Use of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance to Trace the Fate of Ozone in Intact Leaves
EMSL Project ID
49327
Abstract
Ozone is a phytotoxic air pollutant as well as a greenhouse gas, and its concentration has more than doubled in the troposphere since the Industrial Revolution. Ozone is currently considered the most damaging air pollutant to plants. The primary sink for ozone in the troposphere is entry into vegetation through the stomata (pores) on the surface of leaves. Upon entry into leaves, ozone forms other reactive oxygen species (ROS) initiating a signal transduction cascade which ultimately causes reduced plant photosynthesis and growth. In crops, this leads to significantly decreased economic yields, and in natural ecosystems, decreased carbon storage. However, the specific ROS formed after ozone uptake are largely unknown, and previous attempts to identify these species have been limited and insufficient to positively identify specific ROS. Strategies for improving tolerance to ozone in bioenergy and other crops have been hampered by insufficient understanding of the signal transduction pathway elicited upon ozone exposure. This research, using advanced EPR and NMR, will enable identification of the chemical nature and lifetime of specific ozone-induced ROS, as well as the antioxidants produced to quench the ROS. This improved understanding of the nature and lifetime of ozone-induced ROS in plants will greatly assist modeling the deposition of ozone into terrestrial ecosystems and will help identify strategies for improving ozone tolerance in bioenergy crops.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2016-10-01
End Date
2019-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members