain filling in wheat. However, whether drought priming imposed at grain filling in parenta...

In the last years, there is a growing demand for plants used in traditional medicine. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains different phytocompounds, that have demonstrated various pharmacological activities. The endophytic fungus, Piriformospora indica, has been reported to enhance the growth of host plants and allow them to survive under abiotic and biotic stress. This study was undertaken t...