TY - JOUR AU - Pieruschka, R. AU - Huber, G. AU - Berry, J.A. TI - Control of transpiration by radiation JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America VL - 107 SN - 0027-8424 CY - Washington, DC PB - Academy M1 - PreJuSER-10542 SP - 13372 - 13377 PY - 2010 N1 - We acknowledge Keith Mott for suggesting the use of near infrared light, Keith Mott, Bernard Genty, and Peter Franks for many discussions that helped us form our ideas, and two reviewers who helped us better express them. We thank Denis Klimov for help with light sources and Larry Giles for technical assistance. R. P. was supported by a Marie Curie fellowship (LIFT 041060) during this work. AB - The terrestrial hydrological cycle is strongly influenced by transpiration--water loss through the stomatal pores of leaves. In this report we present studies showing that the energy content of radiation absorbed by the leaf influences stomatal control of transpiration. This observation is at odds with current concepts of how stomata sense and control transpiration, and we suggest an alternative model. Specifically, we argue that the steady-state water potential of the epidermis in the intact leaf is controlled by the difference between the radiation-controlled rate of water vapor production in the leaf interior and the rate of transpiration. Any difference between these two potentially large fluxes is made up by evaporation from (or condensation on) the epidermis, causing its water potential to pivot around this balance point. Previous work established that stomata in isolated epidermal strips respond by opening with increasing (and closing with decreasing) water potential. Thus, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate should increase when there is condensation on (and decrease when there is evaporation from) the epidermis, thus tending to maintain homeostasis of epidermal water potential. We use a model to show that such a mechanism would have control properties similar to those observed with leaves. This hypothesis provides a plausible explanation for the regulation of leaf and canopy transpiration by the radiation load and provides a unique framework for studies of the regulation of stomatal conductance by CO(2) and other factors. KW - Carbon Dioxide: metabolism KW - Helianthus: metabolism KW - Helianthus: physiology KW - Light KW - Models, Biological KW - Nerium: metabolism KW - Nerium: physiology KW - Photosynthesis: physiology KW - Photosynthesis: radiation effects KW - Plant Leaves: physiology KW - Plant Stomata: metabolism KW - Plant Stomata: physiology KW - Plant Transpiration: physiology KW - Trees: metabolism KW - Trees: physiology KW - Water: metabolism KW - Xanthium: metabolism KW - Xanthium: physiology KW - Carbon Dioxide (NLM Chemicals) KW - Water (NLM Chemicals) KW - J (WoSType) LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16 C6 - pmid:20624981 C2 - pmc:PMC2922126 UR - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000280602800035 DO - DOI:10.1073/pnas.0913177107 UR - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/10542 ER -