Resumo em Inglês:

Vochysia divergens Pohl (commonly known as cambara) is a pioneer tree species that is native to the Amazon Basin but has been invading the seasonally flooded wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal, forming monospecific communities. The physiological aspects associated with cambara invasion, including the effects of flooding and shading on growth and leaf gas exchange, are unknown but may shed light on why cambara is able to invade this novel habitat so rapidly. Thus, we conducted a manipulative experiment to quantify the effects of shading and flooding on the growth, gas exchange and leaf nutrient content of V. divergens saplings. Based on previous research we hypothesized that (1) experimental flooding would have no effect on the growth and gas exchange of V. divergens,and (2) experimental shading would reduce the growth and gas exchange of V. divergens regardless of the water treatment plants are subjected. Our data indicate that shading significantly increased the height, stomatal conductance (g s), and transpiration (T) of V. divergens saplings, especially for plants exposed to normal irrigation. Experimental flooding significantly reduced rates of leaf production, plant height, and gas exchange; however, shaded plants exposed to flooding had a higher water use efficiency than plants exposed to full sun and flooding, because Twas more depressed than net photosynthesis (A) in flooded plants exposed to full sun. Despite the inhibitory effects of flooding and shading, V. divergenssaplings exhibited positive growth and C gain, regardless of the growth light environment or water level, indicating that the growth and leaf gas exchange of species is tolerant to both flooding and shading. Such tolerance to a wide variety of hydrological and growth light conditions presumably explains the ability of cambara to invade, and ultimately form dense, monospecific stands in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Resumo em Inglês:

'Golden' papayas at maturity stage 1 (15% yellow skin) were chosen to study selected oxidative processes, the activity of antioxidant enzymes and lipid peroxidation in storage at 22°C, during the ripening of the fruit. An increase in ethylene production was observed on the second day of storage and it was followed by an increase in respiration. An increased activity of catalase, glutathione reductase and ascorbate peroxidase was observed concurrently or soon after this increase in ethylene production and respiration. The increased activity of these enzymes near the peaks of ethylene production and respiration is related to the production of oxidants accompanying the onset of ripening. On the fourth day of storage, there was an increased lipid peroxidation and decreased activities of catalase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase. Lipid peroxidation induces the increase of antioxidant enzymes, which can be verified by further increases in the activities of catalase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase. Unlike the other antioxidant enzymes, the ascorbate peroxidase activity in the pulp increased continuously during ripening, suggesting its important role in combating reactive oxygen species during papaya ripening. With regard to physical-chemical characteristics, the soluble solids did not vary significantly, the acidity and ascorbic acid contents increased, and hue angle and firmness decreased during storage. The results revealed that there was variation in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, with peaks of lipid peroxidation during the ripening of 'Golden' papaya. These results provide a basis for future research, especially with regard to the relationships among the climacteric stage, the activation of antioxidant enzymes and the role of ascorbate peroxidase in papaya ripening.

Resumo em Inglês:

Gas exchange, chlorophyll afluorescence, and photosynthetic pigments of Xylopia sericeaA. St.-Hil. and Siparuna guianensis Aubl. were evaluated during the rainy season and the dry season (2009-2010) in three understories with different ecological conditions (irradiance, water availability, and temperature) located in the União Biological Reserve (known as REBIO União), at Rio de Janeiro State, a natural forest understory, eucalyptus understory under regeneration, and understory of eucalyptus plantation with 18-year-old trees that were removed 1 year before. The lowest values of Fv/Fm e Fm/Fo were observed in the exposed understory for both seasons, with lower values in the dry season, suggesting that reduced water availability potentializes the photoinhibitory process. For both species of the exposed understory it is suggested the occurrence of photoprotection, given that an increased proportion of carotenoid pigments in relation to the chlorophylls were verified. Both species still exhibited dynamic photoinhibition after 1 year of exposure to full sunlight (exposed understory) in both seasons, but more markedly so in the dry season, though they belong to early stages of ecological succession. Based on the results, it is suggested that these species are indicated for planting in degraded areas and that the cutting of eucalyptus trees as management practice should be performed in a gradual manner, during the rainy season, in order to minimize stress on these species.

Resumo em Inglês:

The antioxidant defense system response was evaluated in two rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.), Fernandes (CNA-1158) and Maravilha (CNA-6843-1), treated with toxic levels of aluminum. After exposure to aluminum we determined plant growth, H2O2 and O2•- contents, lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes activities and ascorbate and dehydroascorbate contents. Al predominantly accumulated in roots of both cultivars but it reduced root and shoot growth only in the Maravilha cultivar. Treatment with aluminum resulted in a reduction of 84 and 60% in the levels of H2O2 in the roots of the cultivars Maravilha and Fernandes, respectively, and of 26% in the levels of O2•- only in the roots of Fernandes cultivar. Increased lipid peroxidation was observed only in the roots of the Maravilha cultivar. In general, the antioxidant enzyme activities were higher in roots and increased in the presence of aluminum, especially in the Fernandes cultivar. The levels of ascorbate were higher in leaves and increased with aluminum treatment, while dehydroascorbate decreased in roots of both cultivars after aluminum treatment. However, the ascorbate/dehydroascorbate ratio increased in the roots of both cultivars after treatment with aluminum. Ascorbate, dehydroascorbate and ascorbate/dehydroascorbate levels found here point to an efficient regeneration of ascorbate, essential for the homeostasis of cellular metabolites involved in reactive oxygen species removal by rice plants treated with aluminum. Therefore, the higher tolerance of Fernandes to aluminum relative to Maravilha cultivar may be the result of better growth of the root system and shoots, higher antioxidant enzyme activities and a best use/regeneration of ascorbate.

Resumo em Inglês:

Five varieties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) - KW, UP 2752, PBW 343, SO and LV - were subjected to water stress and sampling was done on the 3rd, 6th and 9th day of stress. RWC decline in KW, UP 2752 and PBW 343 (36.65, 42.34 and 40.75% respectively) was comparatively lesser than in LV and SO (52.93 and 52.67% respectively). In all varieties tested, three antioxidant enzymes (POX, APOX and GR) showed an initial increase. The activity of POX and GR increased with the increase in the duration of stress in KW, UP 2752 and PBW 343, while the activity of APOX declined. However, CAT and SOD showed an initial increase in these varieties, whereas it declined in SO and LV with increase in the period of stress. Accumulation of H2O2 declined during prolonged water stress in KW, UP 2752 and PBW 343, while it increased in LV and SO. The accumulation of MDA content was three times higher in susceptible varieties than in tolerant varieties. The content of proline, phenol and ascorbate increased during water stress whereas the accumulation of carotenoid showed a significant decrease after showing an initial increase in the tested varieties. Higher values of total antioxidant and MSI were recorded in KW, UP 2752 and PBW 343 during stress while after 6 days MSI declined in LV and SO. During water stress there was a general decline in the total chlorophyll content. Analyzing the data, the present work suggested that out of the five varieties, KW, UP 2752 and PBW 343 showed more tolerance to water stress than SO and LV.

Resumo em Inglês:

The role of seed reserves on the ability to resprout and on the responses of resprouting in Araucaria angustifoliawas investigated. Seedlings were separated into three groups: plants which had their shoot damaged, a similar group in which damaged plants had their connection to the supporting seed removed, and a control group. All damaged seedlings resprouted, but those which remained connected to their seeds had a greater mass of resprouted shoots than the ones disconnected from their seeds. A greater accumulation of seed mass in the underground hypocotyl was a very distinct initial response to damage, but, on the long run, damaged plants were able to reestablish a biomass allocation pattern, which was very similar to the control plants. These results indicate that seed and underground reserves are important for the quantitative resprouting response of seedlings of Aangustifolia and for its ability to reestablish the functional balance when severely damaged.

Resumo em Inglês:

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a climacteric fruit, i.e., during ripening an increase in ethylene synthesis and high rate of respiration are observed. Low oxygen levels might inhibit or block ethylene biosynthesis and therefore retard the ripening process. Despite commercial applications of low oxygen treatments, the precise mode of action of low oxygen in fruit tissues and ripening is not well understood. In order to delineate the molecular responses to low oxygen stress in fruits, hypoxia-responsive tomato genes encoding heat shock factors, heat shock proteins, and enzymes involved in fermentation and ethylene synthesis pathways were analyzed. In this study, tomato fruit stored under hypoxia conditions showed that HSP17.7 and HSP21 genes were highly induced by low oxygen level, indicating their primary role in maintaining cellular homeostasis after this stress.