Salinity usually reduces plant growth in terms of height and biomass, but can increase secondary metabolite production. This frequently reported observation in guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray, Asteraceae) was investigated for possible mechanisms.Osmotic and specific ion effects of four chloride salts (CaCl2, MgCl2, KCl, and NaCl) on leaf anatomical and plant physiological parameters were studied. One-year-old plants of guayule line AZ 2 were grown under two salt concentrations (750 ppm and 1500 ppm) for each salt type (plus a control) in sand culture (semi-hydroponic) for eight weeks under controlled greenhouse conditions in Tucson, Arizona.Growth in height decreased with increasing salt concentration. Shoot dry weight, rubber, and resin contents, however, showed no significant differences between treatments, indicating no effect from either salt concentration or salt type. There was a trend for increasing rubber content with increasing salt concentration, although not statistically significant. At the same time, net CO2 gas exchange rates decreased significantly with increasing salinity.With increasing salt concentration, guayule showed osmotic effects in terms of height, indicating a lower hydraulic conductivity. Although plants of higher salt concentrations utilized significantly less water, they had the same shoot dry weights, rubber, and resin contents. Salt-stressed plants therefore achieved higher water use efficiencies. The diurnal net CO2 gas exchange rates were significantly reduced with increasing salinity; the nocturnal net CO2 gas exchange rates showed no significant difference between the treatments.Anatomically, it was found that the stomata were raised or elevated above the epidermis, and supported by upwardly curving cells. When guayule was grown under salt treatments, the trichomes were found to include deposits of material. Trichomes might act as a detoxification repository for excess ions. Although the physiological significance of raised stomata is unknown, it is hypothesized that the unique combination of raised stomata, indumentum, and multiple layers of palisade parenchyma allows for an overall high photosynthetic capacity and performance. During stress conditions such as salinity or drought, guayule might activate an internal CO2 concentrating mechanism, i.e., bicarbonate/CO2 pump, internal CO2 recycling, or PEP carboxylation activity.

In this diploma work influence of needle age at Rubisco activity and content in Norway spruce (Picea abies) was studied. The plants were cultivated in conditions with ambient (A) CO2 concentration (350 µmol CO2/mol) and elevated (E) CO2 concentration (700 µmol CO2/mol). Sampling was done two times during the growing season (in the middle of June and in the end of September) were taken. Initial and total Rubisco activities were measured spectrophotometrically. Rubisco content was determined by SDS–PAGE method. Rubisco activity in 18-months-old needles was in E higher than in A. Rubisco contents in current-year needles and one-year-old needles were in A higher than in E in September. These differences were statistically significant that demonstrates the down-regulation of Rubisco content in conditions of elevated CO2 concentration. It seems the course of activities and content depending on age of the needles are antiparallel, that means that decrease of content is followed by increase of activity.

The graduation theses theme was to determinate changes of initial activity, total activity and Rubisco enzyme content in spinach leaves. Ascertained activities and Rubisco enzyme content were determined from extracts of spinach leaves, which were collected during two distinctively climatic different days. Both activities were determined by spectrometric method and content of enzyme Rubisco by SDS-PAGE method. The findings were compared with findings determined in earlier done works.

Diploma thesis’s aim was to determine Rubisco activity and its content in sunny and shaded needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and confirm or refuse acclimation on Rubisco enzyme level. Samples were taken on the Experimental ecology station Czech Academy of Sciences at Bílý Kříž (Beskydy Mountains) where needles were cultivated in two cultivation spheres with different concetrations CO2. One cultivation sphere contains atmosphere with ambient (A) concentration CO2 (350 mol CO2 mol-1) and the other contains atmosphere with elevated (E) concentration CO2 (700 mol CO2 mol-1). Rubisco activities were determinated spectrophotometric, Rubisco content was determined by SDS-PAGE method. Samples were taken in the modele of June and in the end of September. Elevated concetration CO2 did not have significant influence on Rubisco activity. Whereas different exposition had significant influence on Rubisco activity in June, when was found lower Rubisco activity in shaded needles than in sunny needles. In September were not find significant differences in Rubisco activity beetwen sunny and shaded needles. We did not find statistically significant differences in Rubisco content between A and E needles in June. Incontrary, we found about 34 % lower Rubisco content in E needles than in A needles, which confirms acclimation on Rubisco enzyme level. In September Rubisco content was several time higher than in June, which evidences the long term building photosynthetic apparatus in coniferous trees.

Diurnal changes of initial and total activity and content of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) under conditions of ambient (350 µmol mol-1) and elevated (E = 700 µmol mol 1) concentration CO2 were measured in needles of Norway spruce. Needles of Norway spruce were taken on 22th July in two-hours from 3:30 a. m. till 10:30 p. m. The Rubisco activity was determined by spectrophotometry, the Rubisco content was detected by SDS-PAGE. The Rubisco activity was in most samples statistically significantly lower in needles cutlivated under ambient carbon dioxide then in needles cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide. Diagrams of the Rubisco activity shows absence of night inhibitor CA1P. The Rubisco activity was directly proportional to the intensity of photosynthetically active radiation in time from 7:00 a. m. till 7:30 p. m. The Rubisco content was statistically significantly higher in needles of Norway spruce cultivated under ambient carbon dioxide than in needles cultivated under elevated CO2, which shows acclimation of the Rubisco content during long-term effect of elevated CO2 concentration.

This diploma thesis examines influence of content of leaf nitrogen and non-structural carbohydrates on Rubisco activity and its content under impact of ambient (A = 385 µmolCO2 mol-1) and elevated (E = 700 µmolCO2 mol-1) concentrations of carbon dioxide in needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.). The Rubisco activity was determined spectrophotometrically, the Rubisco content by using SDS-PAGE, the content of non-structural carbohydrates by using the anthron method and total leaf nitrogen was determined by using the Kjeldahl method. The Rubisco activity in needles of Norway spruce did not show acclimation on elevated concentration of carbon dioxide, but the activity was elevated concentration of carbon dioxide stimulated during the growing season. The acclimation was proved by Rubisco content, its content was significantly lower in needles cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide. Content of total leaf nitrogen was statistically significantly lower in needles of Norway spruce cultivated under elevated carbon dioxide then in needles cultivated under ambient concentration of carbon dioxide. On the contrary, the content of non-structural carbohydrates was significantly higher in needles cultivated under elevated concentration of carbon dioxide then in variant A. Seasonal changes of Rubisco content depended on content of non-structural carbohydrates, the Rubisco content decreased with increasing content of non-structural carbohydrates. No dependence was detected between seasonal changes of the total leaf content and the Rubisco content.

This diploma thesis deals with dynamic of accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates and activity of Rubisco enzyme at elevated concentration of CO2 on beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Three years old seedlings of beech were cultivated in minisphere with ambient (385 µmol•mol-1, variant A), and with elevated concentration CO2 (700 µmol•mol-1, variant E) for four months. In every variant the first half of plants was fertilized by nitrogen (variant N+) and the second half was control (variant N-). Plants used for experiment were at first adapted for darkness for 12 hours. Subsequently tested leaves were cut off, leafstalk including short segment of branch (approximately 1 cm) was inserted into 0.7 M solution of sucrose (variant S) or water (variant V) and exposed to radiation 200 mol•m-2•s-1 for 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 minutes. Then leaf area and fresh mass of leaf blade were established, samples were fixed in liquid nitrogen and stored in deep freezer to analysis in –70 °C. Rubisco content was determined by SDS-PAGE method, Rubisco activity spectrofotometrically and content of non-structural carbohydrates by anthrone method and HPLC method. Rubisco content was significantly lower in the N- variant than in N+ variant. Rubisco content was also significantly lower in E than in A variant, which is an evidence of down-regulation. Rubisco activity is moderately stimulated at E variant with time, but differences between variant A and E are not statistically significant. Influence of sucrose feeding to Rubisco activity was not proved. Significant differences were detected by anthrone method in non-structural carbohydrates content between variants S and V, but not between variants A and E. Statistically significant increase of sucrose content with time was detected by HPLC method at variant AS, but not at variant ES.