F. Loreto et al., Monoterpene emission and monoterpene synthase activities in the Mediterranean evergreen oak Quercus ilex L. grown at elevated CO2 concentrations, GL CHANGE B, 7(6), 2001, pp. 709-717
Monoterpene emissions, monoterpene synthase activities, photosynthesis, flu
orescence yield in the dark and drought stress indicators (stomatal conduct
ance and mid-day water potential) were concurrently measured under similar
temperature and illumination in current-year leaves of Quercus ilex L. of p
lants grown in open-top chambers at ambient (350 ppm) and elevated (700 ppm
) CO2. The study was undertaken to understand the effect of CO2 on monoterp
ene biosynthesis, and to predict and parameterize the biogenic emissions at
growing CO2 concentrations. The results of the 1998 and 1999 studies show
that at elevated CO2, and in the absence of persistent environmental stress
es, photosynthesis was stimulated with respect to ambient CO2, but that the
emission of the three most abundantly emitted monoterpenes (alpha -pinene,
sabinene and beta -pinene) was inhibited by approximately 68%. The enzyme
activities of the monoterpene synthases catalysing the formation of the thr
ee monoterpenes were also inhibited at elevated CO2 and an excellent relati
onship was found between monoterpene emission and activity of the correspon
ding enzyme both at ambient and elevated CO2. Interestingly, however, limon
ene emission was enhanced in conditions of elevated CO2 as it was also the
corresponding synthase. The ratio between enzyme activity and emission of t
he three main monoterpenes was high (above 20) at ambient CO2 but it was be
low 10 at elevated CO2 and, for limonene, on both treatments. Our results i
ndicate that the overall emission of monoterpenes at elevated CO2 will be i
nhibited because of a concurrent, strong down-regulation of monoterpene syn
thase activities. When the enzyme activity does not change, as for limonene
, the high photosynthetic carbon availability at elevated CO2 conditions ma
y even stimulate emission. The results of the 1997 study show that severe a
nd persistent drought, as commonly occurs in the Mediterranean, may inhibit
both photosynthesis and monoterpene (a-pinene) emission, particularly at a
mbient CO2. Thus, emission is probably limited by photosynthetic carbon ava
ilability; the effect of elevated CO2 per se is not apparent if drought, an
d perhaps other environmental stresses, are also present.