Factors affecting respiration in plants

Rate of respiration changes very often due to so many factors, some of these are briefly
mentioned below with special reference to plants.
1. Availability of respiratory fuels
Supply of monosaccharides such as glucose, increases rate of respiration. Glucose is referred
to as instant energy food. Starvation certainly lowers respiration and even leads to
protoplasmic respiration, where proteins and amino acids are used in respiration.
2. Temperature
With increase in temperature from 5oC to 30oC, the rate of respiration rises exponentially
with Q10 value approximately equal to two.
Q 10 (temperature coefficient) =
rate at (t+10)o C
rate at to C
Q10 is the measure the number of times the rate increases when the temperature is increased
by 10oC. Generally, when temperature is increased from 15oC to 25oC, the rate of respiration
doubles. Change in temperature basically
affects the activity of enzymes. With increase in temperature kinetic energy of various
metabolites increases but
the stability of enzymes decreases. Also, with an increase in temperature, solubility of oxygen
in the cell sap
decreases.
3 Oxygen
Oxygen is the terminal acceptor of electrons in oxidative phosphorylation. Since cytochrome
c oxidase has a high
affinity for oxygen (with very low Km), it is rarely a limiting factor. Plants experience
oxygen-deficit when
flooded with water. With decrease in concentration of oxygen more fermentation occurs. At
higher concentration
of oxygen rate of fermentation decreases. In facultative anaerobes, anaerobic respiration is
shifted to aerobic in the
presence of oxygen (Pasteur effect). This spoils the process of wine or beer production. The
concentration of
oxygen at which respiration may not be observed is called extinction point.
4. Hydration
Since enzymes form a colloidal system, the protoplasm must be well hydrated for respiration
to take place. Rate of
respiration decreases when there is water stress. In dry seeds, the rate of respiration is
negligible. When seeds are
stored in moist conditions, they may lose their viability. This is due to respiration by
microbes, insects and seeds
to generate enough heat to inactivate the seeds.
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5. Kind of plant material
Rate of respiration is high in growing systems but very low in storage organs and dormant
systems. Rate of
respiration is high in shoot apices, flowers, leaves and germinating seeds. In tubers, corms
and tuberous roots rate
of respiration is low due to poor penetration of oxygen.
6 Light
Although, respiration is not affected by light, in green plants the rate of the process is more in
light than in
darkness. This effect in due to heat rays or due to production of sugars in photosynthesis. The
light intensity at
which the rate of photosynthesis is just equal to the rate of respiration is called light
compensation point.
In C
3 plants, the rate of overall respiration in light may be affected by photorespiration. In
photorespiration, CO2
is evolved by chlorophyllous cells in the presence of light and oxygen. When CO2 level is
low or oxygen level is
high, the enzyme ribulose biphosphate carboxylase combines ribulose biphosphate with
oxygen (instead of CO2)
to form glycolate, which later releases CO2. Thus, rapid photorespiration apparently
increases respiration in terms
of consumption of O2.
7. CO
2 concentration
Normally CO2 does not affect respiration but a relatively higher level of CO2 depresses
respiration. At higher
concentration of CO
2 stomata close in plants even in the presence of light. Sugars accumulate in potato tissue if
stored at high concentration of CO2. This principle of retardation of respiration by increasing
CO2 level has been
utilized for prolonged storage of fruits.
8. Wounding / Injury
Wounding of plant parts accelerates respiration. This so-called fever respiration has been
remarkably observed in
potato, carrot, beet, onion, radish and leaves of Liriodendron. The mechanism of stimulation
of respiration by
wounding is not well understood. This is attributed to hormonal production during
injury and healing process that follows. The plant hormone, indole acetic acid, is known to
accelerate rate of
respiration.
9. Age
Normally rate of respiration decreases with age. However, in ripening fruits rate of
respiration increases
tremendously. This high rate of respiration when it is at its peak is called respiratory
climacteric.
This rapid increase in rate of respiration during ripening is attributed to the production of
ethylene.
The respiratory climacteric may be due to ethylene-stimulated hydrolysis of starch into
simple
sugars which fuel respiration. Exogenously applied ethylene can enhance respiratory
climacteric in Climacteric
fruits - those fruits which experience respiratory climacteric during ripening, such as mango,
banana and others.
Ethylene can induce respiratory climacteric in Non-climacteric fruits - those fruits which do
not show respiratory
climacteric, such as orange, grapes and some others.
Respiratory
Rate of respiration Climactericate
Ripeneing phase
Time//Age of
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10. Inhibitors / Respiratory poisons
There are numerous substances, which inhibit respiration. Enzyme inhibitors such as heavy
metals (Ag, Hg and
Pb) and acetoamide inhibit respiration. Cyanide, azides, carbon-monoxide, 2,4-dinitrophenol,
rotenone,
fluoroacetate and many others are potent inhibitors of respiratory oxidative phosphorylation.
Several fungal toxins
and antibiotics also inhibit respiration