Noise Making Genes in the Oxygen-18 Climate Signal of Tree-Ring Cellulose
Abstract
Previous studies showed that the δ18O values of the oxygen attached to the second carbon of the cellulose glucose moieties (δ18OC-2) adds biochemical noise to the 18O climate signal of cellulose. We expanded the above study to include tree ring sequences to see if this noise persists across time within an individual. The δ18OC-2 noise persists and the δ18O value of the cellulose derivative not having this "noisy" oxygen δ18OP-G is a superior predictor of plant water and relative humidity. We previously proposed that the isotopic noise may be generated by synthesis of polyols (sugar alcohols), since the isotopic noise was particularly strong in areas of plant water or temperature stress. It is well known that plants generate polyols, such as mannitol or inositol to protect membrane structure and build up osmotic pressure under stressful conditions. A survey of previously published leaf cellulose δ18O values shows that, indeed, polyol producing plants tend to have lower oxygen isotope ratios. A working hypothesis based on the reactions of the oxygen attached to the second carbon of the glucose moieties was developed and tested with genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana var. Columbia. A A. thaliana line genetically modified by the insertion of a mannitol synthesis gene (Mannose 6-Phosphate Reductase) and another mutant line which cannot synthesize starch (lacking plastid Phosphoglucose Mutase) showed significantly lower δ18O values of stem cellulose compared to the wild type. The primary cause of this lower isotopic value of the whole cellulose molecule was lower δ18OC-2 values. These results are consistent with our working hypothesis.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUFMPP52A..03S
- Keywords:
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- 0429 Climate dynamics (1620);
- 0454 Isotopic composition and chemistry (1041;
- 4870);
- 0476 Plant ecology (1851)