Elevated CO2 alters photosynthesis, growth and susceptibility to powdery mildew of oak seedlings

Rosa Sanchez-Lucas*, Carolina Mayoral, Mark Raw, Maria-Anna Mousouraki, Estrella Luna*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

39 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Elevated CO2 (eCO2) is a determinant factor of climate change and is known to alter plant processes such as physiology, growth and resistance to pathogens. Quercus robur, a tree species integrated in most forest regeneration strategies, shows high vulnerability to powdery mildew (PM) disease at the seedling stage. PM is present in most oak forests and it is considered a bottleneck for oak woodland regeneration. Our study aims to decipher the effect of eCO2 on plant responses to PM. Oak seedlings were grown in controlled environment at ambient (aCO2, ∼400 ppm) and eCO2 (∼1000 ppm), and infected with Erysiphe alphitoides, the causal agent of oak PM. Plant growth, physiological parameters and disease progression were monitored. In addition, to evaluate the effect of eCO2 on induced resistance (IR), these parameters were assessed after treatments with IR elicitor β-aminobutyric acid (BABA). Our results show that eCO2 increases photosynthetic rates and aerial growth but in contrast, reduces root length. Importantly, under eCO2 seedlings were more susceptible to PM. Treatments with BABA protected seedlings against PM and this protection was maintained under eCO2. Moreover, irrespectively of the concentration of CO2, BABA did not significantly change aerial growth but resulted in longer radicular systems, thus mitigating the effect of eCO2 in root shortening. Our results demonstrate the impact of eCO2 in plant physiology, growth and defence, and warrant further biomolecular studies to unravel the mechanisms by which eCO2 increases oak seedling susceptibility to PM.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1429-1443
Number of pages15
JournalThe Biochemical journal
Volume480
Issue number17
Early online date6 Sept 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Sept 2023

Bibliographical note

© 2023 The Author(s).

Keywords

  • Seedlings
  • Carbon Dioxide/pharmacology
  • Quercus/physiology
  • Photosynthesis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Elevated CO2 alters photosynthesis, growth and susceptibility to powdery mildew of oak seedlings'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this