Phosphorus fractions in leaves

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 237; no. 4; pp. 1122 - 1135
• Main Authors: Suriyagoda, Lalith D. B., Ryan, Megan H., Gille, Clément E., Dayrell, Roberta L. C., Finnegan, Patrick M., Ranathunge, Kosala, Nicol, Dion, Lambers, Hans
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Acclimation; Acclimatization; crop improvement; Leaves; Lipids; Low concentrations; Mesophyll; Mesophyll Cells - metabolism; Metabolites; Nucleic acids; organic phosphorus; Phosphates; Phosphates - metabolism; Phospholipids; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - metabolism; phosphorus fractions; phosphorus‐use efficiency; Photosynthesis; phytic acid; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plants; plasticity; resorption; Soil; Species; phospholipids; phosphorus fractions; crop improvement; organic phosphorus; phosphorus-use efficiency
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/nph.18588

Summary Leaf phosphorus (P) comprises four major fractions: inorganic phosphate (Pi), nucleic acids, phospholipids, P‐containing metabolites and a residual fraction. In this review paper, we investigated whether allocation of P fractions varies among groups of terrestrial vascular plants, and is indicative of a species' strategy to use P efficiently. We found that as leaf total P concentration increases, the Pi fraction increases the most, without a plateau, while other fractions plateau. Variability of the concentrations of leaf P fractions is greatest among families > species(family) > regions > plant life forms. The percentage of total P allocated to nucleic acid‐P (20–35%) and lipid‐P (14–34%) varies less among families/species. High photosynthetic P‐use efficiency is associated with low concentrations of all P fractions, and preferential allocation of P to metabolite‐P and mesophyll cells. Sequential resorption of P from senescing leaves starts with Pi, followed by metabolite‐P, and then other organic P fractions. Allocation of P to leaf P fractions varies with season. Leaf phytate concentrations vary considerably among species, associated with variation in photosynthesis and defence. Plasticity of P allocation to its fractions is important for acclimation to low soil P availability, and species‐specific P allocation is needed for co‐occurrence with other species.