Macromolecular Rate Theory (MMRT) Provides a Thermodynamics Rationale to Underpin the Convergent Temperature Response in Plant Leaf Respiration
Abstract
Temperature is a crucial factor in determining the rates of ecosystem processes such as leaf respiration (R) - the flux of plant respired carbon dioxide (CO2) from leaves to the atmosphere. Generally, respiration rate increases exponentially with temperature as modelled by the Arrhenius equation, but a recent study (Heskel et al., 2016) showed a universally convergent temperature response of R using an empirical exponential/polynomial model whereby the exponent in the Arrhenius model is replaced by a quadratic function of temperature. The exponential/polynomial model has been used elsewhere to describe shoot respiration and plant respiration. What are the principles that underlie these empirical observations? Here, we demonstrate that macromolecular rate theory (MMRT), based on transition state theory for chemical kinetics, is equivalent to the exponential/polynomial model. We re-analyse the data from Heskel et al. 2016 using MMRT to show this equivalence and thus, provide an explanation based on thermodynamics, for the convergent temperature response of R. Using statistical tools, we also show the equivalent explanatory power of MMRT when compared to the exponential/polynomial model and the superiority of both of these models over the Arrhenius function. Three meaningful parameters emerge from MMRT analysis: the temperature at which the rate of respiration is maximum (the so called optimum temperature, Topt), the temperature at which the respiration rate is most sensitive to changes in temperature (the inflection temperature, Tinf) and the overall curvature of the log(rate) versus temperature plot (the so called change in heat capacity for the system, ). The latter term originates from the change in heat capacity between an enzyme-substrate complex and an enzyme transition state complex in enzyme-catalysed metabolic reactions. From MMRT, we find the average Topt and Tinf of R are 67.0±1.2 °C and 41.4±0.7 °C across global sites. The average curvature (average negative) is -1.2±0.1 kJ.mol-1K-1. MMRT extends the classic transition state theory to enzyme-catalysed reactions and scales up to more complex processes including micro-organism growth rates and ecosystem processes.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFM.B53I..08L
- Keywords:
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- 0412 Biogeochemical kinetics and reaction modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 0414 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- BIOGEOSCIENCES;
- 1615 Biogeochemical cycles;
- processes;
- and modeling;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 1631 Land/atmosphere interactions;
- GLOBAL CHANGE