Year: 1974
Type: article
Abstract: This investigation was carried out in order to elucidate the mechanisms involved in the sensitivity of plants to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) . Kidney bean, cucumber, tomato, egg-plant and spinach were used as experimental plants in this study.Application of OED (oxyethylene decasanol) solution to leaves of kidney beans showed a remarkable effect to reduce the damage by NO2, especially when it was applied to the lower surface of the leaf. Leaves exposed to NO2 in the dark were severely damaged and their nitrite content was very high, while that of leaves exposed in the light was negligible. Application of NaNO2 solution onto leaves caused damage very similar to the damage by gaseous NO2. When plants were treated with 10-4-10-3 mol of DCMU (3- (3, 4-dichlorophenyl) -1, 1-dimethylurea), an inhibitor of Hill reaction, they were markedly injured by NO2 even in the light. It was found that DCMU-treated leaves contained much more nitrite than untreated ones. When plants grown in the media with sufficient nitrate nitrogen were exposed to NO2, their leaves contained less amount of nitrite and showed less sensitivity to the gas.From these results, it is suggested that the plant damage by NO2 is caused by nitrite ions and that the sensitivity of plants to NO2 is related both to the amount of NO2 taken in through stomata, and to the physiological activities of plants to reduce nitrite ions. The present results lend support to conclude that the effect of light to lessen the damage by NO2 is associated with the photochemical reduction of NO2 by nitrite reductase in the chloroplasts.
Institution: Mie University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4245068611