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Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii

The effect of light stress during drying, experienced by the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii, was examined in this study. Inner-whorl leaves, which become shaded from light when dry, and outer-whorl leaves, the abaxial surfaces of which receive light in the dry state, a...

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Main Author: Loffell, D A
Other Authors: Farrant, Jill M
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Biological Sciences 2017
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access_status_str Open Access
author Loffell, D A
author2 Farrant, Jill M
author_browse Farrant, Jill M
Loffell, D A
author_facet Farrant, Jill M
Loffell, D A
author_sort Loffell, D A
collection Thesis
description The effect of light stress during drying, experienced by the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii, was examined in this study. Inner-whorl leaves, which become shaded from light when dry, and outer-whorl leaves, the abaxial surfaces of which receive light in the dry state, as well as leaves which had been restrained from curling during drying, were separately examined. Differences in chlorophyll ( a + b) content, carotenoid (x + c) content, anthocyanin content, ascorbate peroxidase activity, and ultrastructure, were assessed. Shaded inner whorl leaves do not experience lightchlorophyll interactions, carotenoids and anthocyanin pigments do not accumulate and ascorbate peroxidase activity remains low in them during drying. Outer whorl leaves accumulate light-filtering pigments such as anthocyanins and carotenoids to mask their chlorophyll, and the activity of the enzyme ascorbate peroxidase is increased. Neither inner nor outer whorl leaves suffer subcellular damage during drying but leaves prevented from curling and shading their abaxial surfaces suffer damage to the subcellular environment on drying. Although such leaves accumulated reflective pigments and increase ascorbate peroxidase activity, these mechanisms are unable to provide adequate protection of the leaf tissue without concurrent shading provided by curling. Leaves that shaded their abaxial surfaces by curling and leaves that where shaded completely by other curled leaves decreased their content of chlorophyll in the dry state. Leaves that were restrained from curling had increased chlorophyll contents. Although chlorophyll decline in normal dry C. wilmsii leaves appears to be an artefact of shading, this decline in photopigment content concurrent with shading by leaf movements and light filtering pigments, is suggested to assist in protecting against free radical damage in the dry state.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:04.371Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
publishDateSort 2017
publisher Department of Biological Sciences
publisherStr Department of Biological Sciences
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/26005 Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii Loffell, D A Farrant, Jill M Botany The effect of light stress during drying, experienced by the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii, was examined in this study. Inner-whorl leaves, which become shaded from light when dry, and outer-whorl leaves, the abaxial surfaces of which receive light in the dry state, as well as leaves which had been restrained from curling during drying, were separately examined. Differences in chlorophyll ( a + b) content, carotenoid (x + c) content, anthocyanin content, ascorbate peroxidase activity, and ultrastructure, were assessed. Shaded inner whorl leaves do not experience lightchlorophyll interactions, carotenoids and anthocyanin pigments do not accumulate and ascorbate peroxidase activity remains low in them during drying. Outer whorl leaves accumulate light-filtering pigments such as anthocyanins and carotenoids to mask their chlorophyll, and the activity of the enzyme ascorbate peroxidase is increased. Neither inner nor outer whorl leaves suffer subcellular damage during drying but leaves prevented from curling and shading their abaxial surfaces suffer damage to the subcellular environment on drying. Although such leaves accumulated reflective pigments and increase ascorbate peroxidase activity, these mechanisms are unable to provide adequate protection of the leaf tissue without concurrent shading provided by curling. Leaves that shaded their abaxial surfaces by curling and leaves that where shaded completely by other curled leaves decreased their content of chlorophyll in the dry state. Leaves that were restrained from curling had increased chlorophyll contents. Although chlorophyll decline in normal dry C. wilmsii leaves appears to be an artefact of shading, this decline in photopigment content concurrent with shading by leaf movements and light filtering pigments, is suggested to assist in protecting against free radical damage in the dry state. 2017-11-03T14:19:04Z 2017-11-03T14:19:04Z 1999 2017-02-14T13:30:56Z Bachelor Thesis Honours BSc (Hons) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26005 eng application/pdf Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Botany
Loffell, D A
Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
thesis_degree_str Bachelor's / Honours
title Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
title_full Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
title_fullStr Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
title_full_unstemmed Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
title_short Effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant Craterostigma wilmsii
title_sort effect of light stress on the homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plant craterostigma wilmsii
topic Botany
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26005
work_keys_str_mv AT loffellda effectoflightstressonthehomoiochlorophyllousresurrectionplantcraterostigmawilmsii