NEWS FROM
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
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Published monthly on behalf of SPPS by Wiley-Blackwell.
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Changes in atmospheric CO2 affect respiration efficiency
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The increasing atmospheric have resulted in a general increase in photosynthesis and biomass, but less is known about how plants adapt to this environmental change in terms of respiration. Now, scientists at University of Illinois at Chicago have taken up this issue by growing Arabidopsis thaliana plants adapted to Pleistocene sub-CO2 levels of 200 µl/l at current 360 µl/l CO2. The results show that these plants exhibited reduced respiration as compared to plants adapted to ambient CO2. The lower respiration rate was, however, not associated with a corresponding reduction in nitrogen content of the tissues. The results suggest, that plants adapt to changes in atmospheric CO2 by adjusting mitochondrial energy coupling and activity of the so called alternative pathway, where photosynthate is consumed in a less energy efficient way leading to lower ATP production.
Read full article free: Gonzalez-Meler et al (December 2009) Physiologia Plantarum 137: 473-484
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NEWS IN BRIEF
FROM OTHER JOURNALS
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Impoverished flora is susceptible to climate change
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Source: Winter et al (22 December 2009) PNAS 106: 21721-21725
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Cutting Down Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
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Source: Nepstad et al (4 December 2009) Science 326: 1350-1351
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Did you pay your SPPS membership fee for 2010?
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The SPPS membership fee is great value for only 30 € or 150 €. From www.spps.fi
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Please remember that your SPPS membership fee for 2010 is due for payment. Most of the existing members have already renewed their membership, but we miss some of you and urge you to renew as soon as possible. Also, we would be happy to welcome new members! As explained in the last issue of SPPS Newsletter, the membership fee for 2010 will now be collected at the end of 2009 and so forth. If your payment has not been received, we will send you an email in December. It contains a link to your membership pages where you can easily make your payment.
The regular membership fee for 2010 is only 30 €. But you might consider to upgrade and get a full years subscription to our international journal Physiologia Plantarum on top of it for only 150 €. And keep in mind that your membership includes reduced registration fees for SPPS congresses and PhD conferences as well as the possibility to obtain travel grants. So if you plan to join just one of these meetings, a membership will actually save you money!
You can see your options as a member of SPPS on the Members section on the SPPS homepage.
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