Canopy CO2 exchange of two neotropical tree species exhibiting constitutive and facultative CAM photosynthesis, Clusia rosea and Clusia cylindrica

Photon flux density (PFD) and water availability, the daily and seasonal factors that vary most in tropical environments, were examined to see how they influenced expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in 3-year-old Clusia shrubs native to Panama. Instead of the commonly used single-leaf approach, diel CO2 exchange was measured for whole individual canopies of plants in large soil containers inside a naturally illuminated 8.8 m3 chamber. In well-watered C. rosea, a mainly constitutive CAM species, nocturnally fixed CO2 contributed about 50% to 24 h carbon gain on sunny days but the contribution decreased to zero following overcast days. Nonetheless, CO2 fixation in the light responded in such a way that 24 h carbon gain was largely conserved across the range of daily PFDs. The response of C. rosea to drought was similarly buffered. A facultative component of CAM expression led to reversible increases in nocturnal carbon gain that offset drought-induced reductions of CO2 fixation in the light. Clusia cylindrica was a C3 plant when well-watered but exhibited CAM when subjected to water stress. The induction of CAM was fully reversible upon rewatering. C. cylindrica joins C. pratensis as the most unambiguous facultative CAM species reported in the genus Clusia

Constitutive and facultative crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in Cuban oregano, Coleus amboinicus (Lamiaceae)

© 2020 CSIRO. Plants exhibiting the water-conserving crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthetic pathway provide some of the most intriguing examples of photosynthetic diversity and plasticity. Here, a largely unnoticed facet of CAM-plant photosynthesis is highlighted: the co-occurrence of ontogenetically controlled constitutive and environmentally controlled facultative CAM in a species. Both forms of CAM are displayed in leaves of Coleus amboinicus Lour. (Lamiaceae), a semi-succulent perennial plant with oregano-like flavour that is native to southern and eastern Africa and naturalised elsewhere in the tropics. Under well-watered conditions, leaves assimilate CO2 predominantly by the C3 pathway. They also display low levels of CO2 uptake at night accompanied by small nocturnal increases in leaf tissue acidity. This indicates the presence of weakly expressed constitutive CAM. CAM expression is strongly enhanced in response to drought stress. The drought-enhanced component of CAM is reversible upon rewatering and thus considered to be facultative. In contrast to C. amboinicus, the thin-leaved closely related Coleus scutellarioides (L.) Benth. exhibits net CO2 fixation solely in the light via the C3 pathway, both under well-watered and drought conditions. However, low levels of nocturnal acidification detected in leaves and stems indicate that the CAM cycle is present. The highly speciose mint family, which contains few known CAM-exhibiting species and is composed predominantly of C3 species, appears to be an excellent group of plants for studying the evolutionary origins of CAM and for determining the position of facultative CAM along the C3-full CAM trajectory

Prospecting for Energy-Rich Renewable Raw Materials: \u3cem\u3eAgave\u3c/em\u3e Leaf Case Study

Plant biomass from different species is heterogeneous, and this diversity in composition can be mined to identify materials of value to fuel and chemical industries. Agave produces high yields of energy-rich biomass, and the sugar-rich stem tissue has traditionally been used to make alcoholic beverages. Here, the compositions of Agave americana and Agave tequilana leaves are determined, particularly in the context of bioethanol production. Agave leaf cell wall polysaccharide content was characterized by linkage analysis, non-cellulosic polysaccharides such as pectins were observed by immuno-microscopy, and leaf juice composition was determined by liquid chromatography. Agave leaves are fruit-like--rich in moisture, soluble sugars and pectin. The dry leaf fiber was composed of crystalline cellulose (47-50% w/w) and non-cellulosic polysaccharides (16-22% w/w), and whole leaves were low in lignin (9-13% w/w). Of the dry mass of whole Agave leaves, 85-95% consisted of soluble sugars, cellulose, non-cellulosic polysaccharides, lignin, acetate, protein and minerals. Juice pressed from the Agave leaves accounted for 69% of the fresh weight and was rich in glucose and fructose. Hydrolysis of the fructan oligosaccharides doubled the amount of fermentable fructose in A. tequilana leaf juice samples and the concentration of fermentable hexose sugars was 41-48 g/L. In agricultural production systems such as the tequila making, Agave leaves are discarded as waste. Theoretically, up to 4000 L/ha/yr of bioethanol could be produced from juice extracted from waste Agave leaves. Using standard Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to ferment Agave juice, we observed ethanol yields that were 66% of the theoretical yields. These data indicate that Agave could rival currently used bioethanol feedstocks, particularly if the fermentation organisms and conditions were adapted to suit Agave leaf composition