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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2001

Abstract

Adaptation to cold and freezing temperatures is crucial for survival in temperate and boreal areas. Compared with angiosperms, little is known about the mechanisms of freezing tolerance in gymnosperms. Coniferous species such as Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) have a wide distribution in boreal areas, indicating a strong ability to adapt to lasting periods of cold and freezing temperatures.Freezing-tolerant perennial plants survive subzero temperatures by forming ice in intercellular spaces and the xylem. Certain proteins associated with pathogen attack have been found to exhibit antifreeze activity, i.e. the ability to bind and modify the growth of ice.In order to study the possible role of pathogenesis-related proteins in development of freezing tolerance in Norway spruce, we looked at the accumulation of chitinases during hardening under both artificial and natural conditions.Our findings show that chitinases and other pathogenesis-related proteins, as well as antifreeze activity, are present in needles of Norway spruce, and that they increase in response to shorter daylengths and cold temperature. It is possible that pathogenesis-related proteins accumulated in conifers during cold acclimation could also exhibit antifreeze activity, and thus play an important role during development of freezing tolerance in perennial plants such as the gymnosperm Norway spruce.

Abstract

Air pollution induced changes in pine needle chemistry were observed at sample sites in the surroundings of the Pechenganikel smelter. Close to the smelter, elevated concentrations of Ni, Cu and S were found (Ni: 0.7-1 mmol/kg, CU: 0.4-0.5, and S 40-60 mmol/kg) Close to the pollution source needles were enriched in Ni and Cu by needle age. Correlation and principal component analyses show that changes in the element composition of pine needles depended on air pollution and on natural factors as well. The contribution from air pollution increased with needle age. Besides direct input of pollutants from atmosphere, soil contamination and nutritional disturbance contributed significantly to the observed changes.